Nicole T.
Yelp
Hands down, most exciting horse-racing experience ever! Since we haven't had a Triple Crown winner since 1978, the likelihood of seeing another one anytime soon is slim. Therefore, I'll aim to keep my review focused on the establishment and not on the race (clearly the race was an automatic 5 stars).
For the amount of people in the stadium, they were fairly organized. The stadium is huge, and they had a large outdoor seating area with food vendors. Inside, each floor had food and alcohol as well. Prices were $10 for beer, $12 for mixed drinks, and my hot dog was $6. The stadium has four floors, although the 4th floor is reserved for club members only. While on a normal day there were plenty of bathrooms available, the day of the Belmont Stakes proved rough for the ladies, as the lines for the women's room were absurd. I attempted to use the bathrooms on the 3rd floor for the most part, as they had the shortest lines.
Placing bets was easy enough. They could be done electronically or via a person. There were ATMs and TVs located throughout the stadium. The staff was very accommodating and friendly, especially with the large crowds of people.
I had General Admission tickets ($15), which means standing room only. I lucked out and had an amazing view on the third floor, where I could see the whole race even when people were standing. That made a huge impact on my experience. We staked out our spot at about 4pm for the 6:50pm race. Had we tried to get in later, I probably would've been better watching the race on one of the TV's. The announcers were a little difficult to hear, but the various large screens they had on the track helped me identify which horse was in which place. I also loved the atmosphere. Looking at the pond and green vegetation with the blue skies was picture-perfect.
The running of this year's Belmont Stakes was (as I've been told) tremendously better than last year. It was extremely smart to have the Goo Goo Dolls perform after the races to help offset the mad rush to leave. I stayed for part of the concert and was able to get on the LIRR within 10 minutes of leaving the facility. I heard last year was a nightmare, but no complaints here for this year.
Definitely had an amazing experience. I'm sure the experience is different when you're not about to witness history and the stadium is sold out, but even with the crowd, the event ran smoothly, and it was definitely a day to always remember.