Islanders' new arena cuts capacity for 2022 Belmont Stakes
Attendance for this year's Belmont Stakes will be capped at 50,000, the New York Racing Association said in a news release Monday.
The construction of UBS Arena, which opened in November for the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, has significantly altered and reduced the size of Belmont Park's backyard, NYRA said in the release. As a result, fewer general-admission tickets will be available for this year's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. In the past, capacity at the track had been 90,000 for the Belmont Stakes.
Tickets for the 2022 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will go on sale to the public Thursday at 10 a.m. EST via Ticketmaster.com.
Highlighted by the 154th running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will begin on Thursday, June 9, and conclude Saturday, June 11.
NYRA said in the release that the capacity of Belmont Park is expected to expand in future years after the completion of a significant capital improvement project that will provide spectator access to the infield. In January, NYRA received the required New York State approvals to construct vehicular and pedestrian tunnels to unlock the Belmont Park infield for a variety of uses, including to accommodate fans during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
“The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival is a celebration of the best of Thoroughbred racing, and we look forward to the return of fans in large numbers following last year’s considerable restrictions due to the COVID pandemic,” NYRA president and CEO Dave O’Rourke said in the release. “As the Belmont Park property continues to transition and evolve, NYRA is committed to providing our loyal fans the best possible experience now and in the future. The updated capacity will accomplish this goal while ensuring that fans are treated to an incredibly exciting three days of world class racing and entertainment.”
NYRA will offer advance, pre-sale opportunities to NYRA Bets members, returning ticket buyers and others beginning Tuesday. All groups eligible for the pre-sale will be notified directly via email.