NYRA Raises Belmont Clubhouse Admission, Changes Belmont Stakes Ticketing

The New York Racing association has raised Belmont's clubhouse admission from $4 to $5 for next year and will sell seats for the Belmont Stakes only in a package which includes tickets for the prior day's racing as well. These changes were approved Wednesday in NYRA's Board of Trustees meeting.

With the new system, tickets for June 6 and June 7 will be $7, $15, $25, and $40, for the two-day packages. The grade I Acorn Stakes will be on the June 5 card, while the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) is the following day's feature. In addition, post time on June 6 will be 1 p.m.

"We always dislike the idea of raising prices," said NYRA president Terry Meyocks, "but at the same time the increase in the clubhouse admission price at Belmont is just returning the price to the level it was before 1995.

"As far as the packaging of Belmont and Acorn seats is concerned, Belmont Stakes day remains one of the great bargains in sports," he said. "The Belmont Stakes is a premier event, drawing over 100,000 people in 2002. Parking and admission prices remain the same on Belmont day as they are every other day of the meet. And the reality is that the cost of seats is still below the price of regular season professional sporting events in the metropolitan area and significantly below the prices of tickets for post-season events.

"We are trying to build Belmont weekend into a multi-day event through events like the Belmont Stakes Festival," said Meyocks. "With the cooperation of the local communities, especially Garden City, Floral Park and Nassau County, we are making inroads. We hope that we can boost the day before our signature event."