The 2024 Belmont Stakes, which will be held at Saratoga Race Course in New York State, seems to be very popular among visitors since the tickets were sold out in only one day. The resale market is thriving as well, and the prices keep rising to hundreds of dollars since many people want to see the 156th Triple Crown event.
Changing the scenery of the historical event:
Is this increased interest in the popular race a consequence of changing the scenery? Perhaps, since the location where the race will be held has changed due to renovations of the previous property, Belmont Park in Nassau County. the Saratoga property can accept one-fifth of the capacity of Belmont Park, and it is expected that it can host up to 50,000 visitors.
The event will last for four days, and the first race that was sold out was the one that will occur on June 8. Tickets for the main event are also sold out, but they can be found on third-party providers, and their price goes from $74 to $495. But that’s not all – the resale prices for special access tickets, such as clubhouse tables, increased to several thousand.
The initial price of general admission tickets was $50 for standing room which allow players to access the trackside venues, grandstands, and backyard area.
Potential visitors can still purchase tickets from the official website if they are interested in single-day admission for the three remaining days. Also, seating options for Thursday and Sunday are still available.
What those who were lucky enough to find a ticket can expect? The event will feature 23 stakes races, with prizes that go up to $10.1 million.
Huge interest in the race and benefits for the area:
This race is the third leg of the famous Triple Crown, which includes the legendary races Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.
As the Times Union reports, spokesman of the New York Racing Association, Patrick McKenna, said: “The annual 40-day summer meet (at Saratoga) has welcomed more than 1 million fans for eight consecutive seasons, and has generated record-setting wagering in two of the past three years.”
He added: “The prospect of a Triple Crown event at the sport’s most popular and important venue has clearly galvanized the fan base.”
It has been known since December that the race will take place in Saratoga Springs. Back then, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the news, and it was explained that the Belmont Park property is going under thorough renovations which will cost $455 million.
Among the changes the Belmont Park property will see is replacing the huge grandstand from the 1960th with a new, modern one – smaller but enriched with various amenities.
The area will greatly benefit from this event. A President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Todd Shimkus, said that it is expected that the region will earn up to $50 million. The prediction has been made by dividing the usual races held on the property; the races usually last 40 days, so that number was divided by four. However, one more parameter was included in the count, a much larger crowd than the Triple Crown event will draw.
Shimkus commented: “When you talk about all the money that will be spent on hotel rooms, restaurants, and stores, we’ve got a lot of people coming to Saratoga in June that normally wouldn’t come here, (and) from around the world. It’s such a historic opportunity for us to showcase our community and hopefully to bring people back for years to come.”