Equibase released figures from wagering on US tracks for the first quarter of 2020 and after a strong sart to the year, the arrival of the deadly COVID-19 virus has shuttered most tracks and led to a drop in wagering for the month of March, compared to March 2019.
The number of races offered dropped 33 per cent and wagering sunk 22.5 per cent.
With just a handful of tracks left racing as March came to an end, wagering on of few of those including Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs, realized huge wagering increases, leading to an increase in the US for average wagering per race day of 12 per cent.
Charts Courtesy Equibase
| March 2020 vs. March 2019 | |||
| Indicator | March 2020 | March 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $731,702,397 | $945,087,433 | -22.58% |
| U.S. Purses | $55,774,436 | $79,653,572 | -29.98% |
| U.S. Race Days | 214 | 310 | -30.97% |
| U.S. Races | 1,787 | 2,678 | -33.27% |
| U.S. Starts | 13,919 | 20,427 | -31.86% |
| Average Field Size | 7.79 | 7.63 | +2.11% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,419,170 | $3,048,669 | +12.15% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $260,628 | $256,947 | +1.43% |
| 1st QTR 2020 vs. 1st QTR 2019 | |||
| Indicator | 1st QTR 2020 | 1st QTR 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $2,509,170,169 | $2,534,968,772 | -1.02% |
| U.S. Purses | $205,227,651 | $227,119,640 | -9.64% |
| U.S. Race Days | 793 | 844 | -6.04% |
| U.S. Races | 6,616 | 7,290 | -9.25% |
| U.S. Starts | 51,973 | 56,830 | -8.55% |
| Average Field Size | 7.86 | 7.80 | +0.77% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,164,149 | $3,003,518 | +5.35% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $258,799 | $269,099 | -3.83% |
* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
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