Wagering up slightly in first quarter

LEXINGTON, Ky., April 9 (UPI) -- Figures released Friday showed total wagering on thoroughbred horse racing in the United States and Canada rose marginally in the first quarter.

The increase came despite a 3.62 percent drop in the number of racing days, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association based in Lexington, Ky., and the Equibase Co. LLC

Purses dipped by just over 1 percent.

"The fact that handle increased with a 4 percent decline in racing days is positive," said NTRA Commissioner Tim Smith. "However, the continuation of the 'handle up, purses down' phenomenon, which we first saw last year, remains a significant concern."

Smith said the NTRA's Wagering Systems Task Force is conducting "an intensive review of recent wagering data, trends and other pertinent facts" to determine the extent to which such factors as simulcast signal piracy, illegal off-shore wagering, betting exchanges and the growth of rebating operations may be contributing to the purse level declines.