Equibase reported Friday that wagering on U.S. horse racing declined nearly 8% in November compared to the same period last year, with purses showing a similar decrease.
Total wagering reached $848,116,672 for the month, representing a 7.93% drop from November 2024 figures. Available purses of over $118 million decreased by 7.76%, while paid purses of $111 million fell 7.49%.
Race days saw a significant reduction, dropping from 275 to 248 (9.82% decrease). The total number of U.S. races declined from 2,316 to 2,123, an 8.33% reduction.
Despite these declines, average field size increased slightly to 7.81 runners per race — up 0.49% from last year’s 7.77 average.
Average daily wagering showed improvement, rising 2.10% to $3,419,825. Similarly, the average available purse per race day increased 2.28% to $476,030, up from $465,423 in 2024.
Year-to-date figures through November show worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races at $10.395 billion, down 1.78% from the $10.583 billion recorded during the same period in 2024.
The monthly report reflects ongoing challenges in maintaining consistent wagering volume and race day opportunities across the U.S. racing calendar, even as per-race metrics show modest improvements.
