The Problem With Horse Racing

[bob60566]

Long and intresting read some may remember the locations but what track is next on the list.?

http://www.wherethepindrops.com/?p=8...qLydvRSGMmbbbw

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by bob60566

Long and intresting read some may remember the locations but what track is next on the list.?

http://www.wherethepindrops.com/?p=8...qLydvRSGMmbbbw

Really good article...but where would the horses come from to keep all those tracks open? Foal count more than 50% down since 1990, with even scarier numbers from 2009-present.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

Sooo...it did have an effect?

I said it did originally.

[Someday Silent]

So... when we say tracks need a "younger" audience, what do we really mean? I'm in my early 30s. But according to some sources I'm already "too old" to be a target demographic. I know I'm an outlier. I've loved horse racing since age 5 or 6. It's never occurred to me to NOT love horse racing. I think football and basketball is ok, I'll even watch soccer and tennis and Olympic sports. But again, I'm a weirdo and I don't know how to convince other people to be weird like me.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Someday Silent

So... when we say tracks need a "younger" audience, what do we really mean? I'm in my early 30s. But according to some sources I'm already "too old" to be a target demographic. I know I'm an outlier. I've loved horse racing since age 5 or 6. It's never occurred to me to NOT love horse racing. I think football and basketball is ok, I'll even watch soccer and tennis and Olympic sports. But again, I'm a weirdo and I don't know how to convince other people to be weird like me.

Not only are you not "too old"...you represent exactly the target demographic that our game is aiming for; guys with youth, and a stable job which supplies them with some disposable income. Any younger, and you would still be trying to situate yourself professionally...thus leaving you with little time (and money) for costly and time-consuming hobbies such as this.

[PuckLuck]

Originally Posted by Someday Silent

So... when we say tracks need a "younger" audience, what do we really mean? I'm in my early 30s. But according to some sources I'm already "too old" to be a target demographic. I know I'm an outlier. I've loved horse racing since age 5 or 6. It's never occurred to me to NOT love horse racing. I think football and basketball is ok, I'll even watch soccer and tennis and Olympic sports. But again, I'm a weirdo and I don't know how to convince other people to be weird like me.

You're awesome. But you outline my argument perfectly. Tracks need to come up with a way to get your friends interested.

Tonight is Churchill under the lights with a concert. Why isn't every Saturday this way? Also make it a concert for young people. Make it as derby like as possible. Look at the card its amazing.

[AMPHAR]

Any sport looking to expand fans needs to get out of head to head with football college and pro.

IMO, horse racing has enough mojo to capture interest from other leagues.

My ideas would be to build upon the Triple Crown product and unify it to an entire 3 year old season Feb-August. Obviously with triple crown events being major players. A season that would promote horse participation and a team concept.

Gambling wise: You have to compete with Slot machines and black jack.

If you can expand sports fan interest they should be able to find synergy with sports betting.

But unifying all the players to create a “3 year old season” as team concept would be about impossible because you’d have to interject revenue sharing. Fair Talent acquisition etc.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by AMPHAR

Any sport looking to expand fans needs to get out of head to head with football college and pro.

IMO, horse racing has enough mojo to capture interest from other leagues.

My ideas would be to build upon the Triple Crown product and unify it to an entire 3 year old season Feb-August. Obviously with triple crown events being major players. A season that would promote horse participation and a team concept.

Gambling wise: You have to compete with Slot machines and black jack.

If you can expand sports fan interest they should be able to find synergy with sports betting.

But unifying all the players to create a “3 year old season” as team concept would be about impossible because you’d have to interject revenue sharing. Fair Talent acquisition etc.

To address a couple previous posts, I don't think it's an age thing---anyone with disposable income is the target audience.

I could see some fantasy sports league with horse racing where you have to select horses at different levels of racing for your "team" (a stakes horse, a turf horse, an allowance horse, a claimer). Perhaps if someone in racing promoted a fantasy sports racing competition that starts on Derby Day and continues to the Breeders Cup, you then have that casual fan paying attention to racing for another dozen weekends he normally wouldn't. But the organizer would have to get it cleared legally (unless they could do it through a current fantasy sports organization, which might be best because millions of people play football and baseball through them) and accept that they'd probably lose money the first year while trying to grow it.

Edited to add: Lose money because you'd need a few million in prizes to make a dent in the consciousness of the average gambler/fantasy sports player and make them care enough to put the time in to learn racing.

[rexjred]

Originally Posted by AltonKelsey

They must be very exciting , high energy people, like the Kardashians.



15 minutes to attend the paddock, handicap, take a leak.


No wonder they were bored!!!

Why are you attacking them because they do not like horse racing as much as you are I? It's actually depressing for me to see these tracks trying to lure in the younger or modern crowd. Belmont Stakes, there was a DJ pumping EDM music before the races. I'm sure this spooked the horses and ticked off every handicapper.

[Half Smoke]

you guys are pretty much all saying that racing is in decline

are you sure about that?

I've linked the Jockey Club stats and it shows that in 2018 the parimutuel handle touched 12 billion - it hadn't been that great since 2010

there is a steep decline from 1997 to 2010 and from that time forward it has leveled off




also, everybody knows there are some whales moving the odds

I really doubt that those whales are from the geriatric community

I would guess the whales are fiftyish -


http://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=FB&area=8

[bob60566]

2018 the parimutuel handle touched 12 billion Now how much of that came from worldwide ADW.

In reality they could run all races without attendance and still come close to those numbers.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by castaway01

I could see some fantasy sports league with horse racing where you have to select horses at different levels of racing for your "team" (a stakes horse, a turf horse, an allowance horse, a claimer). Perhaps if someone in racing promoted a fantasy sports racing competition that starts on Derby Day and continues to the Breeders Cup, you then have that casual fan paying attention to racing for another dozen weekends he normally wouldn't. But the organizer would have to get it cleared legally (unless they could do it through a current fantasy sports organization, which might be best because millions of people play football and baseball through them) and accept that they'd probably lose money the first year while trying to grow it.

Edited to add: Lose money because you'd need a few million in prizes to make a dent in the consciousness of the average gambler/fantasy sports player and make them care enough to put the time in to learn racing.

I don't see this as even 1% practical.
Fantasy sports relies on predictable schedules, uniform rules, distinct player positions, etc.
Horse racing has none of this.

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by Tom

Short prices, short files, scratchers, terrible rides late odds changes, mistimed races the norm......it really sucks.

Then there is the royal ascot meeting. top quality racing, huge fields, different track configurations for each race.


I know that you really dont like racing overseas but you cant go wrong betting royal ascot.


fixed odds betting too.


all to like with racing.


Allan

[Tom]

What about the other 360 days a year?

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by Tom

What about the other 360 days a year?

Well I do admit the racing has problems. short fields. late odds drops. drugs.


they ran a 13 race card at monmouth on Sunday (fathers day. always a huge crowd 24K)


They ran a 4 horse race, two 5s and 3 6s. Thats just pitiful.


Allan