Churchhill Downs may increase capacity for 2021 Kentucky Derby

Louisville, KY- With the new guidance in place, Churchhill Downs are thinking increasing their capacity for the upcoming Kentucky Derby.

Last week, Governor Beshear decided to lift restrictions from a max of 50% capacity to 60% for restaurants, bars, retail locations, and many other businesses. Prior to the announcement, the horse racing committee were making arrangements to have at least 40-50% of attendance abiding by the COVID-19 requirements.

The committee is taking a long look to see if they want to add more attendance or keep it as they once planed. "We’ve been planning for many months now for a reserved seating capacity ranging from anywhere from 40 to 50 percent with social distancing,” Anderson said. “And now with the governor’s announcement yesterday, we’ve started to analyze just how we can flex up and remain nimble for the weeks to come for any additional changes and restrictions that might come out.”

“We’re going to deliver a first-class customer experience, a great time for all of our guests, regardless of the numbers of fans present,” Anderson said. “It’ll be a true celebration for this community after a really rough patch dating back to last March.”