I went to the Kentucky Oaks May 2022 for a friend's bachelor party. The following is what I will write as The American Caste System, as I witnessed it. The Oaks is the day before the Kentucky Derby, and much cheaper.
Disclaimers:
- COVID has affected the Oaks and the Derby, so food and alcohol were all inclusive.
- Betting/wagering/extraneous purchases aren't taken into consideration.
- pricing has been approximated/rounded to account for time of purchase and vendor,etc.
May 2022. Churchill Downs racetrack, Louisville KY. An almost 150 year tradition.
My group originally was going to purchase $50-65 General Admission tickets around December 2021. By February we were informed of the COVID changes and agreed to purchase a block of Uncovered Bleacher seats with the all inclusive for $225.
It was an amazing experience and an awesome time with friends. I imbibed many tasty alcoholic drinks and some Garlic Noodles that were probably not nearly as good as they tasted at the time.
LET'S BREAK IT DOWN NOW Y'ALL
If the minimum wage is $15…
- $50 ticket- non-inclusive, 3.3hrs
- $225 ticket- inclusive, uncovered, 15hrs
- $500- inclusive, uncovered, 'Grandstand' one 32hr weeks pay
- $850- inclusive, covered grandstand seats, dedicated wagering booths or attendants.
57 hrs or approximately one FULL paycheck
There were obviously Boxes, Club seats, etc, but at that point the it's the “1%” and becomes unnecessary.
For the $50 ticket you were paying $15 or more for a drink or food. More than likely the $50 patrons were gambling more, brought food, and thus chose the cheaper entry.
In my opinion I witnessed a clear swathe of America. You had 20-30 year old bachelor's and bachelorette groups in the 200seats. You had a middle class throughout the 200-500 range, and everything above. There were very few people in the general admission area, but they definitely looked local.
I don't really know what I witnessed says or means; so I present it to you on Reddit to comment and discuss.