American thoroughbred racing top attended events
This is a listing of the top attended stakes races for thoroughbred racing in North America by year. The chart will list the paid attendance to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York; the Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York and the Breeders' Cup World Championships whose location rotates annually.[1]
Notes:
* — The attendance record set in 2014 was the largest crowd ever at Pimlico Race Course. The attendance record set in 2007 was attained by adding the crowd at Pimlico and Laurel Park together. In 2007 and all years prior the Maryland Jockey always reported its attendance using patrons at both facilities.
** — The Maryland Jockey Club banned the infield's BYOB policy beginning in 2009. There was a significant decrease in attendance in 2009. [2]
| Year | Kentucky Derby |
The Preakness Stakes |
Kentucky Oaks |
Belmont Stakes |
Travers Stakes |
Breeders' Cup | |
| Saturday | Friday | ||||||
| 2015 | 170,513* | 131,680* | 123,763* | 90,000 | 50,000 | n/a | n/a |
| 2014 | 164,906 | 123,469 | 113,071 | 102,199 | 46,577 | 61,114 | 37,105 |
| 2013 | 151,616 | 117,203 | 113,280 | 47,562 | 47,597 | 58,795 | 35,833 |
| 2012 | 165,307 | 121,309 | 112,552 | 85,811 | 46,528 | 55,123 | 34,619 |
| 2011 | 164,858 | 118,356 | 110,122 | 55,779 | 43,050 | 65,143 | 40,677 |
| 2010 | 155,804 | 96,760 | 116,046 | 45,243 | 45,764 | 72,739 | 41,614* |
| 2009 | 153,563 | 77,850** | 110,336 | 52,861 | 34,221 | 58,845 | 37,651 |
| 2008 | 157,770 | 121,876 | 100,046 | 94,476 | 40,723 | 55,331 | 31,237 |
| 2007 | 156,635 | 132,221 | 100,175 | 46,870 | 38,909 | 69,584 | 27,803 |
| 2006 | 157,536 | 128,643 | 108,065 | 61,168 | 44,199 | 75,132 | not run |
| 2005 | 156,435 | 125,687 | 111,243 | 62,274 | 42,841 | 54,289 | not run |
| 2004 | 140,054 | 124,351 | 98,445 | 120,139* | 48,894 | 53,717 | not run |
| 2003 | 148,530 | 109,931 | 100,523 | 101,864 | 66,122* | 51,486 | not run |
| 2002 | 145,033 | 117,055 | 101,932 | 103,222 | n/a | 46,118 | not run |
| 2001 | 154,210 | 118,926 | 102,904 | 73,857 | 60,486 | 52,987 | not run |
| 2000 | 153,204 | 111,821 | 106,156 | 67,810 | n/a | 76,043 | not run |
| 1999 | 151,051 | 116,526 | 101,034 | 85,818 | n/a | 45,124 | not run |
| 1998 | 143,215 | 103,269 | 94,415 | 80,162 | n/a | 80,452* | not run |
| 1997 | 141,981 | 102,118 | 92,547 | 70,682 | n/a | 51,161 | not run |
| 1996 | 142,668 | 97,751 | 91,830 | 40,797 | n/a | 42,243 | not run |
| 1995 | 144,110 | 100,818 | 87,383 | 37,171 | 48,773 | 37,246 | not run |
| 1994 | 130,594 | 99,834 | 80,321 | 42,695 | n/a | 71,671 | not run |
| 1993 | 136,817 | 97,641 | 81,882 | 45,037 | n/a | 55,130 | not run |
| 1992 | 132,543 | 96,865 | 79,824 | 50,204 | n/a | 45,415 | not run |
| 1991 | 135,554 | 96,695 | 73,785 | 51,766 | n/a | 66,204 | not run |
| 1990 | 128,257 | 96,106 | 67,483 | 50,123 | n/a | 51,236 | not run |
| 1989 | 122,653 | 98,896 | 67,115 | 64,949 | n/a | 51,342 | not run |
| 1988 | 137,694 | 88,654 | 64,735 | 56,223 | n/a | 71,237 | not run |
| 1987 | 130,532 | 87,945 | 62,689 | 64,772 | n/a | 57,734 | not run |
| 1986 | 123,819 | 87,652 | 58,893 | 42,555 | n/a | 69,155 | not run |
| 1985 | 108,573 | 81,235 | 52,865 | 43,446 | n/a | 42,568 | not run |
| 1984 | 126,453 | 80,566 | 53,402 | 56,677 | n/a | 64,254 | not run |
| 1983 | 134,444 | 71,768 | 54,601 | 56,677 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1982 | 141,009 | 80,724 | 52,430 | 46,050 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1981 | 139,195 | 84,133 | 51,918 | 61,200 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1980 | 131,859 | 83,455 | 49,556 | 58,883 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1979 | 128,488 | 72,607 | 47,000 | 59,073 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1978 | 131,004 | 81,261 | n/a | 65,417 | 50,359 | not run | not run |
| 1977 | 124,038 | 77,346 | n/a | 71,026 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1976 | 115,387 | 62,256 | n/a | 58,788 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1975 | 113,324 | 75,216 | n/a | 60,611 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1974 | 163,628 | 54,911 | n/a | 52,153 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1973 | 134,476 | 61,657 | n/a | 67,605 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1972 | 130,564 | 48,721 | n/a | 54,635 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1971 | 123,284 | 47,221 | n/a | 82,694 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1970 | 105,087 | 42,474 | n/a | 54,299 | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1969 | 113,200 | 42,258 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1968 | 122,600 | 40,247 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1967 | 119,700 | 38,371 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1966 | 120,500 | 36,114 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1965 | 112,000 | 38,108 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1964 | 114,300 | 35,975 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1963 | 108,900 | 35,263 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1962 | 119,650 | 33,854 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1961 | 120,500 | 32,211 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1960 | 114,850 | 30,659 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1959 | 119,650 | 31,506 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1958 | 116,400 | 36,912 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1957 | 107,950 | 32,856 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
| 1956 | 112,000 | 30,744 | n/a | n/a | n/a | not run | not run |
References
- ↑ 2009 The Original Racing Almanac, page 140 for Kentucky Derby, page 156 for the Preakness Stakes, page 241 for Kentucky Oaks, page 167 for Belmont Stakes, page 184 Breeders' Cup, June 26, 2008.
- ↑ Associated Press