Tickets sales for the newly re-designed Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, featuring more music, more food and more fun than ever before, have begun.
“For the first time, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will be expanding Belmont Stakes Day into a multi-day racing festival to kick off the summer season for all New Yorkers,” said Christopher Kay, chief executive officer and president. “We are also enhancing our hospitality and entertainment options, and taking additional steps to provide a first-class experience for all of our guests throughout this exciting, three-day event.”
The centerpiece of the racing festival will be the 147th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the oldest and longest leg of racing’s Triple Crown. This year, the “Test of the Champion” will be supported by a trio of stakes-laden cards worth $10 million.
“The Belmont Stakes Festival will encompass 31 races, including 17 stakes and 14 allowance-level races,” said Martin Panza, senior vice president of racing operations for NYRA. “It will offer an unparalleled level of top-quality racing for our guests at Belmont Park as well as our fans throughout the country and the world.”
A featured, top-tier band will also perform in a special concert for all Belmont guests immediately following the conclusion of Saturday’s final race. The featured musical performance and the full entertainment lineup for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be announced in the near future.
Additionally, NYRA has developed major enhancements for guests within in the backyard and grandstand areas, including new cellular phone service capacity, expanded Wi-Fi service, more mutuel bays in the backyard, electronic entry to replace turnstiles and new food truck festival areas.
“The LIRR is on schedule with construction of new, modernized station platforms and operational changes that will double the number of trains that can run to the track on Belmont Stakes day and increase train capacity from eight to 10 cars,” said LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski. “We look forward to significant service improvements for customers riding to and from this great event.”
Following the success of the 2014 Belmont Stakes, which saw every seat in the grandstand and every table in the dining areas sold out by the Friday prior to the Preakness, fans are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance.
An increase in general admission from $10 to $15 reflects the first general admission increase since 2005; a period of 10 years. Reserved seats within the grandstand, which includes the cost of admission, start at $30. All clubhouse seats on the second and third floors are bundled and begin at $115.
Visit BelmontStakes.com for details.
