Belmont Stakes capacity for 2022 race to be limited to 50,000 due to UBS Arena

For now, 50,000 will be a crowd for the Belmont Stakes.

The New York Racing Association announced that tickets for the 154th running of the Triple Crown’s final leg on June 11 will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com, and attendance at Belmont Park will now be capped at 50,000 instead of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic capacity of 90,000.

NYRA said the construction of adjacent UBS Arena reduced the size of Belmont Park’s backyard. So, while the size of the grandstand has not changed, the new, $1.1 billion facility has gobbled up approximately 35% of the space outside the grandstand. On race days, many ticketed fans picnic or enjoy the nice weather in the backyard while also viewing the entrants in the paddock area.

The reduction in capacity would have taken effect in 2021 had it not been for the pandemic, which limited attendance to reserved seats only.

But Patrick McKenna, NYRA’s vice president of communications, said capacity is expected to expand again once a capital improvement project is completed to provide spectator access to the infield. NYRA received approvals from New York State in January for the project.

"The significant reduction to the size of the Belmont Park backyard makes the project to unlock the infield that much more important," McKenna said. "The construction of tunnels appropriate for both vehicular and pedestrian access will transform the property and allow fans to access the infield as soon as 2024.

"Beyond their use for fans at events like the Belmont Stakes, these tunnels will allow NYRA to reconstruct and modernize the racing surfaces at Belmont Park, which is hugely important for the future of racing at Belmont. NYRA has worked closely with our neighbors in the surrounding towns and villages to communicate the scope of these projects and we appreciate their continued support for a revitalized Belmont Park."

The Belmont Stakes’ attendance record was set in 2004 when 120,139 watched Birdstone deny Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown bid. A crowd of 103,222 attended in 2002 as War Emblem’s Triple Crown bid fell short and 101,864 watched Funny Cide’s unsuccessful Triple Crown bid in 2003.

NYRA opted to cap attendance at 90,000 in 2015.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.