This year's Breeders Cup saw a two-day attendance total of 112,672, with 70,423 showing up SaturdayGETTY IMAGES
This year marked the ninth time Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders' Cup, and while the next three sites for the event have been selected -- Santa Anita ('19), Keeneland ('20) and Del Mar ('21) -- the Louisville track is "hopeful to get back in the hosting rotation," according to Jason Frakes of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Churchill Downs Senior Dir of Communications & Media Services Darren Rogers said, "We love to host the Breeders' Cup and would love to be a part of their regular rotation. Based off the last 48 hours, it's worthy of returning for a 10th time." Frakes notes the two-day attendance total was 112,672, with 42,249 fans "on hand Friday and 70,423 showing up Saturday." That number is "slightly down" from the last time Churchill Downs hosted in '10, when the two-day attendance was 114,353 (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 11/5). This year's two-day attendance total was the "third-highest in Breeders' Cup history." Attendance last year at Del Mar was "capped at 37,500 each day" (BLOODHORSE.com, 11/2).
OFF THE PACE: DAILY RACING FORM's Matt Hegarty reported total betting on the 14 Breeders' Cup races held Friday and Saturday was down 1.8% "compared to last year, when there were 13 official Breeders' Cup races held at Del Mar." The total of $133M "reversed a string of two years of gains for handle on the Breeders' Cup races, and it came after betting on the Breeders' Cup races set a record last year" at $135.5M. The Breeders' Cup this year "added a race to its lineup, ... leading to a significant shake-up in the order of the races." The Saturday races this year were "held three hours earlier than last year" or in '16, due to the "host track being located in the Eastern time zone." Meanwhile, total betting on the nine Breeders' Cup races held Saturday declined 3.8%. Total betting on Saturday's 12-race card was $105.2M, down 7.5% "compared with total betting on the 12-race Saturday card last year." Combined, the Friday and Saturday handle for 22 races total at Churchill Downs was $157.4M, down 5.2% "compared with handle on 22 races over the two-day event last year" (DRF.com, 11/3).
