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[Teach]

I pose this question: "Is harness racing in trouble?"
When I go to the track (I live closest to Plainridge in Plainfield, MA), I see fewer and fewer patrons. The ones I do see are the "regulars." The same faces; the same places. I realize that in this day and age alot of harness racing fans stay at home and bet the races through an off-track service.
Yet, having said that, there just doesn't seem to be any infusion of new blood.

Further, the purses at the so-called second-tier tracks seem to be locked in a time warp. It was if "The Time Machine" had suddenly broken down and stopped two decades ago.

Is the solution: "Racino or Die?" I hope not. But that's what seems to be the only way to infuse much needed capital into purse accounts. Just take a look at tracks like Monticello, Chester and Yonkers (there are others). Their purses, particulary at Chester and Yonkers, are appreciably higher than comparable tracks like Freehold.

In addition, there just seems to be so much more competition for the betting dollar: casinos, lotteries, and a veritable potpourri of other forms of gambling.
Here in Massachusetts there will likely be, before too long, two or three casinos. One appears destined for Middleboro, MA, not far from Cape Cod.

Can anything be done to infuse life into harness racing, besides the racino approach? Or, is that the answer? Another question: "Will the racinos drive out the non-racino tracks?

Over the years, many different strategies have been tried. Yet, with the exception of bringing slots and gaming to the harness track, nothing else has seemed to have made much of an impact. I ask you: "Is Harness Racing In Trouble?" If so, is there an answer?