I wonder if Friday's number includes ticket sales that were two day packages and the people did not attend?

if it's an increase from the last time CD held it, you might be on to something. if it's an increase over any track but CD, it's par for the course. CD always has higher #'s then when the bc is held elsewhere.

According to Churchill attendance was 41,614. I'm just skeptical by nature and everyone I have talked to says there is no way that many people were there. What Sightseek says makes some sense although at this point it seems possible the numbers, all of them might be fudged.

There was definitely not that many people there. Sightseek is probably right about how they came up with that number.

If you were there Saturday, did it seem like 72,739?

It was packed but obviously I'd really only be guessing at the exact total...but yeah that is probably a pretty close estimate. Attendance wise between Fri and Sat it was like night and day...that's why I doubt Fridays number.

or closer to 69,214?

I've been to every Oaks/Derby the last 10 years and have a pretty good feel for the building and how it is when full. Friday's crowd was shockingly sparse. Saturday was well attended, but the attendance numbers certainly were ticket sales figures.

As to the original point, the 60 Minutes story on Zenyatta undoubtedly drove TV viewership up, but Churchill always hosts the best attended Cups. Zenyatta wasn't as big a draw in person as she was in front of the box given the Saturday gate was basically at the average attendance of previous BC visits to the Ville:

1988: 71,237
1991: 66,204
1994: 71,671
1998: 80,452
2000: 76,043
2006: 75,132 (Avg. 73,456)
2010: 72,739

we can atest to the 60 Minute piece helping. we had several neighbors contact us about the saturday schedule. most of them watched most of the day not just Z's race.

Wait, so this was the least attended BC at the Downs since 1994?

And on a very nice- though chilly- day. I wasn't there in 2006, but if I recall 1998 and 2000 were cloudy and cold.

'06 was freaking freezing. I was there for almost a week, and recall seeing frost on the ground virtually every morning.

Next year is going to be a better barometer IMO, not comparing it to SA or past BC's.

Shouldn't you add Friday and Saturday together to make comparisons to previous years? Obviously they are watering down Saturday so direct comparisons to me don't make a lot of sense to other CD years.

Now look what I started....

no

I went in 2000. Saturday felt like So Cal compared to that day. It was pretty nasty.

The euro contingent was definitely lacking this time around. Did anyone else notice that or was it just me? This BC seemed the least euro that I can remember.

The excitement in the finale was like no other BC Classic that I have been to. There was a different kind of energy it seemed.

Friday was sparse...no doubt.

Rock star :cool:

As you probably know CD is a huge facility. On most days people are out milling around but on Friday is was pretty cold with the wind whipping around. It was very crowded underneath and I was surprised when I spoke to my wife, who was at home watching, and she said it looked like there was not alot of people there.

A regular Izzy Cole

Equine version of The Boss :cool: