Belmont Park ready for the masses

ELMONT, N.Y. - Six years ago, the last time a Triple Crown was on the line in the Belmont Stakes, the “fan experience,” as it is fashionably termed, could have been a whole lot better – and that had little to do with Big Brown failing to finish the Belmont as a huge favorite.

The day not only was hot and muggy, but the plumbing malfunctioned, and water pressure was virtually nonexistent, with the problem ultimately blamed on a sewage system improperly maintained. For many fans, those memories of 2008 remain not so pleasant.

The New York Racing Association is helpless to do anything about the weather – the forecast for Saturday, fortunately, is for sunny skies, with a high of 84 – but when Chris Kay took over last year as president and chief executive of NYRA, he emphasized that the fan experience would be foremost on his priority list.

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When Kay took the podium Wednesday at the post-position draw, he reiterated that position, saying the newly stacked Belmont Day program, which added such major races as the Met Mile and Ogden Phipps, was designed to maximize “the competitiveness of the product we’re offering ontrack” that racing fans can truly appreciate. Moreover, new ontrack accommodations have been made to heighten the “entertainment experience” that he is stressing.

For Saturday, there will be new dining areas, new hospitality areas, expanded seating in the upper stretch, increased cellular and Wi-Fi capacities, and a number of preparations in place that should make the 2014 Belmont a better fan experience. Kay has declined to make a specific prediction about what attendance will be, saying only that he wants customers to enjoy themselves, although the consensus seems to be that the crowd will top 100,000.

Now all the fans need are winners.