Horseplayers spent $118.2 million across 13 races on Belmont Stakes Day last Saturday. It is a 5% bump over the previous record-high handle for a non-Triple Crown year set in 2021 ($112.7 million.)
It is also the most money wagered on Belmont Stakes Day since nearly $138 million was bet in 2018.
The Belmont Stakes itself handled $56.5 million. According to figures recently released by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), the 48,000 fans in attendance sent $10.6 million through the betting windows at Belmont Park across all 13 races.
The Belmont Stakes Day handle record of $150.2 million was set in 2014. On-track handle topped $19.1 million, with 102,000 people there to see California Chrome fail to win the Triple Crown.
Belmont Stakes helps set new Triple Crown record
Betting across all three Triple Crown race days reached $507.1 million, a new record:
- Kentucky Derby: $288.7 million
- Preakness Stakes: $100.2 million
- Belmont Stakes: $118.2 million
It is a 6% increase over last year’s total of $478 million. Kentucky Derby betting set an all-time high in 2023, including betting on the race itself and through the track’s online wagering platform, TwinSpires.
Preakness Stakes betting dipped to its lowest level in three years.
New York sports betting far outpaces horse betting
Between June 5 and June 11, mobile New York sports betting operators handled $298.7 million, an average of $42.67 million per day. According to race charts, NYRA handled $159.4 million over three days of live racing that week. It canceled racing Thursday, June 8, because of poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires.
- Friday, June 9: $26 million
- Saturday, June 10 (Belmont Stakes Day): $118.2 million
- Sunday, June 11: $15.2 million
Full-year statistics from 2022 show a far wider gap between the two betting options. New York sports betting operators handled $15 billion in 2022, compared to $2.32 billion by NYRA during the same period.
On-track bets, which include New York residents wagering through NYRA Bets, were just $291.4 million of last year’s total.
