Weekend Stakes Beyers ~ Hoffa's Union 94
 

SA Buena Vista S (G2): Vasilika 94 (Skipshot) J. Hollendorfer/F. Prat
SA Spring Fever S: Show It N Moe It - (Grace Upon Grace) G. Sherlock/R. Bejarano

SUN Mine That Bird Derby: Hustle Up 83 (Abstraction) T. Fincher/S. Laviolette
SUN Curribot H: Runaway Ghost 92 (Ghostzapper) T. Fincher/S. Gonzalez
SUN Island Fashion S: Victim of Love 69 (Speightstown) H. Dominguez/R. Eikleberry

AQU Franklin Square S: Stonesintheroad 78 (Bustin Stones) J. Englehart/R. Maragh

OP Downthedustyroad Breeders' S: Usual Suspect 65 (Primary Suspect) K. Broberg/R. Eramia

GP Hal's Hope S (G3): Prince Lucky 106 (Corinthian) T. Pletcher/J. Velazquez
GP Melody of Colors S: Play On 84 (Country Day) B. Cox/S. Bridgmohan
GP Texas Glitter S: Yes I Am Free 80 (Uncaptured) M. Casse/I. Ortiz

HOU Two Altazano S: Cowgirls Like Us 67 (My Golden Song) W. Calhoun/D. Parker
HOU Jim's Orbit S: Mr Money Bags 89 (Silver City) M. Neatherlin/E. Valdez-Jiminez

Prince Lucky with a 106 Beyer. Makes sense from his pps.

Weekend handles
 

Interesting stat I read. Tampa Bay Downs out handled Aqueduct on Sunday. Gulfstream almost tripled the Handle at Aqueduct. Santa Anita Doubled it .
This must be alarming for the folks at NYRA, or is this the new normal ?

43 runners in 8 races, that's the reason. Would not think this is the new normal.

Am I reading this wrong?

2017 Aqueduct Fall Meet All-Sources Handle: $250,376,535
2018 Aqueduct Fall Meet All-Sources Handle: $137,213,915

That is an enormous drop. Looking at some articles and past NYRA financials, the handle has almost always been in the $200m-$260m range. Can bad weather explain it away? Or is it simply more trainers moving their operations South for the winter?

The flip side is that total NYRA handle seems pretty consistent. I think Saratoga hit a record high and Belmont was up there too.

Looking a little further into it, weather is a huge factor. In 2013, the all sources handle for the fall meet dipped to $158m from $184m the prior year. That year, 42 turf races were moved to the dirt.

In 2018, 193 races were taken off the turf for all of NYRA. I couldn’t find specific numbers for Aqueduct. I wonder how many of the cancellations were due to them simply getting used to the new inner turf course. I guess we’ll see. Too many factors to suggest this is the new normal, IMO.

51 of 64 scheduled turf races were taken off.

And that doesn't take in to account turf races that were in the condition book, or on overnights as extras, that were not used in anticipation of rainy forecasts.

I was more about yesterday. I could see on a Big day of racing, but on a regular Sunday to see Tampa handle more was surprising. They handled more than Oaklawn too which also was surprising.

Thanks Steve. That’s a big number of races taken off the turf. It’s a shame since I heard some good things about the new turf course heading into the fall meet.

Forgetting about the weather, why don't you look at the number of days. Likely that 2017 included December and 2018 did not.

I think you’re right and that would pretty much explain it. Boy, I feel stupid, but thanks for pointing that out.

No big deal. When numbers seem strange, they usually are:-) Kind of like the handle numbers at some tracks.

2/28 (LRL): MSW ~ HOFFA'S UNION (VIDEO LINK)

Hoffa's Union 94 (Union Rags) G. Capuano/J. Ruiz