Belmont Stakes, First Established in 1867, Is the Longest Running of the Triple Crown Events, and One of the Oldest Stakes Races in North America
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THE BELMONT Legacy in the Making STAKES The Belmont Stakes, first established in 1867, is the longest running of the Triple Crown events, and one of the oldest stakes races in North America. The 147th Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday, June 6, 2015, and American Pharoah won the race, becoming only the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown and the first in 37 years. Following this historic race, The Legacy Lab spoke to Chris Kay, CEO and President of the New York Racing Association (which runs thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks, including Belmont). In this Legacy in the Making interview, Chris talks about how he balances a respect for the traditions of Belmont with a need to reframe horse racing as modern and relevant to a younger generation. Today, the Belmont Stakes is run by the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The NYRA was created in 1955 as a not-for-profit organization. That said, we are a not-for-profit that has been at the cornerstone of the horse racing industry in New York for a long while, contributing heavily to an industry that generates an eco- nomic impact of more than $2 billion annually and adds over 17,000 related jobs to the state of New York. Before the NYRA existed, there were four different entities that owned individual local racetracks, which they later contributed to form the basis of our racing asso- ciation. Under the NYRA, the four tracks became three: the majestic Belmont Park where Triple Crown champions are made; the Saratoga Race Course, one of the oldest sporting facilities in America, which has been described by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 10 Can you tell us about the origins horse racing. It happens five weeks sporting venues in the world; and of the Belmont Stakes, including after the Kentucky Derby and three the Aqueduct Racetrack, New York its role in the New York Racing weeks after the Preakness Stakes. City’s racetrack in the borough of Association’s stable of brands, This year, we had the 147th running Queens near JFK airport. and about the iconic race itself? where the world witnessed history as American Pharoah became only Up until recently, the Belmont The Belmont Stakes is the third the 12th horse ever, and the first one Stakes was really a one-race and final leg of the Triple Crown in in 37 years, to win the Triple Crown. event, where the audience size 2016 1 was directly related to whether successful sports. We are creating one of Broadway’s most successful there was a Triple Crown on the line. must-see big event days providing plays; and a GRAMMY®-nominated If you go back even just a couple the best racing, entertainment and band that also hails from New York, of years, when there was a Triple hospitality all in a single event. the Goo Goo Dolls. Crown up for grabs, there might have been over 100,000 people Our new approach started with the here on race day and a very large 2014 Belmont Stakes Day. We took audience watching at home on TV. some of our better races previ- “By creating must-see But if there wasn’t a Triple Crown, ously run on other days, including big event days, we the crowd would be anywhere from the Metropolitan Handicap, and 45,000 to 50,000 in person, and added them to the card featuring improved the quality the broadcast audience would also the Belmont Stakes. With 10 major of horse racing for all be cut in half. stakes races featuring $8 million in horse racing fans and purses, all of our racing packages Over the past two years, my team and trackside seating areas were sold horseplayers across and I have been working to trans- out before the running of last year’s the country.” form the Belmont Stakes into an Preakness—before anyone knew if event far bigger than just one race. there would even be a Triple Crown possibility. We built on this success in 2015 and transformed Belmont We also started to integrate Stakes Day into the three-day high-definition (HD) technology into “This year, we had Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. the entertainment experience. We We featured the world’s finest thor- installed 378 HD televisions and the 147th running oughbreds and jockeys competing three HD video boards, as well as where the world in 31 races, including 17 stakes races, provided several HD point-of-view all for more than $10 million in total cameras for fans to customize the witnessed history as purse money. way they watch horse workouts, American Pharoah horses in the paddock and the became only the To be a must-see event, the racing races. At the finish line, we installed alone wasn’t enough. We included an HD slow-motion camera. 12th horse ever, and additional entertainment. The anal- the first one in 37 ogy I used for NBC, the network In terms of onsite hospitality, we broadcasting the Belmont, was that made a combined $5 million invest- years, to win the I wanted to have a halftime show ment in improving the train station at Triple Crown.” feel that you might experience Belmont Park. We brought in more around a major football event, than 30 food trucks featuring local albeit with a distinct New York vibe. flavors. And we limited attendance This year, our race day entertain- numbers to enhance the experience What’s been the Belmont Stakes’ ment included the veteran band for everyone. biggest success, and what did you from the United States Military learn from it? Academy at West Point in New York By creating must-see big event days, accompanied by paratroopers with we have improved the quality of We’ve been working toward GoPros® jumping out of helicop- horse racing for all horse racing fans learning and applying from other ters; the stars of The Jersey Boys, and horseplayers across the country. 2016 2 Can you tell us about the audience here. This is better than any fantasy president of the Long Island Railroad, you are now appealing to? league. You pick the horse. You who had just started a month earlier. know who the jockey is. Then boom, We agreed that we had to do some- We’re aiming to appeal to the it’s real. You don’t have to wait thing to fix this. Over the following 18−35 year old crowd. Some may until the end of the day to find out 50 weeks, we worked on a plan. The argue that horse racing has been whether your baseball players were train station at Belmont Park was popular for decades. But we really 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. It’s all there, right built in 1968 and was in incredible have lost a generation going back in front of you. It’s very exciting. need of renovation and upgrading. 10, 15, 20 years. And when we lost The Long Island Railroad put $4 mil- that generation, we lost the ability We’re not asking this new audi- lion into it, and we put $1 million into for that generation to bring their ence to come every day. But on it. And by 2015, we had a new station kids to the track. They were going those must-see days where you that worked much better than the to other sporting venues. Football have exceptional entertainment one in 2014. has grown in popularity. Horse and some rare food and beverage racing has declined. So, with our options, it’s a great opportunity In addition, the building at Belmont approach, we’re trying to say this is for the young crowd to sample the had also been built in 1968 and not your grandfather’s horse racing. modern experience. had limited space and restrooms. So we had to ask ourselves, ‘What could we do to better satisfy our In transforming the Belmont Stakes guests’ expectations?’ Rather than “Some may argue that into a must-see event, what are have 115,000 people, I capped the some of the hard lessons you have audience this year at 90,000. In horse racing has been learned along the way? response, some people said I was popular for decades. an idiot and that I was closing out In 2014, what did not work well the sport. But the vast majority of But we really have lost was that we had a massive in-person people said, ‘Well, I think that shows a generation going crowd of roughly 115,000 people. real courage.’ All the criticism that And we didn’t have the infrastruc- occurred in 2014 was negated, and back 10, 15, 20 years. ture to help make that experience we were praised in 2015. Between And when we lost that a must-repeat one. The logistics of capping the event at 90,000 guests getting in and out were not good at and making capital improvements generation, we lost all. Unfortunately, what was a great on and around the facility, it made a the ability for that day of racing was marred by how world of difference. long it took to leave the facility. It generation to bring was something that I was concerned their kids to the track.” about and wanted to address as a You’ve talked a little about some newcomer. However, I had been of the changes that you’ve added. told, ‘We’ve been doing this for a Given the rich history of the long time.