Ehalt: The Belmont Has Taken On ‘A Life Of Its Own’
The New York Racing Association has handled massive crowds for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in June but has not hosted a Breeders' Cup since 2005
After attracting a huge crowd of over 102,000 in 2014 for California Chrome's Triple Crown attempt, the New York Racing Association stated last month that attendance for this year's edition would be capped at 90,000.
With American Pharoah attempting to become the first Triple Crown winner in nearly 40 years, reserved seating has been sold out for quite some time, and regular general admission tickets are limited in availability.
As Bob Ehalt writes for Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, the country's longest classic race hasn't always been so popular with the public, even when a Triple Crown has been on the line.
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"Secretariat’s Belmont, while it produced the race’s most spectacular performance, was watched by only 67,605," Ehalt writes. "Seattle Slew’s 1977 sweep generated a crowd of 71,026 and the epic Affirmed-Alydar duel in 1978 unfolded before a crowd of 65,417."
Things began to change, however, in 1997, when 70,682 showed up to see if Silver Charm could capture the Crown. The following year, 80,162 attended when another Bob Baffert trainee, Real Quiet, lost by a whisker to Victory Gallop.
“The Belmont took off after those years and took on a life of its own,” said Jenny Kellner, who serves as NYRA’s assistant director of communications.
Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary
