Belmont Stakes Runs Smoother Than Last Year, Thanks In Part To Capped Crowd

Thousands of fans "streamed out of Belmont Park" Saturday night, in a scene that "appeared far more orderly than last year's transportation meltdown," according to Deutsch, Ruud, Bauman, Chayes & Fuller of NEWSDAY. Fans said that officials for this year's Belmont Stakes "provided better crowd control." Officials said that the mass exit "was helped by the fact that the LIRR brought 10,000 fewer passengers to the track than last year -- 25,583 compared with 36,000 who rode the train to last year's event." Officials also "erected barriers that helped funnel riders to trains without creating a crush." Furthermore, many people "stayed behind to celebrate" American Pharoah's historic Triple Crown win, and to "watch a concert by the Goo Goo Dolls." The LIRR, NYRA and Nassau County Police "had spent months trying to avoid a repeat of last year." NYRA "capped paid attendance at 90,000 people this year." Last year, more than 102,000 "showed up to see California Chrome's failed bid" to secure the Triple Crown since. Officials for Saturday's event "added 18 extra trains," and for the first time, the LIRR "used the Hempstead branch to bring empty trains into Belmont Park from the east as trains pulled out westward" (NEWSDAY, 6/7). In Baltimore, Childs Walker noted American Pharoah "never had a shot at drawing a record crowd" because of the capped ticket sales. Last year, concession stands "ran out of food and beverages hours before post time for the big race" and departing fans "had to wait for hours to board commuter trains." The decision to limit attendance "surprised many observers, especially given the record crowds this year at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness." Belmont "reached its peak" in '04, when 120,139 "came to watch Smarty Jones seek a Triple Crown" (Baltimore SUN, 6/7).