Spectators will be allowed at Kentucky Derby and Oaks, with restrictions

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Spectators will be allowed at this year’s rescheduled Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville under protocols that will limit attendance and encourage customers to minimize their movement throughout the facility, officials of Churchill Downs said on Thursday morning.

The plan to allow spectators has been approved by Gov. Andy Beshear and state health officials, according to Churchill Downs. While a Churchill official said on Thursday morning that they have still not determined how many tickets will be sold to the event, the track will “encourage” people to wear masks as they move about the facility, and general admission tickets this year will give customers access to the 26-acre infield only, rather than both the infield and open areas on the front side, such as the paddock.

“It’s going to be a different experience,” said Kevin Flanery, the track’s president, during a press conference on Thursday. “Obviously, we are going to have a much smaller crowd.”

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Churchill has 60,000 seats and attendance on Derby day is usually reported at around 150,000. Flanery said that those with seats will be asked to limit their movement and will be encouraged to wear masks anytime that they are not in their seats. Customers will also be encouraged to use Churchill’s mobile betting app in order to limit interactions with other customers and mutuel tellers, Flanery said.

The approval comes as Kentucky moves to allow nearly every business in the state to re-open, even as officials urge citizens to continue to socially distance and wear face masks at all times when out in public. As of Monday, Kentucky is allowing bars and “event centers” to resume operations, though at 50 percent capacity.

Flanery said that the track intends to be “nimble” as it works through the protocols that will be applied to spectators, and that the track will know more “over the coming weeks” as it communicates with current ticketholders and those that seek tickets for the event.

“Obviously, every day something is different, something is changing,” Flanery said. “We try to be nimble and we will continue to be nimble, and we will adjust to the facts as they change.”

The same protocols will apply to Kentucky Oaks Day, held the day before the Kentucky Derby, Churchill said. Kentucky Oaks Day generally attracts over 100,000 spectators.

In a release issued early in the day, Churchill also said that barn areas would be “restricted to essential personnel” and that “credentials for employees, media, and guests will be reduced.” The Churchill barn area is generally packed in the weeks leading up to the race, especially with members of the media, leading to critical daily coverage from national media outlets and the type of human-interest stories that resonate with many casual fans of the sport.

The Kentucky Derby is the most lucrative and popular race in the U.S., and last year it drew a record $160 million in bets, while handle for the full card reached a record $244.1 million. Churchill derives tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the event, much of it coming from ticketing and concession sales. The track also has a contract with NBC Sports to broadcast the race.