Churchill Downs to allow limited attendance at 2020 Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs officials announced Wednesday a 62-page operations plan that will limit attendance for the September 5 Kentucky Derby to less than 23,000 guests.
The plan includes no general admission, and the infield will be closed. Pre-purchased general admission tickets will be refunded. Reserved seating will be limited to a maximum of 40% occupancy. Standing-room-only tickets have been eliminated.
Temperature checks, medical questionnaires, physical distancing, and mandatory face coverings will be required upon entrance. Each guest will receive a courtesy “Healthy at the Track” bag, which will include a disposable mask, a pocket-sized hand sanitizer, and a personal stylus for non-contact self-service wagering.
Churchill Downs said offenders will receive a warning; repeat offenders will be escorted from the property.
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“The opportunity to safely welcome back a limited number of guests to Churchill Downs on the first week of September is a privilege that our team doesn’t take for granted,” said Churchill Downs racetrack president Kevin Flanery. “Our extensive plan meets or exceeds all recommended state and local guidelines. We’ve received an exceptional level of support from regulators, medical experts, and public health authorities and we’ll continue to carefully work with them to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep our customers, employees, and communities safe."
Churchill Downs officials announced March 17 that the 146th Kentucky Derby would be postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but were confident the delay would allow fans to attend.
“We feel confident that we are going to run the Kentucky Derby and we are going to run it with a crowd,” Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said in March. “The Kentucky Derby is a participatory event. Its energy and its magic really comes from everyone participating and being there to enjoy it. We’re going to make it happen.”
In June, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Churchill Downs had submitted a plan that called for limited attendance, including up to 24,268 people in the infield on Derby Day. The 27-page document included plans to slash general admissions by up to 61% compared with 2019 and reduce outdoor seating by 57%. Some dining areas would have been cut to 33% capacity.
The Kentucky Derby has been held every year since 1875 and has been staged on the first Saturday in May every year since 1946. The 1945 Derby was held on June 9 because of World War II.
A record crowd of 170,513 attended the 2015 Kentucky Derby. Last year’s attendance was 150,729. The Kentucky Oaks record crowd of 124,589 was set in 2016. Last year’s Oaks attendance was 105,719.
All three Triple Crown races were rescheduled this year because of the pandemic. Tiz the Law won the Belmont on June 20, two weeks after its originally scheduled date. The Preakness was postponed from May 16 to Oct. 3, making it the last leg of this year’s Triple Crown schedule.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2020: Fans to be limited at historic race
