When Seabiscuit galloped onto screens this summer, the North American horse racing industry was hoping for a surge in visitors at racetracks. Two months later, the tracks have declared victory.
The U.S. National Thoroughbred Racing Association said this week that betting at American race tracks increased 5.51 per cent in the month after the movie's release and was up 3.38 per cent for the three months ending Sept. 30.
"The increase in pari-mutuel wagering during the last quarter can be attributed in part to the positive impact of the movie Seabiscuit," Tim Smith, commissioner of the NTRA, said in a release.
Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack does not have comparable statistics for the period but a spokesman says the track's key races in particular experienced a jump in attendance.
"People who haven't been to the racetrack in a while came out," said Glenn Crouter, vice-president of media and community relations for Woodbine Entertainment, which operates Woodbine, Mohawk Racetrack in Cambellville, Ont., and Hastings Park in Vancouver. "Some wanted to recapture the Seabiscuit feeling."
Mr. Crouter said the Atto Mile on Sept. 14 set a record, both in attendance and wagering, for that race.
He said the excitement surrounding the movie, and the fact that Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando was entered in the race, likely contributed to the new mark.
The movie, about the great Depression-era thoroughbred and starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges, was released across North America on July 25.