Tickets for the Kentucky Derby arrived in the mail last week and those who purchased them were notified of the policy changes to be instituted this year. The more than 160,000 fans who come to Churchill Downs for “the most exciting two minutes in sport” on the first Saturday in May will need to know the changes or it will negatively impact their trip. Given the expensive nature of the experience, clients are always trying to get the most out of it. However, the change in policy may limit that.
The main change to the policy prohibits users with fines from re-entering Churchill Downs in the days of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Not only will fans no longer be able to re-enter Churchill Downs after leaving, but it will also prevent fans from leaving early and selling their tickets to those trying to enter at a lower price. Churchill Downs General Manager Ryan Jordan told the Louisville Courier-Journal that the song is making these changes to improve the fan experience and prevent ticket counterfeiting.
“This policy change is intended to improve the arrival experience for our guests by shortening the entrance lines to the facilities and better protecting our guests from buying counterfeit tickets outside our doors,” said Jordan.
This had been a problem for Churchill Downs in the past. Somehow, fans had been going off the track to easily make copies of their tickets and wristbands for resale purposes. Jordan confirmed Churchill Downs’ thinking. “Those who buy counterfeit items are denied access when they arrive at our admission gates and thus have lost their money, and in many cases the Kentucky Derby and Oaks experience they were expecting becomes an unpleasant memory or it ends completely. he said.
The lesson you need to learn in this scenario is to buy your tickets before the race so that they cannot be duplicated after use. Even general admission tickets can be purchased in advance directly at Churchill Downs, so there’s no reason to be fooled by counterfeit tickets. You can find more information on how to get the proper Kentucky Derby tickets here.
The younger generation of fans might be inclined to bring selfie sticks or drones, but Churchill Downs has also decided to ban those activities. This is not a surprise as Churchill Downs is known for putting on a high quality event on Kentucky Derby weekend. Those items do not fit in with the ‘women’s sports coats and hats’ that can be seen around the grandstand. Given the Churchill Downs policy of not holding prohibited items they collect, it is best that you leave these items behind if you make the trip.
More details on what is allowed inside Churchill Downs can be found in the “When to Churchill Downs” section of the travel guide.
