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Fans Welcomed Back At Washington’s Emerald Downs

Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash. is excited to welcome back fans for the 2021 racing season! The health & safety of our fans, employees, and racing industry participants is and always will be our top priority!

Tickets for the first 10 race days (May 19-June 17) will go on sale soon. You are strongly encouraged to pre-purchase tickets on-line. Tickets will be available at the gates only if availability remains. Daily attendance is limited as per protocols in place for spectator sports in Washington.

A day at the track will look and feel different in 2021 but the thrills and fun of live horse racing will be the same as always! Please read over all race day information before purchasing tickets.

Emerald Downs follows all guidelines and protocols in the Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery plan.

FACE MASKS: Required at all times for fans ages 2 and older except when actively drinking or eating while seated. Masks are not permitted to be removed at any time while standing or walking throughout the track.

ADULT TICKET PRICES: $10 per person now includes general admission and a Race Program. This is a $2 savings from previous years. $13 per person includes general admission, a Race Program, and a reserved grandstand seat. Reserved seats will be socially spaced between groups.

CHILDREN TICKETS: $5 for children ages 12 and under. ($8 includes a reserved seat)

PARKING: Both free general parking and paid Preferred Parking will be available. There will be no Valet parking service this season.

ADMISSION POLICIES: No outside food or beverages permitted with the exception of a sealed 32 oz bottle of water or smaller per person.

SEATING: General admission bench and table seating is available throughout the track. All seating will be clearly marked to ensure 6-foot separation between groups. For reserved grandstand seats, social distancing protocols have been built into the ticketing system.

SMOKING: There is no smoking in any public areas of the track.

FOOD & BEVERAGE/CONCESSIONS: All bars and concessions are cashless with the exception of Quick Pix on Floor 5. If you do not have a debit or credit card you may purchase a gift card at Customer Service on track level or Floor 5. You may also use Apple or Google Pay. Menus will be streamlined with food packaged and ready to expedite your time at the concession stands.

WAGERING: A greater percentage of wagering machines will be self-service. Please follow the floor markers to maintain social distancing while waiting to bet. Contactless wagering is available using betemerald.com while at the track. See customer service for details.

RACING FORMS: Forms and simulcast programs will be sold at customer service.

GIFT SHOP: The Gift Shop is currently closed.

5th FLOOR DINING TABLES: A limited number of Rainier Dining tables will be open on Floor 5. Each table has a television monitor. These will be first come, first served on each race day. There will be no dining service. You may order food and beverages at Quick Pix and bring them to your table.

BOX SEATS: Boxes will be sold by calling customer service at 253-288-7711. As only a limited number of boxes are available, priority will be given to 2019 box seat holders. Box Seats are available on Floors 3 & 5.

SUITES: There are four suites available each race day. Please call the track at 253-288-7000 if you are interested. Windows must remain open in all suites and occupancy is limited to 25%.

2021 RACE DATES

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Belmont’s Meet Begins Without Spectators; NYRA Working To Determine Re-Opening Date

The 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet will begin on Thursday, April 22, without spectators in attendance.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will be able to determine when Belmont Park will re-open to spectators following the issuance of detailed guidance from New York State addressing health and safety protocols specific to racetracks.

“We are incredibly eager to turn the page on this pandemic and safely open Belmont Park to fans as quickly as possible,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “Although Belmont Park will be closed to spectators throughout Opening Weekend, NYRA looks forward to seeing fans in the stands right back where they belong this spring and summer.”

The 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet boasts 59 total stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money.

“NYRA is committed to ensuring the safest possible environment for fans and will make any adjustments necessary so that the Northwell Health vaccination center operating at Belmont can continue to serve as many New Yorkers as possible,” O'Rourke added. “We thank Governor Cuomo and the state for paving the way for a successful summer at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.”

America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will present live racing throughout the Belmont Park spring/summer meet that will run Thursday through Sunday, July 11. Opening Day action from Belmont will feature on America's Day at the Races on FS2 from 1 – 5 p.m. Eastern.

Thursday's meet opener at Belmont includes five turf races on the eight-race card. In April, first post time at Belmont will be 1 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information please visit NYRA.com.

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Derby and Oaks Works Open to Public

Between Saturday, Apr. 17 and Wednesday, Apr. 28, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 7-10 a.m. for fans to watch the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks contenders work.

Horses train on Churchill Downs' main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. Beginning Saturday, April 17, there will be an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:30-7:45 a.m. following the 7-7:30 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels which include their names: yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.

Churchill Downs will livestream the Kentucky Derby Morning Works presented by TwinSpires.com across its social media channels starting Monday, Apr. 19. Video also will be broadcast on Churchill Downs' Big Board.

Face coverings are required and guests must practice social distancing. Guests may bring in their own food and beverage during the morning workouts from Apr. 14-23. Food and beverage may not be brought into the facility between Apr. 24 and Apr. 28 because of Kentucky Derby Week security protocols, but Churchill Downs' new Paddock Grill will be open during that period to offer breakfast items for purchase.

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Cuomo Announces Fans Can Return to New York Tracks April 23

In a surprising development, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that fans may return to the state's racetracks starting Apr. 23. Attendance will be capped at 20% capacity.

A few hours after Cuomo's announcement, NYRA officials were still considering their options and would not commit to allowing fans to attend as soon as Apr. 23.

“The New York Racing Association, Inc. looks forward to welcoming fans back to Belmont Park this spring and to Saratoga Race Course this summer,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “We thank Governor Cuomo for the opportunity to host fans at our historic tracks for the first time since the start of the pandemic. We will announce ticketing options for fans once we further review the guidelines and protocols set forth for thoroughbred tracks in New York state. NYRA has dearly missed the passion and excitement that fans bring to the sport of thoroughbred racing. Today's announcement by the Governor is one more indication that we are collectively moving toward a return to normalcy.”

Belmont is scheduled to open for its spring meet Apr. 22.

NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said that it was premature to predict how many fans will be allowed to attend the GI Belmont S. card and the Saratoga races.

“As the rate of vaccination continues to increase across New York State, we are optimistic that capacity restrictions will continue to ease in the coming months in advance of the Belmont Stakes and the 2021 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course,” he said. “We miss our fans dearly, and look forward to seeing them soon back where they belong.”

NYRA has not been allowed to have on-track fans since March 2020, when the pandemic started to shut down the entire country.

It remains to be seen how many fans will be allowed at each facility under the 20% guideline. In 2015, NYRA decided to cap the attendance at cavernous Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes at 90,000. That could mean that about 18,000 people will be allowed to attend the final leg of the Triple Crown. With vaccinations readily available in the state, the 20% guideline will no doubt change at some point with even more fans being allowed.

The numbers for record crowds at Saratoga are misleading because they include days when the attendance was artificially inflated due to “spinners” going through the turnstiles more than once to collect added giveaway items. The record crowd for the GI Travers day is 60,486. That could mean NYRA will be allowed to welcome about 12,000 fans a day to the popular upstate track.

Cuomo appeared at Belmont Wednesday to do a press briefing, but never mentioned the decision to allow fans back on track. He did take the opportunity to commend the New York racing community for its response to a barn fire Monday in which all but two horses were rescued.

“Due to really extraordinary effort by first responders, the fire department and the staff here at NYRA. Fifty-eight horses were saved,” he said. “Two horses perished, but they did a really outstanding job.”

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