The Downs at Albuquerque in New Mexico reported a 37 percent increase in handle during the meet's opening weekend. The track, which features races for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, opened last Friday night.

Handle on the track's live races from all sources over the first three dates of the meet was $857,874. Last year during comparable dates the handle was $625,429. The bulk of Albuquerque's business came offtrack, with betting on its races totaling $526,288 from offsite custormers, up 44 percent from $408,090 in 2017. Handle on the live card ontrack was up 25 percent, to $271,339. 

"We drew large crowds all three days, Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and our on-track crowd really responded to our large fields and competitive racing,” Don Cook, president of racing for Albuquerque, said in a press release. “It was also gratifying to see racing fans from out of state respond so favorably to our opening-weekend racing.”

Albuquerque averaged 8.9 horses per Thoroughbred race and 9.3 horses per Quarter Horse race over the first three dates of the meet. 

For more on the meet, and the stakes winners from opening weekend: http://www.drf.com/news/track_reports/albuquerque and at: https://bit.ly/2KAmFCm