Kentucky Derby Week Will Have Fans In The Stands

Due to COVID-19, the Kentucky Derby has been moved from its normal spot, which is the beginning of May, to September 5th. It was the 1st time since 1945 that horse racing’s marquee event was not held on the first Saturday of May. Tiz The Law. just won the Belmont Stakes, which took place with no fans, due to the Pandemic and he will be the favorite to win the Derby as well.

The Kentucky Derby is expected to have fans in the stands but with limits. The race, which will be at Churchill Downs, normally has 150,000 fans in the stands but the Derby will not even sniff that number. The Committee discussed things with Governor andy Beshear and local health officials to come up with a plan for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, which are held on the same weekend.

As a result of that meeting, Churchill Downs will now reduce the amount of general admission outdoor seating. Some other things to watch are that access to the Track will be limited, the barns will be limited to essential personnel only, and operations will be changed to limit person-to-person contact points.

There is no word yet on how many fans will be allowed in the stands, but still, it is a step in the right direction. If all goes well, it could be a blueprint for college football or the NFL to try and have fans in their stands as well. As I stated above, The Run For The Roses normally draws about 150,000 fans, with 60,000 of the tickets being reserved seating. Churchill Downs is hoping to cut reserved seating by at least 50% and the overall seating by at least 60%. We will keep you posted.

Some Info Gleaned From ESPN.Com & NBC News