NEWS
Attendance, total handle down for Preakness
Posted: Sunday, May 18, 2008 12:48 PM
The Maryland Jockey Club reported 112,222 fans attended the 133rd Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Pimlico Race course, the fifth largest crowd in Preakness history.
Those in attendance were rewarded with a dominant 5 1/4-length victory by Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Big Brown, who prevailed as the 1-to-5 favorite. He will attempt to become the first horse in 30 years to win the Triple Crown on June 7 in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Pimlico set records for attendance the previous two years, but attendance dipped 7.5% for the 2008 Preakness.
Total all-source handle on the Preakness card was $73,457,510, also the fifth-highest in Preakness history but a 15.8% decrease compared with last year’s handle of $87,194,161.
Most of the decline came from wagering on the Preakness itself, which slipped from $57,053,079 in 2007 to $45,689,562 in 2008, a 19.9% drop.
