This is a listing of the top attended stakes race for thoroughbred racing in North America by year. This chart will list the paid attendance to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York; and for Saturday of the Breeders' Cup World Championships whose location rotates annually.[1]
| Year | Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Kentucky Oaks | Belmont Stakes | Breeders' Cup Saturday |
Breeders' Cup Friday |
| 2011 | 164,858 | 118,356 | 110,122 | 55,779 | 65,143 | 40,677 |
| 2010 | 155,804 | 96,760 # | 116,046 | 45,243 | 72,739 | 41,614 |
| 2009 | 153,563 | 77,850 # | 110,336 | 52,861 | 58,845 | 37,651 |
| 2008 | 157,770 | 121,876 | 100,046 | 94,476 | 55,331 | 31,237 |
| 2007 | 156,635 | 132,221 | 100,175 | 46,870 | 69,584 | 27,803 |
| 2006 | 157,536 | 128,643 | 108,065 | 61,168 | 75,132 | not run |
| 2005 | 156,435 | 125,687 | 111,243 | 62,274 | 54,289 | not run |
| 2004 | 140,054 | 124,351 | 98,445 | 120,139 | 53,717 | not run |
| 2003 | 148,530 | 109,931 | 100,523 | 101,864 | 51,486 | not run |
| 2002 | 145,033 | 117,055 | 101,932 | 103,222 | 46,118 | not run |
| 2001 | 154,210 | 118,926 | 102,904 | 73,857 | 52,987 | not run |
| 2000 | 153,204 | 111,821 | 106,156 | 67,810 | 76,043 | not run |
| 1999 | 151,051 | 116,526 | 101,034 | 85,818 | 45,124 | not run |
| 1998 | 143,215 | 103,269 | 94,415 | 80,162 | 80,452 | not run |
| 1997 | 141,981 | 102,118 | 92,547 | 70,682 | 51,161 | not run |
| 1996 | 142,668 | 97,751 | 91,830 | 40,797 | 42,243 | not run |
| 1995 | 144,110 | 100,818 | 87,383 | 37,171 | 37,246 | not run |
| 1994 | 130,594 | 99,834 | 80,321 | 42,695 | 71,671 | not run |
| 1993 | 136,817 | 97,641 | 81,882 | 45,037 | 55,130 | not run |
| 1992 | 132,543 | 96,865 | 79,824 | 50,204 | 45,415 | not run |
| 1991 | 135,554 | 96,695 | 73,785 | 51,766 | 66,204 | not run |
| 1990 | 128,257 | 96,106 | 67,483 | 50,123 | 51,236 | not run |
| 1989 | 122,653 | 98,896 | 67,115 | 64,949 | 51,342 | not run |
| 1988 | 137,694 | 88,654 | 64,735 | 56,223 | 71,237 | not run |
| 1987 | 130,532 | 87,945 | 62,689 | 64,772 | 57,734 | not run |
| 1986 | 123,819 | 87,652 | 58,893 | 42,555 | 69,155 | not run |
| 1985 | 108,573 | 81,235 | 52,865 | 43,446 | 42,568 | not run |
| 1984 | 126,453 | 80,566 | 53,402 | 56,677 | 64,254 | not run |
| 1983 | 134,444 | 71,768 | 54,601 | 56,677 | not run | not run |
| 1982 | 141,009 | 80,724 | 52,430 | 46,050 | not run | not run |
| 1981 | 139,195 | 84,133 | 51,918 | 61,200 | not run | not run |
| 1980 | 131,859 | 83,455 | 49,556 | 58,883 | not run | not run |
| 1979 | 128,488 | 72,607 | not avail. | 59,073 | not run | not run |
| 1978 | 131,004 | 81,261 | not avail. | 65,417 | not run | not run |
| 1977 | 124,038 | 77,346 | not avail. | 71,026 | not run | not run |
| 1976 | 115,387 | 62,256 | not avail. | 58,788 | not run | not run |
| 1975 | 113,324 | 75,216 | not avail. | 60,611 | not run | not run |
| 1974 | 163,628 | 54,911 | not avail. | 52,153 | not run | not run |
| 1973 | 134,476 | 61,657 | not avail. | 67,605 | not run | not run |
| 1972 | 130,564 | 48,721 | not avail. | 54,635 | not run | not run |
| 1971 | 123,284 | 47,221 | not avail. | 82,694 | not run | not run |
| 1970 | 105,087 | 42,474 | not avail. | 54,299 | not run | not run |
a # signifies that Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas banned the BYOB policy in 2009-2010 that resulted in a significant decrease in attendance during those years.