The Kentucky Derby Rescheduled for September to Have Fans in the Grandstands

Horse racing enthusiasts who were hoping to watch the Kentucky Derby in person have finally received some glad tidings after the governor’s office okayed plans for fan attendance at Churchill Downs. Initially, the 146th Kentucky Derby installment had been planned for a 2nd May launch date but like many other events across the globe, it was postponed in fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. America’s most famous horse racing event was then pushed forward to September and now, Governor Andy Beshear has approved in-person attendance. 

Nevertheless, before the governor gave the green light, Churchill Downs had to submit a comprehensive plan to the state government to indicate how officials intended to protect the health and safety of all attending spectators.

As we speak, however, there isn’t any information about the number of fans that are going to be allowed in the renowned Louisville track. Either way, it is highly unlikely that the usual spectator numbers that often hit over a hundred thousand will be accepted into the track this year. Bear in mind that the average attendance of the event has been in the range of about 150,000 visitors year after year, for the last 10 years. 60,000 of these visitors usually hold permanent reserved seats and then the remainder is categorized under general admission where anyone can purchase a ticket.

Tight Health & Safety Protocols at Churchill Downs

After Gov. Beshear gave his approval, Kevin Flanery, the president of Churchill Downs, the track that hosts the biggest horse racing event in the USA voiced his plight to safety in a press statement. Flanery only talked about “reduced capacities” but did not go into specifics about how many spectators will be allowed in. With over 1.6 million square feet of property at the entire Churchill Down’s venue, the track president is confident that spectators of the races can safely attend the event.

Race officials on the other hand are looking to cut down the general admission seats by at least 60% and the reserved tickets by up to 50% as the majority of event revenue comes from the latter. Having said that, all the 60,000 reserved seats of September’s event had already been paid for, and consequently, it’s going to be tricky to slash the number of spectators for those reserved tickets. Even so, track officials are hoping that there will be a sufficient volume of volunteer reserved tickets givebacks to make the spectator reduction plan work. 

On top of the reduced volume of attending fans, holders of general admission tickets will be restricted to the infield areas of the venue. Before these pandemic induced measures, if you purchased a GA ticket, you’d be allowed access to much of the first floor as well as the Paddock areas. Other health and safety measures that the track officials tabled for the D day include;

• All the event tickets are going to be mobile to reduce the contact that attendees make with fans
• Buffets at the ‘Chef’s Table’ will not be available for this year event, with other points of food vending spread out
• Betting kiosk lines will have social distancing markers and internet connectivity will be strengthened to make mobile wagers easier to place
• All the staff in the venue will be wearing face masks and some will use gloves as well. Spectators are also encouraged to cover their faces.

Usually, the Kentucky Derby marks the start of the three annual Triple Crown horse racing tournament and is followed by the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. This year, however, the Belmont stakes came first and was held in empty grandstands, Preakness on the other hand was rescheduled for 3rd October.