Derby Tickets
 

May go this year and have done the in field several times. Is it possible to get tickets so I can see what is going on? Where? Nothing fancy but at least a seat where I don;t get run over by drunks???

Help?

I can get you really good seats for $5000 per seat:D

Likewise. Stubhub will have the lottery tickets in the $500s probably.

Tickets
 

I was just at Churchill Downs on Wednesday taking a tour.

I asked them about tickets and they said there are NO seat tickets available. There are race day general admission tickets for $40 but that is standing only either in the infield or the grandstand/paddock area.

Now the bad news, they go on sale at 8AM, no limit to tickets sold, no folding seats allowed in grandstand/paddock area. So if you go that route, your standing till 6 PM Derby.

I went on the site that ATRAB advertises, very, very pricey for DERBY tickets.

Good luck!

Another partnership?
 

Well if we all go in together like Sumwon, we can each get 10 minutes in a good seat!

Come on Chuck, you our trainer man, I'd think you'd get tickets for all of us.......oh, wait a minute, I forgot it's the owners that are suppose to have all the money.

Shoot!

Spyder from SC

you have to put in ticket requests pretty much the day afer the derby is run...then i believe it's a lotto type system for the regular people...I'm sure the method is different for the top floor types.

nt
 

The lottery for seat tickets is ONLY for Twin Spires members. I checked that angle also! The more points you acquire through Twin Spires, the better your chances for winning the lottery for tickets.:eek:

..

Churchill has a new plan in place this year, even for grandstand seats, which are bleacher seats. You have to pay up front, around $1,000 for the right to purchase the seats that you want for a period of 5 years. You pay this upfront figure for the privlege of having those seats available to you for 5 years. Reserved. This is in addition to the annual costs of the seats, which in grandstand areas, I believe are now $168.00 per seat-between the 1/8th and 16th poles. Not positive about that exact figure. But close. Now, if you want a box, you pay something like $50K for the "license to sit" as I term it, plus the price of each seat in the box.

This pricing plan was just instituted a few weeks ago. Churchill is at a point that it is reliant on 2 days of racing for their profit line for the year--Oaks and Derby Day. They will do whatever it takes to meet that, obviously.

And this will deter people that have been going for many, many years. People have already spoken to this effect.

Its a shame. Its still just one day in the calendar year of racing, though its one that we all enjoy, greatly.

****I had to edit: my figure was wrong.

nt
 

The people at my Hilton Hotel in Louisville said the best thing is go to KEENELAND on Derby day. People get all dressed up, nicer facilities, great food, smaller crowds. Not the same, but sure beats paying big bucks for 2 minutes of racing.

It is a wonderful day at Keeneland, I've done this...many times.

One doesn't have the traffic nightmare either.

wife and i did this 2years ago. the buffet is awesome ! plenty of tellers it was a great time !

Spyder,

My recommendation would be to go, accepting you might end up in the field, and with an advance "we'll have a good time in the field...or wherever" attitude.

But, when you get there.....at 8AM or 9AM....walk outside looking for tickets.

In the 1989 Derby the weather was unexpectedly cold. I had infield tickets as an insurance policy, but then scored some seated tickets on the clubhouse turn for slightly below cost.

I then found some grandstand tickets at cost, and took my clubhouse turn tickets back to the infield ticket line and sold them......and my original tickets.... for a little personal profit.

It's a long story, but I ended up spending most of the day in a box held by one of the Derby trainer's families. They didn't show up until after Kentucky Derby paddock time. When I apologized for being in their place, they insisted we (me and my wife at the time) stay.

His horse was in contention until the top of the stretch. It was electric being there.

All that aside, it is possible to broker with reasonable and good people on the day of the Kentucky Derby.


(hint: go to where the charter tour bus parking area is located......the tour operators usually have no shows and a few tickets to unload.....I've scored there on three occasions....

.....or further hint.....just go the The Belmont. Just the 8th race on Saturday, and seats are plentiful!)

Thanks for the advise and will keep that in mind. Sound like some good angles and sure there would be some tickets floating. It's just that I'm taking my red headed wife of 23 years and there would be a "tension" meter running...."Honey, when are we goig to sit down, my feet are tired" kind of thing...if you know what I mean.

Spyder

you could also try the back stretch entrance at the tunnel to the in field. we sold some extras there. plenty of decent people there just tring to sell and break even.

Before last year, you could have bought a seat for as low as $150, but Churchill has figured out that the economics of the Derby do not represent an elastic demand. Prices go up, demand stays the same. With the new policies, I would still expect you to be able to get a ticket, but in the $300 range.

ebay
 

If you've got the cash, plenty of tix on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Kentucky-De...QQcmdZViewItem

one example, lots more on there.

Guys, when I hit the Powerball,
we're all goin to the Derby luxury suite (sweet lol) style. I'll drop 100g's on that **** to make it happen.