THE SATURDAY POST

With NASCAR ranking as the number one spectator sport in North America, there is undoubtedly widespread interest in racing.

A race, in and of itself, is exciting.

There is something awe-inspiring about watching a single soul triumph over any comers to the challenge, whether in a track meet, stock car showdown or witnessing a Thoroughbred racehorse blaze past their opponents in a simple refusal to lose a race.

Racing, in any form, highlights the excitement of individual achievement above and beyond many other sports.

The very nature of racing is that a single victor bested a field of several contenders that arrived with all of their eyes on the same prize. And, in the end, it is the lone champion that captivates an audience long after a race is run.

NASCAR’s marketing gurus figured out the value of the individual athlete many decades ago. And, they showcased their athletes in response. Within fifteen minutes of wandering onto the NASCAR site, I left with the ability to name a few leading drivers, point to a couple legends in the history of the sport and access plenty of videos if I chose to learn more about the sport.

And, unlike many major horse racing sites, it was free to learn how to actively participate as a potential fan of NASCAR. I didn’t have to open an account or pay to watch races. Their champions, past and present, were easy to spot. I just clicked, “Drivers,” and there were plenty of drivers to read about and learn why they are exciting figures in the sport.

In contrast, horse racing doesn’t have a free industry-supported site that gives away non-stakes race videos or past performance records of the athletes that are currently racing. We also don’t showcase our champions throughout the history of the sport to potential fans at their first access point to the sport.

It made me wonder about techniques for marketing horse racing so that newcomers may find an interest in our sport, and ultimately, visit the track for a race.

Wouldn’t it be great if the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) had an introductory video compilation of some of the greatest moments in racing when a visitor arrived at their home page? A newcomer could see the glory of Secretariat racing in the Belmont, Zenyatta winning the Breeder’s Cup Classic, Seattle Slew being crowned the only undefeated Triple Crown Winner, along with plenty of other magnificent racing moments during their first glance at our sport.

What if the NTRA posted all of the live track feeds and race replays in one location for free on their site? A newcomer wouldn’t have to dog hunt from track-to-track to find a race or set up a wagering account to learn more about horse racing.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a timeline of the historical moments in racing, with free video footage, for newcomers to browse when they visited the NTRA site for the first time?

What if the NTRA published a list on their home page of every Eclipse-award winning horse and provided a biography of each Champion for a newcomer to learn about the Kings and Queens of our sport?

Finally, wouldn’t it be nice to see horse racing being promoted via television advertisements and on billboards near major tracks? NASCAR doesn’t wait for mainstream media to get interested in their sport. Instead, NASCAR jumps right in to mainstream culture with ad campaigns geared toward building and keeping a fan base.

NASCAR has advertising campaigns to target their core base, reminiscing about the most captivating moments in the sport, as well as showcasing their popular drivers in the sport at the present. The commercials are emotional, fast-paced and highlight the excitement of attending the races. As a non-enthusiast of NASCAR, I actually wondered while watching a few NASCAR ads, “Why haven’t I ever been to one of these races?” It would be nice to instill that wonder in potential enthusiasts of horse racing with similarly inspiring commercials and advertising campaigns.

So, you may be wondering, why is NASCAR giving away so much information for free that fans pay for in horse racing? And, as the most popular spectator sport in North America, why is NASCAR advertising at all?

Simple. NASCAR recognizes that the athletes and the fans are what drive their sport. They showcase what draws fans to the races and continue to market to strengthen their fan base.

And ultimately, the focus of NASCAR’s website wasn’t to make money from information that was critical to learn about the sport and get involved as a fan. The NASCAR site seemed to provide fans with as much free information as possible about the sport as part of a larger goal – to drive fans to purchase a ticket to a race.

After looking at the NASCAR marketing strategies, it made me wonder what an industry-based horse racing site would look like to a curious NASCAR fan that didn’t follow our sport.

Would the NASCAR fan leave with any knowledge of some of the greatest moments in horse racing?

Could the NASCAR fan name a few of our champion racehorses throughout history?

Would the NASCAR fan feel like there was a community to welcome them into the sport if they wanted to attend a race and didn’t know another horse racing enthusiast?

Sadly, I believe the answer is “No” to those questions.

Yet, one vital question remains: “How can we get our core fans, along with newcomers, to come to the racetracks on a regular basis?” NASCAR’s marketing model provides some valuable ideas.

The horse racing industry should provide free access to educational tools about the sport, including past performances and race replays, to educate newcomers and showcase our athletes.

Horse racing also needs to highlight the greatest moments in the history of the sport, provide free video footage of important races throughout the ages and advertise the current excitement surrounding the sport on mainstream television.

At the heart, NASCAR’s success demonstrates that the athletes and the fans drive a spectator sport.

Put them in the spotlight first.

In the end, let the stands fill with the wonder of what may lie ahead.

There was no coronation of a king at the Belmont this season, but a ruler emerged for fans to follow - Ruler on Ice.

In my view, the gelding is good for the sport.

Yet, Ruler on Ice didn’t always look good from my vantage point.

When he emerged from the tunnel for the post-parade in the Belmont, the gelding appeared rattled from the crowd as he made his way onto the track for the last jewel of the Triple Crown. I thought he was going to fall down in front of a national television audience. He certainly didn’t look like he had a shot in the Belmont.

At odds of 24-1, I felt downright bad for the guy as he set foot on the track. It appeared few had placed a vote of confidence in his ability to win at the wagering windows. The sad sight of him made me place a bet in his favor just to show support. As I viewed it, I didn’t want to see the poor guy go out there all alone.

If I had researched a thing about Ruler on Ice before making my bet, I would have known there was nothing particularly sad about his entrance into the Belmont.

At his stable, Ruler on Ice had always been the underdog, and, the gelding seemed perfectly fine with it. The top selection for the Triple Crown trail at the start of the year was Sweet Ducky. After Sweet Ducky was sold, Pants on Fire emerged as the hopeful in the barn for the Triple Crown outings. And, as the first two legs of the series came and went, Ruler on Ice didn’t seem to be targeting a single jewel.

It appears Ruler on Ice was busy sorting out his “likes” and “dislikes” as a racehorse.

As I read through the post-race transcripts for the Belmont, Ruler on Ice emerged as quite a salty character. He was gelded in an effort to calm his disposition. Yet, gelding him didn’t seem to change the bulk of his quirky behavior. Ruler on Ice decided that he didn’t like his trainer’s main barn. Instead, the gelding preferred his plain stall in the trainer’s “B” Barn at Monmouth Park. Further, Ruler on Ice didn’t like being shipped. In an effort to simply make it the Belmont, the gelding was given his own van and an attendant to pet him during the sixty mile trip to Belmont Park.

Yet, in the end, Ruler on Ice went to the wire all alone, awarding his connections with their first victory in a Triple Crown race. The “poor guy” that prompted my “sympathy bet” had just captured a commanding victory in the Belmont.

And, in his fickle-fashion, the gelding didn’t want to wear a blanket of carnations or pose for days of photos with the media. Instead, the Belmont-winner simply wanted to head back to his plain stall in his “B” barn with a single gem – a Triple Crown victory.

At the end of the day, the gelding did just that.

Yet, in my view, the victory of Ruler on Ice provided a perfect close to the Triple Crown season. As the television cameras and non-industry publications showcased the sport, the athlete and his connections rose to the occasion.

It was good for horse racing.

His owners, George and Lori Hall, seemed genuinely humbled and awestruck by their Belmont-winning racehorse. It was their first Triple Crown victory.

The trainer, Kelly Breen, appeared in an elegant hat and told the tale of how he wasn’t born into a racing family. Breen graciously thanked the winning owners for the opportunity to train their horses during the moment of glory. It was his first Triple Crown victory.

And finally, Jose Valdivia, the winning rider, stood in a beautiful juxtaposition to Breen, describing what it feels like to win the Belmont having come from a racing family. He relayed that his first congratulatory call came from his Uncle, a trainer in Peru. The rider beamed, saying he felt like he was “on cloud nine right now.” It was his first Triple Crown victory.

And, Ruler on Ice took his first step toward providing the longevity that many racing fans crave from the equine athletes in the sport. At the end of the Belmont, the salty gelding took the trip back to his plain stall at Monmouth Park and gave fans something to bet on future race cards – a Belmont-winner. It was a victory for the sport.

Yes, there was no coronation of a king at the Belmont this season, but there certainly remains a ruler.

Ruler on Ice.

I think the gelding, and his gracious connections, are good for the sport.

Thank you to horsephotos.com for the photo of Ruler on Ice in the Belmont. To visit the horsephotos.com website, please click here.