Preakness attendance at Laurel limited to 4,800

Attendance at this year’s Preakness Stakes on May 16 at its temporary home of Laurel Park in Maryland will be limited to 4,800 people, according to 1/ST Racing and Gaming, the company responsible for putting on the race.

The limited amount of tickets is due to ongoing renovations at Laurel Park in preparation for the track’s conversion into a year-round training center. This year’s Preakness is being held at Laurel because the race’s home, Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, has been torn down and is being replaced by a more modern structure.

The 4,800 tickets will be sold as two-day packages, 1/ST said, providing entry for both the Friday Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card and the Saturday Preakness card, according to a list of responses 1/ST provided to Daily Racing Form. One thousand of the tickets will be sold as general admission, while other tranches will provide entry into temporary facilities along the rail, luxury suites at the start of the first turn, and the track’s grandstand simulcasting area.

1/ST said in its responses that the tickets will go on sale on Wednesday.

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General admission tickets will cost $246, while the Turfside Terrace will cost $1,698. 1/ST did not provide prices for the luxury suites.

Although 1/ST gave up its deed to Pimlico as part of a deal with the state and is no longer responsible for day-to-day operations in Maryland, the company was allowed to retain the rights to the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes through this year. After this year, it will receive a licensing fee and a cut of handle from both days.

1/ST declined to provide a figure for how much the company is spending to hold the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan cards.

“We are committed to providing Preakness 151 guests with a thoughtfully planned experience and will make investments into the event that takes into consideration Laurel Park’s footprint, capacity and available amenities,” 1/ST said in its responses.

1/ST said that the limited availability of tickets will not have a significant impact on the amount of tickets provided to horsemen on the two days.

“The horsemen and women who are participating on Black-Eyed Susan Day and/or Preakness 151 will be accommodated at Laurel Park in much the same way as they are at Pimlico Race Course,” the response said.

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