Woodbine reports on meet

Woodbine's Thoroughbred 2006 meet, which concluded Dec. 10, posted a 4.2 percent increase in handle for the portion of its meet held over the new Polytrack surface, but overall handle for the 162-program session declined by 8.6 percent.

According to a Woodbine press release, total handle during the Polytrack era was a strong $157,445,000, compared to $151,152,000 in 2005, an increase of 4.2 percent. An "all-sources" total of $333,489,534 was wagered during the meet which began April 1, compared to the $364,750,930 recorded in 2005, a decrease of 8.6 percent.

The average field size at Woodbine was 8.6 horses per race this year, up from 8.5 in 2005. During the Polytrack era, 9.2 horses were carded per race, compared to 8.5 last year, an increase of 8.2 percent.

"We had a slow start to the year, but after Polytrack was installed we really noticed an improvement in our key numbers like handle and field size," said Sean Pinsonneault, Woodbine Entertainment's Vice-President of Wagering Services. "We have some momentum going into 2007."

Overnight and stakes purses paid out in 2006 totalled $81.4 million versus $82.7 million paid last year. (Woodbine press release)

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