Horse Racing Attendance

Whether or not one can actually attend any of the famed races such as The Kentucky Derby 2014, Preakness, or Belmont Stakes it is fascinating to see the numbers of how many people actually do. The fondness for racing and betting on favorite horses or jockeys, for that matter, has become so popular that many make a day of it and bring the family and a picnic lunch to the infield. The kids play Frisbee and watch the beautiful horses as they come on to the track.

My own childhood was full of many of those days when my folks took us to Hollywood Park, also known as the Track of the Lakes and Flowers. My brothers and I would count the number of swans floating around the officially designated beauty contest winner called the “Goose Girl” as she was rowed around the lakes by a couple of handsome fellows with strong arms. The magnificent landscape around the track rivaled Versaille in my eyes, and my father always told us about the huge number of different flowers that were planted for the racing season in keeping with the theme for that year.

It is no wonder that much effort and money is spent on the beautiful tracks. Not everyone can be a winner in every race, but everyone can enjoy the beauty of the setting! Check out these numbers of paid admission entries at the various tracks: Just last year, Kentucky Derby attendance was 165,307. In 2007 the highest ever attendance at The Preakness Stakes was 132,221 people, while Belmont’s highest attendance was 120,139 in 2004.

Sometimes the weather has a significant influence on attendance and of course, the economy does matter. As a bit of insider information from a social perspective on racing, beginning in 2009 the Maryland Jockey Club banned the bringing of any alcoholic beverages into the infield. A significant decrease in attendance was the abrupt result. The rule was modified the very next year for the 2014 racing season!