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Presque Isle Downs

It took five years before Presque Isle Downs had its first-ever $1 million day in handle. It was another 12 before The Erie, Pa., track would eclipse the $2 million mark. When it did Friday, it crushed it.

It was the first Friday card in 12 years, and bettors responded by pumping $2,659,556 through mostly metaphorical windows on a 10-race program that included the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters plus three other stakes and a new wager linking a pair of those stakes with Grade 1 races Saturday at Parx.

Presque Isle has conducted 1,557 days of live racing since its first program in September 2007. Churchill Downs Inc. took over operations for the 2019 season and made the decision this year to try its marquee event, the Masters for filly and mare sprinters, on a Friday.

“It was a great evening of racing at Presque Isle as evident by the record handle,” Churchill Downs Inc. Vice President of Racing Gary Palmisano Jr. said. “The racing team there, including Matt Ennis and Pat Morrel, recognized an opportunity to make Masters night a special Friday evening card during a time period with not much simulcasting competition and then executed an excellent night of racing for both simulcast and on-track audiences.”

The big day was needed boost for a track that was down 20 percent in handle through the first 55 days this year vs. last year. The Masters big day Friday narrowed the gap to 15 percent.

Last year’s Masters Stakes was Sept. 18, a Wednesday, and handled $1,516,956, which means this year’s edition took in 75 percent more. The previous record handle of $1,999,500 was the 2018 Masters program Monday, Sept. 17, 2018.