Handle Falls Sharply In March

According to figures released Monday by Equibase, all-sources pari-mutuel handle fell by 12.35% during the month of March. A total of $816,171,590 was wagered as compared to $931,156,615 in 2025. The month-over-month decline in handle was the worst since December 2024, when handle fell by 14.44%.

In the category of average wagering per race day, the figure dropped by 12.01%, from $3,540,519 to $3,115,159.

In March 2025, racing was held on five Saturdays. There were only four Saturdays during the month in 2026. With Saturday cards producing the highest handle of the week, that is one factor that no doubt contributed to the poor March numbers.

Owing in large part to March's discouraging figures, handle on the year through the first quarter is down 7.11%. If handle continues to fall at the rate of 7.11 percent throughout the year, the total handle in 2026 will be about $10.25 billion. That would be the lowest yearly handle for the sport since 1994, a decline that does not take inflation into account.

There was also some discouraging news in the category of average field size, which dropped by seven percent during the month and is down by 4.27% for the year. The average field size in March was 7.17 starters per race. In March of 2025, it was 7.71.

The decline in handle continues to have a negligible effect on purses. A total of $94,098,566 in purse money was paid out in March, an increase of 0.87 percent from the year before. Through the first three months of 2026, purses paid are down just 1.54%.

Despite the severe winter weather in the Northeast in 2026, the number of races held reasonably steady when compared to last year, falling by just 3.22%.