Breeders’ Cup and Keeneland to invest $10.5 million in premium seating facilities to provide enhanced fan experience
LEXINGTON, Ky. (January 21, 2020) — The Breeders’ Cup, one of Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious international events, today announced that tickets for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championship will go on sale to the public on March 9 at 9:00 a.m. EST. The world-class horse racing event will return to historic Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7.
The 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships marks the second time that the event will be held at Keeneland following its inaugural running at the venue in 2015, which was widely praised as one of the best in the event’s history. On the heels of the successful 2015 debut, anticipation and demand for tickets to the 2020 event are expected to be high and tickets are likely to sell out quickly.
Fans are encouraged to visit BreedersCup.com/2020 now to review available seating options and pricing and to be prepared to purchase tickets starting at 9:00 a.m. ET on March 9. As with all major events that have strong demand for tickets, longer than normal wait and queue times are anticipated during the first few hours of the March 9 on-sale date. It is strongly recommended that fans utilize the online purchasing system via BreedersCup.com to purchase tickets. Fans will be placed into a queue in order received and will be allotted time to make their purchase.
A highlight of the global Thoroughbred horse racing calendar, the Breeders’ Cup will bring an exciting combination of premier horse racing, food and beverage, fashion and entertainment to Keeneland in 2020. To further elevate the experience for all fans and participants, Breeders’ Cup and Keeneland will invest over $10.5 million in the coming months to expand luxury seating areas and hospitality offerings, including:
- The Silks Lawn Chalet, a 50,000-square-foot, glassed-in and climate-controlled chalet that offers incredible views of the racetrack along with reserved seating, dedicated mutuel tellers and private buffet and restrooms.
- The Saddling Paddock Chalet that offers premium views of the Championship contenders as they circle the saddling paddock before each race.
- The Equestrian Room, Phoenix Room, Keene Barn and Entertainment Center, Sales Pavilion, Loge Box seats, Grandstand Reserved seating and General Admission, which includes a tailgating area at The Hill.
Further, in accordance with Breeders’ Cup’s longstanding commitment to deliver a curated and intimate fan experience, event attendance will again be capped at 45,000 to ensure an enhanced on-track experience for all attendees.
Available single-day ticket prices range from $40 to $440 on Friday, and $60 to $590 on Saturday. Two-day packages available for purchase range from $325 to $1,780. All tickets will be sold in advance of the event. No tickets will be sold on event days at the racetrack.
Based on the successful 2015 transportation plan, the Breeders’ Cup will again offer a Park-and-Ride program from three local destinations to Keeneland on event days. Parking on-site at Keeneland will be extremely limited and only available to those with official pre-paid parking credentials. All others will be turned away at the gates and directed to a Park-and-Ride facility. For more information fans can visit the Plan Your Visit section of the Breeders’ Cup website.
The 37th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2020 will be televised live by NBC Sports Group.
ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.
The 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 championship races with purses and awards totaling more than $30 million, will be held on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT KEENELAND
For more than 80 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts four sales a year, in January, April, September and November, and its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2015 and will hold the event again on Nov. 6-7, 2020. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains the Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Jim Gluckson
Breeders’ Cup
212-230-9512
Charlotte Goodman
Nike Communications
646-654-3413
Amy Gregory
Keeneland
859-288-4376
