Wagering on U.S. races in September increased slightly from the same month a year ago, but remained down in year-to-year comparisons released Monday by Equibase.Wagering during September totaled $769,215,129, up 4.33% from $737,267,424 in September 2025. There were 329 race days this September, down from 354 in 2025. The number of races during the month also declined, from 2,786 last September to 2,612 this year.In the third quarter of 2026, $2,804,980,994 was wagered on U.S. races, down 3.05% from last year's figure of $2,893,107,765. There were 1,079 race days in the third quarter this year, down from 1,125 a year ago. The number of races fell from 8,871 in the third quarter last year to 8,437 this year.Through September, $8,329,538,595 has been wagered on U.S. races, down 4.03% from $8,679,077,624 for the same period in 2025. Race days have also declined, from 2,837 last year to 2,754 this year and the number of races fell from 23,046 to 22,306.Available purses in September reached $133,432,207, up 3.82% from last September's total of $128,522,855. For the first nine months of the year, available purses have been $975,251,028, up just slightly from last year's figure of $975,533,496.Average field size for September was 7.17, largely unchanged from last year's figure of 7.19. Through September, average field size is 7.18, down 2.68% from 7.38 in 2025.The post Wagering Increases in September, Still Down for the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.