Despite fierce competition from slots-driven tracks in neighboring states, the Maryland Jockey Club's signature meeting more than held its own this spring.
Estimated final figures released for the Pimlico Race Course meet, which includes the Preakness, showed an overall increase of 2 percent in total wagering, although the live handle continued to decline.
"That's a nationwide trend," said Lou Raffetto, chief operating officer for Pimlico and Laurel Park. "It's nothing any track is happy about, but we all have to live with. But, all in all, we had an excellent meet."
Overall betting includes live handle, money wagered on Maryland races at other tracks and that wagered on other tracks' signals imported to Maryland.
The total was $275,372,515, up more than $4 million over the corresponding meet a year ago.
Much of that had to do with simulcasting, which showed rises of $2.8 million on the import signals and nearly $4 million on the export signal.
"The export numbers show our product is being well-received around the country. That is a strong statement," Raffetto said. "And we're up bringing signals in and when that happens, there is the danger of the live product suffering."
A record-setting Preakness was largely responsible for the overall rise. Despite poor weather early in the day, fans shattered the handle record with $71,407,008 wagered on a 13-race program at all venues. Betting on the Preakness itself climbed by a staggering $7 million.
Field sizes also rose nearly half a horse per race (from 7.4 to 7.8 horses) to make the racing more attractive as racing secretary Georgeanne Hale juggled her condition book to "help fill the races," according to Raffetto.
The 2002 meet ran from April 3 through June 16 with 54 live days and 19 simulcast days.
"We are very pleased with these gains, especially in average field size and wagering on our Pimlico signal around the country," said Maryland Jockey Club president Joe De Francis.
"To achieve these increases, notwithstanding the poor weather on Preakness Day and the continued competition from electronic gaming from Delaware and West Virginia, is an accomplishment in which everyone associated with the Maryland Jockey Club should feel pride."
Live racing goes to Colonial Downs in Virginia Friday.
Mario Pino won his second riding title at Pimlico, outdistancing Mark Johnson, 72-60, despite Johnson's four winners yesterday. The championship is the first at Old Hilltop for Pino since 1980 when he was 19 years old.
"When you look at the stats, I was always second or third or right in there, but there was always someone like [Edgar] Prado or [Kent] Desormeaux, and you just don't beat them," said Pino, who is the leading winner in Maryland racing history.
He rode six winners May 11 and is now less than 80 wins short of 5,000 victories for his career.
The training title went to Maryland regular Dale Capuano, his sixth in a row. Capuano saddled 29 winners, five more than Scott Lake and Jerry Robb.
"It is special to win the Pimlico spring meet because it is a time when Maryland is high-profile," said Capuano, who said he is usually successful because his horses are rested starting in November and are fresh for Pimlico.
The owner title went to Michael Gill with 30 winners in 142 starts. He has 79 victories in Maryland this year.