Equibase

Wagering on U.S. races was lower, but available and paid purses both saw increases when compared to a year ago in September, while the number of race days and races themselves saw an uptick during the month, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of $783,857,564 on races during the month represented a 10.96% decrease over the same period from 2023, while available purses of over $138 million were up by 2.90%. The figure of over $131 million for paid purses in September was up 2.26%. As...

Equibase has enhanced its premium past performance product to include conditional formatting, the online source for horse racing data said in a release on Thursday. In addition to traditional past performances, the new version includes key points such as the highest speed figure in the race, the highest win percentage in the race for the trainer and jockey, and the highest lifetime earnings. "Traditional past performances can be overwhelming, especially for new handicappers," said Chris Dawahare, vice president of data operations and digital services for Equibase. "The new enhanced option...

Wagering on U.S. races, plus available and paid purses, all saw increases to varying degrees when compared to a year ago in August, while the number of race days and races themselves saw a slight uptick during the month, according to information released by Equibase on Thursday. Total wagering of over $1.1 billion on races during the month represented a 5.53% increase over the same period from 2023, while available purses of over $142.7 million were up by 7.38%. The figure of over $136.6 million for paid purses in August...

Gatewood Bell has been appointed to serve on the management committee of Equibase Company LLC, announced company chairman Ian D. Highet. The vice president of racing for Keeneland and a third-generation horseman, Bell also served as president of Cromwell Bloodstock for a decade before joining Keeneland as well as previously serving on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. He has been a member of The Jockey Club since 2020 and serves as a member of the Breeders' Cup. Bell fills the vacating board seat of James Gagliano, president and chief operating...

Wagering on U.S. races, plus available and paid purses, all saw increases to varying degrees when compared to a year ago in May, while the number of races declined during the month, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of over $1.4 million on races during the month represented a 0.57% increase over the same period from 2023, while available purses of $124.6 million were up by 2.86%. The figure of over $119.9 million for paid purses in May was up 2.44%. However, the total number of...

Through the first four months of the year, wagering on U.S. races fell 6.10% compared to the same time period in 2023, in figures released Monday by Equibase. A total of $3,516,968,001 was wagered through April this year, compared to $3,745,511,588 a year ago. Available U.S. purses dipped 1.17% from $366,620,431 in 2023 to $362,312,915 this year, with 80 fewer race days and 673 fewer races. During the month of April, $926,855,960 was wagered on U.S. races, down 11.42% from last year's figure of $1,046,334,587. Available U.S. purses totaled $94,938,583,...

Wagering on U.S. races, available and paid purses and the average field size, all saw increases to varying degrees, while the number of races declined during the month of March, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of over $972 million on races during the month represented a 0.99% increase over the same period from 2022, while available purses of $102.8 million were up by 8.41%. The figure of over $98 million for paid purses in March was up 7.55%. However, the total number of race days...

Wagering on U.S. races dipped 2.85% in February, with 11 fewer racing dates, in year-to-year comparisons released Tuesday by Equibase, while through two months of 2024, wagering is down 6.83% with 59 fewer race days than the same period in 2023. Wagering in February totaled $838,195,585, compared to $862,782,585 in February, 2023. Through two months, a total of $1,618,055,698 was wagered in U.S. races. That figure was $1,736,625,054 after two months of 2023. While available purse money increased 6.44% to $86,413,218 in February, that figure year-to-date is down 4.03% to...

Several days of cancelled races due to weather, especially along the East Coast, led to over a 10% dip in wagering from January compared to the same time last year according to statistics released by Equibase. Last month saw 217 race days with a total of 1,853 carded races and $779,860,113 wagered (-10.76%), down from 265 days, 2,280 races and $873,842,469 wagered in Jan. '23, leading to drops in purses paid (-14.94%) and totals starts (-17.36%). On the positive side, despite those cancellations, average wagering was up (+8.99%) as was...

Scott Little has been appointed vice president of racing services at Equibase. Little, who has served as the company's director of track services since 2021, will directly oversee setup, operation, and maintenance of the E-GPS technology systems being utilized at 28 racetracks and coordinate chart-calling staff at more than 125 tracks across the country. A graduate of the Racetrack Industry Program at the University of Arizona, Little served as a product manager for AmTote prior to joining Equibase. Before transitioning to horse racing, Little spent his career in the hospitality...

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the North American International Cataloguing Standards Committee (NAICSC) will increase the minimum Race Quality Scores (RQS) for non-Listed black-type races in SITA catalogues due to the gradual growth in the ratio of those races to the total number of races run, the organization said via a release by The Jockey Club News Service. The RQS is a composite number compiled by using speed figures for the first four finishers in each race over three years. Four speed figures are used to compile the RQS and are...

Roberts Communications Network, LLC (RCN) has acquired OGN Racing, LLC, and OGN Racing--Canada ULC, which will greatly expand the network's racing information kiosk business and bring innovation to the industry, the distributor said in a Wednesday release. OGN Racing has more than 100 program printing kiosks deployed across the United States and Canada, which RCN intends to replace with its state-of-the-art newly designed kiosk featuring added functionality and enhancements. "We see a great opportunity to significantly improve this aspect of the racing industry," said RCN President & CEO Todd Roberts....