Churchill Downs ended its 24-Day Fall Meet on Saturday, Nov. 24, with record total wagering and an increase in on-track attendance, but on-track wagering continued a trend of recent declines.

Continued growth in wagering on Churchill Downs races at simulcast and satellite wagering centers across North America fueled a nearly nine-percent increase in total wagering, which rose to a record $174,781,741 in the Fall Meet. The previous record for total wagering of $160,584,564 was established in the 2000 Fall Meet. Average daily total wagering on Churchill Downs' races climbed to $7,282,573, a gain of more than four percent from last year's daily average of $6,981,938.

For purposes of comparison, the totals from the 2000 Fall Meet -- which included a record fifth visit to Churchill Downs by the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships -- have been adjusted to omit Breeders' Cup Day. Thus, the totals from a 24-day Fall Meet in 2001 are being compared to a 23-day session last year.

Average daily on-track attendance during the 2001 Fall Meet -- fueled by perfect autumn weather on 22 of 24 days, one of the strongest promotion schedules in track history, and a racing program that continues to rank among the best in the nation -- rose more than eight percent to 8,494. Average daily attendance in the 2000 Fall Meet was 7,837. Total attendance for the just-completed 24-day session was 203,858, an increase of 13 percent from the 180,259 that attended the 23-day meet in 2000.

While attendance during the meet increased, average daily on-track wagering continued a recent pattern of decline. An average of $1,300,763 (including betting on wholecard simulcasts offered at the track) was wagered each day during the 2000 Fall Meet, but the average dropped to $1,167,394 in this year's session, a decrease of slightly more than 10 percent. Total on-track wagering (including whole card) during the just-concluded 24-day session was $28,017,461, a decline of six percent from last year's 23-day total of $29,917,538.

We entered our Fall Meet with uncertainty because of world events and a slumping economy, so there is no doubt that the meet was a great success and its results are very encouraging, said Alex Waldrop, president of Churchill Downs.

The increased attendance reflects well on our continued efforts to attract new fans and strengthen the bond with our loyal, long-time fans by improving our customer service and our racing product. A great schedule of promotions and the introduction of Levy Restaurants were important parts of that effort in the Fall Meet.

The decrease in on-track wagering is a concern, with continued growth of competition in our market and a slumping economy being significant factors in the erosion of that area of our business. But the biggest success story of the meet is the strength of our racing program, which is underscored by continued strong growth in simulcast wagering on our races distributed through the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network (''CDSN``) across North America. The strength of that segment of our business demonstrates the importance of finding ways to grow our purses and continue to attract large fields of the nation's best horses to race at Churchill Downs.

The drop in on-track wagering during the 2001 Fall Meet continued the declines at Churchill Downs since the arrival of direct competition from riverboat casinos in the track's market. The first casino in the market opened on the final weekend of the 1998 Fall Meet and average daily on-track wagering at Churchill Downs has declined nearly 17 percent since then. During the same period, average daily wagering on Churchill Downs' races at other tracks and simulcast outlets in the state of Kentucky has fallen by more than 18 percent.

Total purses and average daily race purses rose slightly during the meet. Purses paid during this year's 24-day meet totaled $9,719,015, an increase of one percent from total purses of $9,607,480 paid during the 23-day session in 2000. Average daily purses totaled $404,959, a climb of one percent from last year's average of $400,312.

Fans continued to enjoy full, competitive fields during the meet. The average number of horses per race in the 2001 Fall Meet was 9.43, compared with 9.3 in the 2000 session.

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day earned another riding title during the Fall Meet, securing his 31st Churchill Downs riding crown with 32 wins. Day has now won 17 Fall Meet riding titles since his arrival at Churchill Downs in 1984. Steve Asmussen earned his first-ever title as leading trainer as he saddled a meet-leading 13 winners.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey of Nicholasville, Ky., won their fourth consecutive title as leading owner and second consecutive Fall Meet crown as horses carrying their red-and-white silks won nine races. The Ramseys are now tied with Jim Devaney for the most consecutive leading owner titles at Churchill Downs. Devaney earned four consecutive titles from the 1985 Fall Meet through the Spring Meet of 1987.

Jockey Craig Perret, who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby on Unbridled, enjoyed a remarkable meet as he scored four stakes wins among his total of six victories. Perret won stakes aboard Claiborne Farm's Watch in the Cardinal (Grade III), John C. Oxley's Snow Dance in the Mrs. Revere (GII), Debby Oxley's Forest Secrets in the Falls City Handicap (GIII), and Mary and Gary West's Ubiquity in the Clark Handicap (GII).

The Falls City Handicap was one of the highlights of the meet as its field of seven fillies and mares included a rare three Breeders' Cup champions (2001 Distaff winner Unbridled Elaine, 2000 Distaff winner Spain, and 2000 Juvenile Fillies winner Caressing) and a total of six Grade I or Group I stakes winners.

The meet ended with a pair of brilliant performances by promising juveniles as Robert Manfuso's Belterra won the Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies and Select Stable's Repent rallied to win the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) to further establish their credentials as major contenders for next spring's Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively. Other stakes winners in the meet included Illusioned in the Ack Ack Handicap (GIII), Harlan's Holiday in the Iroquois (GIII), Dr. Kashnikov in the River City Handicap (GIII), and Lotta Rhythm in the Pocahontas.