On-track handle increased and total handle declined at the 58-day spring/summer meeting at Belmont Park.

Total on-track handle increased 1.5% from $68,718,518 last year to $69,722,257. Daily average on-track handle jumped 3.2% to $1,202,108.

Total all-source handle decreased 2.2% from $677,495,619 last year to $662,605,734.

On-track handle for the Belmont Stakes (G1) card June 7 rose 49.9% to $13,256,019, compared with $8,843,720 in 2007. The on-track handle total for the Belmont card was the second-highest in history.

“Despite a downturn in the economy and softness in the Thoroughbred racing industry, we’re pleased with the modest increase of the Belmont Park spring/summer meeting,” New York Racing Association President Charles Hayward said. “Clearly a big driver of the numbers was Big Brown’s Belmont Stakes Triple Crown attempt, but this was somewhat offset by the loss of a racing day.”

Total attendance rose 2.9% for the meet to 391,634.