Record Crowd In Attendance For 62nd Florida Derby At Gulfstream Park

An estimated crowd of 20,382 was on hand Saturday at Gulfstream Park for the 62nd Florida Derby, setting a record for the facility that opened in '06. The track estimated attendance "based on program sales, refreshment sales and cars in parking lots." Total betting on Gulfstream races was about $26.4M, matching an '06 record set during last year’s Florida Derby, with the live handle approximately at $3.2M, up from $3M (MIAMI HERALD, 4/1).

Also in South Florida, the total attendance for last week's ATP-WTA Sony Open was 307,809, surpassing the 300,000 mark for the fourth consecutive year. The tournament failed to set an attendance record for the first time in four years and the crowds "might have been affected by some players not showing up, losing early or being injured" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/1).