Just Politics

[EZ2]

While the Spring Meet’s biggest events turned in strong performances despite challenges from turbulent weather, the daily racing program at the historic track joined others at tracks across America that have encountered an ongoing decline in field sizes. The 38-day racing program, shortened by one day because of the heat-related cancellation during its final week, consisted of 395 races that featured 3,048 betting interests for an average of 7.7 horses-per-race.

The previous year’s Spring Meet, which also featured 38 racing days, featured 410 races with 3,258 betting interests and an average field of 7.9 horses per race. Churchill Downs was able to make up races lost to its lone weather-related cancellation in 2011, but the races from the lost program in 2012 could not be made up during the just-concluded session.

Purses paid during the 2012 Spring Meet totaled $20,890,859, with an average of $549,759 in purses paid each day. Both figures reflect a decline of one percent from the 2011 Spring Meet, which paid total purses of $21,099,187 for a daily average of $555,242.

http://www.churchilldowns.com/news/archive/record-kentucky-derby-strong-nights-unusual-weather-combine-memorable-spring-meet