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 lists the paid attendance of the eight top average attended races including the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and its companion race the Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes on Saturday and its companion race the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York; the Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York and the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday and its companion race the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Friday those locations rotates annually.[1]

Notes:
* – Indicates the largest crowd for that event.
** – In 2015, NYRA announced that all future Belmont Stakes' attendances would be limited to 90,000 due to overcrowding concerns at Belmont Park.
# – 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
Saturday		 Preakness
Stakes
Saturday		 Kentucky
Oaks
Friday		 Black-Eyed
Susan Stakes
Friday		 Belmont
Stakes
Saturday		 Travers
Stakes
Saturday		 Breeders' Cup
Classic
Saturday		 Distaff
Friday
2019 150,729 131,256 105,719 51,573* 56,217 48,213 68,811 41,243
2018 157,813 134,487 113,510 48,265 90,327 49,418 70,423 42,249
2017 158,070 140,327* 105,100 50,339 57,729 47,725 37,692 32,278
2016 167,227 135,256 124,589* 47,956 60,114 48,630 72,811 45,673*
2015 170,513* 131,680 123,763 42,700 90,000** 50,000 50,155 44,947
2014 164,906 123,469 113,071 34,736 102,199 46,577 61,114 37,105
2013 151,616 117,203 113,280 39,957 47,562 47,597 58,795 35,833
2012 165,307 121,309 112,552 32,473 85,811 46,528 55,123 34,619
2011 164,858 118,356 110,122 27,966 55,779 43,050 65,143 40,677
2010 155,804 96,760 116,046 27,609 45,243 45,764 72,739 41,614
2009 153,563 77,850# 110,336 18,407# 52,861 34,221 58,845 37,651
2008 157,770 121,876 100,046 23,819 94,476 40,723 55,331 31,237
2007 156,635 132,221 100,175 25,167 46,870 38,909 69,584 27,803
2006 157,536 128,643 108,065 24,429 61,168 44,199 75,132 not run
2005 156,435 125,687 111,243 23,994 62,274 42,841 54,289 not run
2004 140,054 124,351 98,445 21,876 120,139* 48,894 53,717 not run
2003 148,530 109,931 100,523 n/a 101,864 66,122* 51,486 not run
2002 145,033 117,055 101,932 n/a 103,222 n/a 46,118 not run
2001 154,210 118,926 102,904 n/a 73,857 60,486 52,987 not run
2000 153,204 111,821 106,156 n/a 67,810 n/a 76,043 not run
1999 151,051 116,526 101,034 n/a 85,818 n/a 45,124 not run
1998 143,215 103,269 94,415 n/a 80,162 n/a 80,452* not run
1997 141,981 102,118 92,547 n/a 70,682 n/a 51,161 not run
1996 142,668 97,751 91,830 n/a 40,797 n/a 42,243 not run
1995 144,110 100,818 87,383 n/a 37,171 48,773 37,246 not run
1994 130,594 99,834 80,321 n/a 42,695 n/a 71,671 not run
1993 136,817 97,641 81,882 n/a 45,037 n/a 55,130 not run
1992 132,543 96,865 79,824 n/a 50,204 n/a 45,415 not run
1991 135,554 96,695 73,785 n/a 51,766 n/a 66,204 not run
1990 128,257 96,106 67,483 n/a 50,123 n/a 51,236 not run
1989 122,653 98,896 67,115 n/a 64,949 n/a 51,342 not run
1988 137,694 88,654 64,735 n/a 56,223 n/a 71,237 not run
1987 130,532 87,945 62,689 n/a 64,772 n/a 57,734 not run
1986 123,819 87,652 58,893 n/a 42,555 n/a 69,155 not run
1985 108,573 81,235 52,865 n/a 43,446 n/a 42,568 not run
1984 126,453 80,566 53,402 n/a 56,677 n/a 64,254 not run
1983 134,444 71,768 54,601 n/a 56,677 n/a not run not run
1982 141,009 80,724 52,430 n/a 46,050 n/a not run not run
1981 139,195 84,133 51,918 n/a 61,200 n/a not run not run
1980 131,859 83,455 49,556 n/a 58,883 n/a not run not run
1979 128,488 72,607 47,000 n/a 59,073 n/a not run not run
1978 131,004 81,261 n/a n/a 65,417 50,359 not run not run
1977 124,038 77,346 n/a n/a 71,026 n/a not run not run
1976 115,387 62,256 n/a n/a 58,788 n/a not run not run
1975 113,324 75,216 n/a n/a 60,611 n/a not run not run
1974 163,628 54,911 n/a n/a 52,153 n/a not run not run
1973 134,476 61,657 n/a n/a 67,605 n/a not run not run
1972 130,564 48,721 n/a n/a 54,635 n/a not run not run
1971 123,284 47,221 n/a n/a 82,694 n/a not run not run
1970 105,087 42,474 n/a n/a 54,299 n/a not run not run
1969 113,200 42,258 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1968 122,600 40,247 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1967 119,700 38,371 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1966 120,500 36,114 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1965 112,000 38,108 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1964 114,300 35,975 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1963 108,900 35,263 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1962 119,650 33,854 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1961 120,500 32,211 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1960 114,850 30,659 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1959 119,650 31,506 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1958 116,400 36,912 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1957 107,950 32,856 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run
1956 112,000 30,744 n/a n/a n/a n/a not run not run

References
  1. 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.
  2. Associated Press
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