Jockey Club open letter: Spread the word

[Stillriledup]

Jim Gagliano (president of the Jockey Club) penned a nice 'plea' to racing fans everywhere to tell their friends, family and anyone who will listen, to start watching racing on tv and to start following racing in general.

Most of you have been in a great position TO spread this word, to introduce people to this game....but, i have to tell you, personally, i'm going to need to see a reason (or many) to tell people "you should follow racing, it will be worth your while".

Do you want to listen to Gagliano and spread the word, or, do you have your own "open letter" to the racing industry that you would want them to read?

Hopefully all the movers and shakers in racing have Paceadvantage in their list of favorites and will come here to see what you have to say.

Fire away.

[JustRalph]

The comments on twitter haven't been "supportive"

[elhelmete]

I must not-so-humbly say I am a good ambassador for the sport.

There isn't anyone I can't get out to the track for a terrific first time experience.

I'd say my strike rate for 3+ time visitors/players is about 7-10% max, and that's with me attending with them. Without me joining them...maybe 3%.

[brivolta]

I must not-so-humbly say I am a good ambassador for the sport.

There isn't anyone I can't get out to the track for a terrific first time experience.

I'd say my strike rate for 3+ time visitors/players is about 7-10% max, and that's with me attending with them. Without me joining them...maybe 3%.

Whenever I have a chance to get a newbie to the track, I always offer to take them back to the barn where my horses are if they decide to go. Even if it's not a close friend of mine I extend this offer. Usually that's the tipping point to get someone to go. More often than not, once they've had that up close experience, they return. Whether or not it turns into wagering revenue, I can't say. I don't follow them to the window.

[Tom]

What racing on TV?
The game has done a very terrible job of promoting itself.
You have TVG or HRTV 95% of the time. No coverage of the triple crown preps...then, Derby Day, they feature hats and stupid celebrity interviews.

Sorry, I would not waste my friends time trying to get into this game. It doesn't deserve new blood.

[Striker]

What racing on TV?
The game has done a very terrible job of promoting itself.
You have TVG or HRTV 95% of the time. No coverage of the triple crown preps...then, Derby Day, they feature hats and stupid celebrity interviews.

Sorry, I would not waste my friends time trying to get into this game. It doesn't deserve new blood.
The NBC Sports channel starts with coverage of the triple crown preps this weekend.

[Tom]

Been a long time since the Breeder's Cup.
Racing runs 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

[maclr11]

Theres two channels devoted solely to racing on our television provider MTS
shows 8 tracks at a time
Couple that with telephone account betting and online wagering and television signal distribution might be more of a coverage provider issue and a local individual racetrack issue, because I know we are not the only track with simulcast racing channels.

[Robert Fischer]

First of all it has to BE on tv.

It is NOT on tv now.

[maclr11]

Every house in Manitoba gets it with their cable package
And I know New York used to have a channel for racing
How hard could it be to have a channel dedicated to racing in every state
Its not like theres not unused channels
Theres a golf network, a NHL network, the NFL network, how about the racing network,
if little Assiniboia Downs can do it the other tracks can and jurisdictions can

[mlbelang]

Im in upstate New York, just south of saratoga and we get a racing channel with the basic cable package. I believe its run by CapitalOTB. But its awful. Very few live shows, and just an overall unprofessional look to it. It's no wonder its hard to attract new fans.

[DJofSD]

BEin sports had some home cooking last weekend.

[mlbelang]

Just a thought on advancing the games popularity;

Has anyone caught wind ofthe Horse Racing League? It has a website and all, run by Stronach, its 5 or 6 teams that race against eachother. There's a whole season, standings, a winner, and a cash prize I believe.

Its a good idea but I'm not certain if the delivery is on cue. Still, I think something like this is in order for horse racing. Leagues, standings, competition, playoffs...winners..losers. After all, thats what sport is all about, no?

check it out if you guys are interested

www.horseracingleague.com

[burnsy]

First of all it has to BE on tv.

It is NOT on tv now.

Exactly, someone else said it too. Capital OTB up here and the others (HRTV, TVG) channels don't count. People only watch those if they are already into it. Going from November to late March does not cut it. The Breeders Cup coverage, the Kentucky Derby and the rest of the Triple Crown is not enough. Last year they threw in some summer races too. How do they expect all these tracks to survive when no one really gives a crap? This is what some of the insiders don't get. They just go by the handle and the ones they brag about are the major tracks or monday and tuesday when there is no choice. What about fan interest in general? Jess Jackson does not buy Rachel to make more money after he had Curlin..its for the thrill....without a live audience there is something missing. These owners don't want to bring their families to their box at the track and see the sea gulls perched. This is what the "bean counters" don't get. "Gee, grandpa your horse is running but theres hardly no one here and its not on TV." Yeah, that cultivates tons of new fans and is encouraging to the owners...:bang: People have to be exposed to racing and like it before they even will follow it, or more importantly, bet on it. Yeah, the Derby gets 100,000 plus every year but what about the other days? The only time people are on is when they are in trouble or some negative editorial coverage. The media plan (PR) sucks or its so bad that no one wants to cover racing...something got to give.

[nijinski]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151498914099798&set=a.492362024797.272961.665364797&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

[Some_One]

Racing has to be on free to air TV, I've been lucky to see here in Australia over the last 3 months that every Saturday channel 7 (free to air) has been showing the races from Melbourne and Sydney.

Then the other thing that needs to be done is to have easier access to wager, here in Sydney, you can't walk more than a half a mile and not run into a TAB (think OTB + Sports betting) store or a pub/bar with a TAB self service machine.

[nijinski]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151498914099798&set=a.492362024797.272961.665364797&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf
Barbara Livingston must have read about so she posted the This BC Tramp Stamp Photo . I should block the comments though .

[johnhannibalsmith]

.... I believe its run by CapitalOTB. But its awful. ...

Is Down The Stretch still on? That was the best all-around racing show on television. I actually loved Saturday mornings on CapOTB and I probably shouldn't admit it, but I preferred their overall broadcasts to most of what goes on at TVG. I'll take Greg DiGeorgio (if that was his name and he's still even employed) over just about any voice over there.

[Robert Fischer]

Horse racing is a way people can gamble while watching tv.

I can't think of any other interactive gambling channel in the USA.

It would seem like this market would be attractive to both the horse racing business and major sponsors.

To tap into this lucrative market, there has to be a quality broadcast effort. It requires a focus on the interactive gambling aspect, and a delivery from professional on-air talent who can promote the product. As with pro-sports, you need a professional announcer first and foremost, and then you can have a horse racing analyst as the color-commentator.

I understand the major networks broadcasting horse racing's major stakes races as a "sport" and not a gambling game. I enjoy it and appreciate it. However that is not the business plan for the new channel(s).

[Al Gobbi]

The issue is networks don't need horse racing as a TV property. Back when ABC and CBS were still having their weekend sports shows you'd would get racing in a 10-15 minute spot when a non-TC event was covered. I don't think NBC views the Derby and the rest of the major events as a must-have property.

We have seen in recent years Preakness and Belmont weekend coverage be reduced drastically (in the case of the Preakness there have been years in which no coverage of the BES /Preakness undercard has been done by a major network) and not all of the BC races are shown live either.

[Longshot6977]

I would love to see shows again like "Racing from Yonkers" with Harvey Pack on public channel 9 and Racing from Roosevelt etc on public channels. Many people were interested since it was on regular TV that we all had.

Nowadays, you have to have a special Dish or cable channel (I have Comcast, which you need to purchase a special sports package just to get TVG or HRTV). If no one sees this great sport or it isn't advertised properly, it will be, sadly, a fading memory.

I think it also needs, as we all agree, very positive broadcast announcers like the monster truck competition has on Speed Channel. The announcers never say anything bad about the sport and everything is presented in a very positive and exciting manner. I would place bets on those trucks if allowed.

[Stillriledup]

I would love to see shows again like "Racing from Yonkers" with Harvey Pack on public channel 9 and Racing from Roosevelt etc on public channels. Many people were interested since it was on regular TV that we all had.

Nowadays, you have to have a special Dish or cable channel (I have Comcast, which you need to purchase a special sports package just to get TVG or HRTV). If no one sees this great sport or it isn't advertised properly, it will be, sadly, a fading memory.

I think it also needs, as we all agree, very positive broadcast announcers like the monster truck competition has on Speed Channel. The announcers never say anything bad about the sport and everything is presented in a very positive and exciting manner. I would place bets on those trucks if allowed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCVij0AUtNs

[chadk66]

I'm new to the board as of today. I was a thoroughbred trainer for seven years before pursuing other interests due to not wanting to raise my kids on the track. That being said, I was training at Canterbury Park the first seven years it was open. Basically everyone in MN was new to the industry. So I know first hand what it's like to introduce new people to the sport. I agree with some of you that the industry has failed in doing this. One of the things Canterbury did was buy a double decker bus and drive around the back side to show fans the barn area. I was training for the owners of track at that time and I mentioned to one of them that they should stop the bus at my barn and allow the fans to come in and see what's going on inside. I made sure I was there and discussed with them first hand the ins and outs of the animals. What the industry fails to do is drive home the "pagentry" of the sport. These are the most beautiful animals on the planet. Every little girls grows up dreaming of owning a horse. And to let the fans come in and pet them and see the meticulous care they are being given goes a mile in garner life long support of the sport. And as a trainer it was some of the most memorable times I had. I had several instances where these fans were able to pet a horse before the races that day and then bet on them and the horse won. People came up to me and called me by my first name all the time. And I can only think that it was because they made their trip to the barn a personal experience.

[DJofSD]

chadk66,

Welcome aboard!

Thanks for sharing with us your experiences when working on the back side.

I have to say those personal experiences do make a difference. And, for you to extend yourself the way you did while in your 'office' during your 'office hours' was taking it to another level.

As an aside, my current passion is golf. Being able to talk to and engage players does add to the attraction -- even as an adult. I'm sure it's more exciting for the junior golfers but, as an adult, I do appreciate it.

[riskman]

Here is an article that appeared in the NY Times in June 2010 on the decline of horseracing in New York. Some of the writing is outdated but a lot of the problems are still with us and a lot of the problems apply nation wide to some extent. There are also other issues but this article for the most part does a good job of the problems the industry is facing. It maybe there is too much to overcome.

http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/reasons-for-the-decline-of-horse-racing/

[SandyLoam]

What racing on TV?
The game has done a very terrible job of promoting itself.
You have TVG or HRTV 95% of the time. No coverage of the triple crown preps...then, Derby Day, they feature hats and stupid celebrity interviews.

Sorry, I would not waste my friends time trying to get into this game. It doesn't deserve new blood.

Right On! There was LESS mainstream television in 2012 and network coverage almost eschews the betting aspect. NBCSports is primarily a premium channel and HRTV is not on DirectTV.

Encouraging more people to "get into it" on the back end would only serve to have even more people abused by an industry that is cannibalizing itself to oblivion through pigheaded unwillingness to organize the sport. No offense to pigs.

[Al Gobbi]

19k viewers for the Derby preview show.

http://sonofthebronx.blogspot.com/2013/03/nbc-sports-network-nba-tv-mlb-network_30.html

[cj]

19k viewers for the Derby preview show.

http://sonofthebronx.blogspot.com/2013/03/nbc-sports-network-nba-tv-mlb-network_30.html

Where, in New York?

[Al Gobbi]

Where, in New York?

no, nationally.

[highnote]

Back in the 1890's the two biggest sports in the U.S. were Horse Racing and Rowing.

The popularity of Horse Racing will eventually go the way of the population of Rowing.

There are too many other entertainment choices for the majority of people. There will always be people who row and there will always be people who enjoy Horse Racing, but the only way either of them will grow in popularity is for the the population of the U.S. to grow. A larger population means that there will be more people who will find these sports interesting. However, on a percentage of population basis, I expect the percentage of people in the general population who are interested in these sports to continue to decline.

They will never disappear, but I doubt they will ever experience the level of interest they had 120 years ago.

[cj]

no, nationally.

Only 19k watched nationally? I find that extremely hard to believe.

[Robert Fischer]

more likely some type of rating shares system.

don't have time to research it.

[Robert Fischer]

For people that participate in social media, and/or watch TV regularly(i don't really qualify for either category) - did you hear about the broadcast on NBC sports from other sources?? Or did you only hear about it from horseracing sources?