Belmont Stakes ticket prices up more than 170%

All eyes of the sports world will turn to Long Island on Saturday, June 16^th, where American Pharoah will attempt to become the 12^thhorse to capture horse racing’s elusive Triple Crown.

American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby with ease as well as the Preakness – but now American Pharoah’s endurance will be put to the test at the Belmont Stakes. The 1 ½-mile track at the Belmont is the longest of the three Triple Crown races, and is over ¼ of a mile longer than the Preakness.

Last year, California Chrome won the first two Triple Crown races, but was thwarted by at the Belmont, finishing a distant fourth. Tonalist, who did not race in neither the Kentucky Derby nor the Preakness, won the 2014 Belmont Stakes. Commissioner and Medal Count placed and showed, respectively.

Horse racing fans were eager to see California Chrome last year at the Belmont – and they’re even more excited to see American Pharoah this year. According to data supplied by TicketNetwork, the average ticket price paid for the 2014 Belmont Stakes was $127.24. As of May 29, the average price paid for a ticket to the 2015 Belmont is $220.27 – 173% higher than in 2014.

The significant shift in the average price paid for tickets to the Belmont Stakes is influenced by the New York Racing Association, which decided to cap the number of tickets sold this year to 90,000. Last year, 102,199 fans flocked to Belmont to watch California Chrome – which led to overcrowding among those with general admission tickets.

With over 12,000 fewer fans in attendance this year, the 2015 Belmont Stakes should be much more enjoyable, albeit expensive, for those attending.

If American Pharoah wins the Belmont, he will become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978, when Affirmed captured Triple Crown. Seattle Slew (1977) and Secretariat (1973) also completed the feat in the 70s.