Capped by a picture-perfect fall day at Churchill Downs, the 35th Breeders' Cup World Championships recorded total handle of $157,445,841 for the two-day event held Nov. 2-3. The figure was the fifth-highest since the Breeders' Cup went to a two-day format in 2007. Total handle for Saturday's nine championship races was $96,018,060, a 4% decrease from last year. Common-pool handle on Saturday's 12-race Breeders' Cup card was $105,229,197.
Churchill was hosting the Breeders' Cup for the ninth time. Saturday's attendance was 70,423, bringing the two-day total to 112,672. It was the third-largest attendance in Breeders' Cup history, topped only by 118,484 in 2016 at Santa Anita and 114,353 in 2010 at Churchill.
“Once again the Breeders' Cup proved a fitting showcase for world championship performances and the best in international racing,” said Breeders' Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel. “We want to thank our gracious hosts from Churchill Downs, the greater Louisville community, our fans around the world as well the owners and breeders who participate in our racing programs for an incredible week capped by two extraordinary days of racing.”
The Breeders' Cup has already announced it will return to Santa Anita in 2019, Keeneland in 2020, and Del Mar in 2021.
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