May 5, 2020 MEDIA ADVISORY
Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators
For April 2020
Editor’s Note: As a service to the industry and in consideration of the rapid economic changes due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Equibase will provide monthly reporting of its Economic Indicators beginning with this Advisory for April. The Advisory is typically disseminated on a quarterly basis to provide key metrics used to measure racing’s performance throughout the year.
April 2020 vs. April 2019
| Indicator | April 2020 | April 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S.Thoroughbred Races* | $639,399,396 | $845,958,246 | -24.42% |
| U.S. Purses | $17,494,400 | $85,910,830 | -79.64% |
| U.S. Race Days | 85 | 311 | -72.67% |
| U.S. Races | 746 | 2,612 | -71.44% |
| U.S. Starts | 6,810 | 19,728 | -65.48% |
| Average Field Size | 9.13 | 7.55 | +20.86% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $7,522,346 | $2,720,123 | +176.54% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $205,816 | $276,241 | -25.49% |
YTD 2020 vs. YTD 2019
| Indicator | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Thoroughbred Races | $3,148,569,565 | $3,380,927,018 | -6.87% |
| U.S. Purses | $222,722,051 | $313,030,470 | -28.85% |
| U.S. Race Days | 878 | 1,155 | -23.98% |
| U.S. Races | 7,362 | 9,902 | -25.65% |
| U.S. Starts | 58,783 | 76,558 | -23.22% |
| Average Field Size | 7.98 | 7.73 | +3.27% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,586,070 | $2,927,210 | +22.51% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $253,670 | $271,022 | -6.40% |
Notes:
* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
Contact: Rhonda Norby, Marketing and Communications Director, (859) 224-2856
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