American Thoroughbreds raced for purse money in excess of $125 million during the month of May, an improvement of more than 17% over the corresponding figure from 2021, according to figures released Monday by Equibase. During the month, bettors put $1.41 billion through the windows, representing a fractional decrease from last year. Over the course of 399 race days in May–the precise number from 12 months ago–purse money averaged $313,461, up from the $267,712 in 2021.
With five months in the books, gamblers have wagered over $473 billion, a healthy 15% improvement from last year's $411 billion. While daily average wagering declined by 3.7% year-over-year, horse owners were reaping the benefits of average purses per race day of over $315,000, a 10.7% increase over 2021.
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