Total all-sources wagering on the 14 Breeders' Cup races on Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., was $132.6 million, according to preliminary figures released by Breeders' Cup on Sunday night.

The handle total is 2.6 percent higher than the total all-sources wagering figure on the 11 Breeders' Cup races held last year at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. That total was $129.2 million.

Aside from the addition of three races this year, several factors make a side-by-side comparison of the handle totals difficult. The Breeders' Cup this year was held under sunny skies, whereas last year's event was marred by rainy conditions and boggy courses. This year's Breeders' Cup was the first to be held over an artificial surface instead of a dirt track. In addition, economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad have rapidly deteriorated over the past several months, most especially in the last 30 days.

On average, handle on each Breeders' Cup race this year was $9.5 million. Last year, handle on each Breeders' Cup race was $11.7 million, a decline of 18.8 percent.

Attendance on Friday, when five Breeders' Cup races restricted to fillies and mares were held, was 31,257. Attendance on Saturday, when nine races were held, was 51,331.

The last time a Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita was 2003. Attendance that year was 51,648. The Breeders' Cup will also be held at Santa Anita next year.

Total handle on Santa Anita's Friday and Saturday cards over the two days of racing was $155.5 million, with $47.9 million wagering on Friday's 10-race card and $107.6 million bet on Saturday's 11-race card. Total handle last year at Monmouth Park over the two days of racing was $147.4 million.

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