Last week, a little-known horse named Gretl raced at Oaklawn on Friday. Personally, I was thrilled to watch her race.
Gretl’s race wasn’t spectacular for the reasons you may expect. She didn’t win. And, even if she had won, she isn’t pointing toward the Kentucky Oaks or any other graded stakes race at the moment. She doesn’t have an undefeated record. Further, she can’t dance and no one is requesting her photo for a fashion magazine.
You may be wondering why I found Gretl’s race so special at this point. The reason? It was the first time that a horse that I had invested in as an owner made a start in a race.
I don’t expect the whole world to follow Gretl’s endeavors in life. But prior to the race, a few people in my world wanted to watch Gretl’s race to share the experience. They weren’t racing fans at all – they were simply family and friends who were curious about Gretl.
On the morning of Gretl’s race, several family members and friends wanted to see her race. I asked if they had TVG or HRTV. They did not subscribe to either channel. I then explained that they could open an internet account. Yet, they didn’t want to start a wagering account to view a single horse. Then, I looked on the internet to find out if there was a link that I could send them to show them the races at Oaklawn. There was no live video feed for the track. Finally, as a last resort, I told my mom and friends that they could see it at an OTB. Yet, they couldn’t leave their job at 1:30 p.m. on a Friday to go to a betting parlor.
In the end, my entire family and friendship group in Chicago missed Gretl’s race that day. Yet, here’s the issue: They didn’t miss the race because they didn’t want to see it. They missed the race because they couldn’t find a place to watch it.
Three days later, I read an article in the Chicago Sun-Times entitled, “Horse Racing in Illinois is ‘on verge of extinction.’” It went on about many of the common issues that enter the “revival of racing” discussion – racinos, purse values, track attendance and the aging population of the sport. Yet, buried in the article, there was one particular point made by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar that particularly hit home for Gretl and myself: Coverage of the Sport.
The former Govenor explained, “The industry made major mistakes in the ‘50s. When television came along, racing was on all the time. Then the tracks decided that they didn’t want to give it away for free.”
It made me wonder what racing would be like today if we “gave it away for free.” What if the tracks simulcast their races on their websites? Racing might romance a few new fans through showing them why this sport is beautiful, rather than telling them to set up an account to view a sport they don’t follow.
And, in the end, people may actually follow the sport in larger numbers if they are exposed to it on more regular basis. What if more newspapers actually profiled the winners of Kentucky Derby prep-races right now? Non-enthusiasts may begin to follow a few horses, and racing itself, beyond the Triple Crown season and Breeder’s Cup.
Yet, most non-industry media outlets aren’t providing regular updates on racing at the moment. And, as a whole, racing fans aren’t demanding coverage when it is due. I didn’t see one article in my local newspaper about Dialed In winning the Holy Bull. And, as far as Soldat’s performance in the Fountain of Youth, there wasn’t a word about his near wire-to-wire victory.
There should have been articles about those races. And, there should be a way for a newcomer to watch the races without setting up an internet account or subscribing to a cable network.
In my view, every track in this nation should provide free video of their races on their website. Not a few tracks – every track. Because, every track is losing potential fans if newcomers can’t view this sport.
And, fans should demand coverage of this sport from their local media outlets. Not a few stories during Triple Crown season – regular coverage. Because, in the end, writing the media outlets in your area not only shows there is a demand for racing coverage, but also, it educates the non-racing media about the sport itself.
This Triple Crown season, I will be writing my local newspapers about every horse that wins a Kentucky Derby prep-race. I wonder could be accomplished if other racing fans wrote their local papers and demanded coverage.
And, I will be writing the non-participating tracks to ask them why they don’t post race replays of all races on their websites. I wonder what the industry could accomplish by allowing fans to share the races with their friends as a means to introduce them to the sport.
Because, without coverage, this is an invisible sport to non-enthusiasts.
And, if the sport remains invisible, it truly is in danger of disappearing.
Very good post. Good luck w your horse, too.
Thank you, Sid. I appreciate it.
Great story. I’m a horseman and have often been frustated by not being able to watch a particular race due to the lack of available resources to the public. Good luck with your girl!
Thanks, Zeb. I hope that we can get a few newspapers to post racing stories. (I’ll keep writing them over and over. Lol.)
Thank you, Jennifer!
I’ve been nagging at my local paper and one of my local tv stations about more coverage.
When the BC comes around, my local paper prints about a paragraph and a half as an afterthought - it infuriates me!
One of my local tv stations had a few complaints recently about having too much coverage on NASCAR and Virginia Tech sports.
I posted a comment saying that the sports coverage in this district is SO 2-dimensional and I challenged them to look into horseracing; that there are more horse people around here than they think. I gave them questions like: Without looking it up, do you know who the biggest candidates are for this yr’s Derby? Who are some of the biggest trainers in the business, etc.
I’m going to keep after them til it starts to catch on. We have an OTB in our area, and the days I’ve been in there, it’s been quite busy, but the nearest track is 5 hrs away. Still, it would be interesting to see some “human interest” stories on VA trainers/horses/jockeys.
And it would certainly round out the coverage!
Thank You, Jane! You’ve been writing newspapers long before I ever wrote about the idea.
We are going to try to start a Facebook Page so that people can post their letters to newspapers requesting coverage, along with the responses from the paper. Maybe we’ll get a few more articles in the news!
J
I agree with your remarks. I follow Gretl on my virtual stable. One of the things that made Zenyatta so popular (aside from being spectacular) was that her fan base had some behind-the-scenes access to her daily life. They were able to ‘personify’ her. Gretl is supposed to be very personable. It would be cool if we could read more about her: about how she’s coming along; how she comes out of her races, etc.
I’m happy to hear that you’re following Gretl in your virtual stable. (I’d be happy to post more pictures about her - She is a fun horse.)
Right on about everything! (as usual) Doesn’t Gretl have a Fb page?
Best of luck with Gretl. Racing is still an intellectual challenge. Full of equine and human personalities . Rags to riches. Riches to rags. Kings , queens ,paupers,players,young,old and from all avenues of life. Not a lottery,slot machine or roll of the dice. You can deciede who to back,root for and follow their equine ,riding or training career. It is a clean sport .I have gone to the races for more than forty five years ,money is won and lost . Alchol and non-alchol is served . I have experienced nearly o% of fights , arguements , foul language or disturbances . That doesn’t happen at a NFL GAME ,NBA GAME or for that matter a little league baseball game . Horse Racing should promote this as it is truly a worthwhile , family entertainment endeavor ,as a spectator or participant . Enjoy !
Yet another wonderful article, Jennifer! I will have to ask Warren to add Gretl to his virtual stable, too, and I truly hope she wins next time out!
Years ago, the newspapers were much better at covering racing (thoroughbreds and standardbreds). When I was but 8 years old the articles, entries, and results in our newspaper (The Daily News, NYC) are what sparked my own initial interest in racing. My parents simply couldn’t understand my fascination, but every day I would write down my “picks” and then record my wins and losses the next day. Something like that is what makes a lifelong fan, and could later bring that fan to consider actually entering the industry as an owner and/or breeder. Warren gets so upset that most of the tracks won’t provide live feeds on their websites. We live in GA now, a non-racing state, and there is no Internet wagering allowed. We must pay a quarterly fee to one of the betting sites (since we don’t place wagers) just to watch racing via computer. It’s a shame, and a detriment to the sport!
Hi Jennifer -
Very good points in this article - I found myself in the same boat when Zenyatta was getting her awards. I can’t afford to subscribe to either of those channels right now - so I have to wait until someone puts it on You Tube. Being in Baltimore, we have marginally more news about the horse industry, but only because we host the Preakness. I have learned so much since becoming a Z-fan, but there is still so much to learn - it can be a daunting task.
However, devoted individuals (like yourself and Ann Maree Matthews) are revitalizing some portion of the potential fans by providing a regular information feed of horses, races, events etc. Maybe if this groundswell keeps growing - the media will start paying attention!!
Keep up the good work -
Donna
While slots will help in the short-term, long term, what really has to happen is the sport needs to band together and stop worrying about their little fiefdoms, like we saw for a while the last week or so with the whole mess between Gulfstream and Calder.
Getting back to the first article, there are some things tracks need to do, and the first of those is to basically offers streams of their signals for free. Some tracks, most notably The Meadowlands have done this in some cases for over a decade (and on the thoroughbred side, most notably Parx Racing). While right now, bandwith seems to be an issue (anyone who has used Twin Spires, especially since New York City OTB closed in December has likely had problems with the video feed sometimes stopping completely and/or skipping ahead after stopping), if that can be fixed, perhaps then tracks can really go all out and be able to offer their signals for free (and actually, ESPN does have video for some tracks on their site for free as it is).
That said, what REALLY needs to be done is to find ways to get the sport back on television (outside of the Triple Crown events and Breeders’ Cup) where people can see it more easily. The best way for that to happen right now is to for tracks to work together to create what essentially would be a monthly series of “made-for-TV” racing programs that can consist of 9-10 races in a fast-paced, three-hour format that could air in prime time on Saturday night (usually from 8:00-11:00 PM ET), a night that is severely ratings-challenged for the networks as a rule anyway, and even more so in the summer. In particular, I could see NBC going for something like this as an opportunity to bring in viewers who might otherwise might not watch NBC at all, especially on a Saturday night.
A perfect example of how this could be done would be this example that would air on Saturday, June 18, the Saturday after the Belmont Stakes as potentially a perfect follow-up to the Triple Crown races (all times for the races in this example are eastern time):
8:09 — The Grade 2, $250,000 New York Stakes (F-M Turf) from Belmont Park
8:25 — The Grade 3, $100,000 Jefferson Cup (3YO Turf) from Churchill Downs
8:41 — The Grade 2, $150,000 Hollywood Oaks (3YOF) from Hollywood Park
8:57 — The Grade 3, $125,000 Regret Stakes (3YOF Turf) from Churchill Downs
9:13 — The Grade 2, $150,000 A Gleam (F-M Sprinters) from Hollywood Park
9:29 — The Grade 3, $125,000 Norther Dancer (3YO) from Churchill Downs
9:45 — The Grade 1, $300,000 Triple Bend (3+ Sprinters) from Hollywood Park
10:04 — The Grade 2, $200,000 Fleur de Lis (F-M) from Churchill Downs
10:22 — The Grade 1, $350,000 Charles Wittingham (3+ Turf) from Hollywood Park
10:40 — The Grade 1, $600,000 Stephen Foster (3+) from Churchill Downs
This is how horse racing can be presented outside the Triple Crown on the networks in a fast-paced format with 10 races contested in a little over two and a half hours of a three-hour broadcast. Such a night can also include special wagers that include:
Pick 4s on the first and last four races of the telecast (each with a guaranteed minimum pool that can be determined).
Pick 3s on every possible set of consecutive races.
Doubles on every possible pair of consecutive races.
A 10-cent pick-nine on the Churchill and Hollywood races with a $1 Million guaranteed pool. Such a wager can serve as a test for the Breeders’ Cup, where I think a 10-cent pick nine (with nine races on Saturday instead of eight) would be VERY appealing to lottery players who might not normally play the horses, but would enticed at the opportunity to win millions on a 10-cent wager (as for the Breeders’ Cup, I would have such a wager carry a $5 million guarantee).
There would be additional opportunities to do such throughout the year in varying formats, but this particular opportunity on Fathers Day weekend looks like one that would work very well coming off the Triple Crown as it could serve for casual fans as the first big day of racing in the second half of the season.
Should note I copied that from a post I made on the Too Smart To Fail Message Board at: http://www.toosmarttofail.com/forums/showthread.php?195-The-Invisible-Sport-Coverage-is-Critical-to-the-Future-of-Racing
That post has links both back to this board and the article noting what former Governor Edgar said.
Hi Tori ~ I haven’t made a FB page for Gretl (yet). I’m still thinking about it. (I’d love to do it, but it’s just a matter of time.) I love Gretl!
Robin ~ I think it is great that you two are following Gretl. I loved your story about following racing in the newspaper as an eight-year-old. I’m hoping we can “revive” that for kids in the future.
Donna ~ Thank you for your wonderful comment. I feel the same way. I’m always searching all around the internet to share links since I can’t share races from my TVG account. I’m hoping we can get some coverage for the sport so that people don’t need to subscribe to anything to learn about this great sport.
Walt ~ Thank you for your thorough response and wonderful ideas. I agree completely - this sport needs live streams and, ultimately, it needs to get back onto television. I hope that fans can start banding together to demand attention in the non-industry media.
i wrote to every tv station and news papers and political leaders in mo. because we have nothing on racing in mo. it started with me when they showed nothing on zenyatta one of the great horses
Horse racing needs publicity in a very big way but lets not be shortsighted. People need to read and hear about the excitement of the sport. If we publicize the same old things we will get the same old response. The papers have the entries and results maybe speak about a graded stakes winner. This is meaningless for people who do not follow the sport. We need to pick local horseman,local horses,people who are trying to change the sport in a positive way and write about them. Make the sport real. We need to attract sports enthusiasts it should not matter if the athlete has two legs or four they are athletes. Also lets not forget about the gambling aspect of the sport. Its one of the only legalized sporting event that you can bet. Not only bet but where can you bet 1 dollar and make 3.5 million dollars. how a triple paid $4,000 etc. It is so important for change right now.
You’re right, Oscar! I think that was such a great thing you did. I’m going to do it with you this year.
Great article. I agree over and over again. But sad to say I have heard it a million times and it has been said a million times! But I just don’t think anyone is listening. I am fairly young and in the industry (in which my mother and father brought me up in) and I am watching die a slow death. I also now have 17 years employed in it… So it brings me to the point where I must think about “MY” future… Will it be around? Will my job still exist? So much thinking almost has me at the point where racing is about to lose a fan that born into the sport!!!! So as I go out and pursue a new career in,,,,,, checking groceries, something to do with websites, or anything that will have me employed without having to look for work at 50… I wish all of you the best and wish racing a “good luck”.
I hope the best for you and your horse and I truly hope this industry see’s your point and all the others…Or else the next time I communicate with you will be something like “Welcome to Applebee’s, how many in your party?”
The mood and talk of the sport is on a negative roll, management, owners blame who? The horsemen? The horsemen s group. I’m watching it be killed. But then again , how many people want to get up 7 days a week and work with race horses.
ps…BACK…BACK…BACK…”THE GAME” IS OWN IT$ WAY BACK!!!…BELIEVE IT…& GREAT LUCK WITH MS. GRETL…ty…
Well said as always Jennifer and I agree completely. I run into the same problem all the time, racing isn’t accessible to people anymore unless you are an avid racing fan and already know the ins and outs. I think it’s crucial for the fans to start taking some initiative and begin helping to promote horse racing through their local communities.
Great article!
[...] my last article, I pledged to write non-industry newspapers to request regular coverage of horse [...]
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