timmaz
06-07-2009, 08:35 AM
2009 proved to be a Triple Crown trail to remember. It was even better if you go back to the exciting preps as well.
I was there yesterday at Belmont, it certainly felt crowded and there were plenty of casual fans there to see the stars, especially Mine That Bird.
But where do those fans go now that MTB and others hit the shelf for a few months.
In Boston the Red Sox have always had a large fan-base but over the last decade they have done an incredible job building the casual fan base as well. Women wear pink hats and every kid has a blue Red Sox hat.
Horseracing has unsuccessfully built a casual fan base as we all know.
To build a fan-base in horseracing you need star power. You need the MTB's and Rachels to be running.
My proposal: Place 5 weeks in between the Triple Crown. This will ensure that most of your Derby horses not only come back to Baltimore, but to the Belmont as well. Its a perfect lead into the Travers and keeps the equine stars on the track. If you can get the casual fan to the Travers it'll be in TV's interest to get them to the Breeder's Cup.
Look at the Belmont yesterday, the top 4, ex MTB, was comprised of horses that didn't run in the Preakness and had a total of 12 starts between them. I hope you made money on them but honestly there were few casual fans there yesterday to see Summer Bird.
The theory has worked in other sports, Tiger, Williams sisters, Federer, Manning... I mean do they play all their majors within a few short weeks?
Time to change the Triple Crown schedule and keep the stars on the track and get those office arguments going again on why horse A is better than horse B!!!
I was there yesterday at Belmont, it certainly felt crowded and there were plenty of casual fans there to see the stars, especially Mine That Bird.
But where do those fans go now that MTB and others hit the shelf for a few months.
In Boston the Red Sox have always had a large fan-base but over the last decade they have done an incredible job building the casual fan base as well. Women wear pink hats and every kid has a blue Red Sox hat.
Horseracing has unsuccessfully built a casual fan base as we all know.
To build a fan-base in horseracing you need star power. You need the MTB's and Rachels to be running.
My proposal: Place 5 weeks in between the Triple Crown. This will ensure that most of your Derby horses not only come back to Baltimore, but to the Belmont as well. Its a perfect lead into the Travers and keeps the equine stars on the track. If you can get the casual fan to the Travers it'll be in TV's interest to get them to the Breeder's Cup.
Look at the Belmont yesterday, the top 4, ex MTB, was comprised of horses that didn't run in the Preakness and had a total of 12 starts between them. I hope you made money on them but honestly there were few casual fans there yesterday to see Summer Bird.
The theory has worked in other sports, Tiger, Williams sisters, Federer, Manning... I mean do they play all their majors within a few short weeks?
Time to change the Triple Crown schedule and keep the stars on the track and get those office arguments going again on why horse A is better than horse B!!!