How horse racing can appeal to a younger crowd

July 5, 2020 by Leave a Comment

The Sport can overcome its ugly past

Let’s be clear. I wasn’t planning on liking horse racing.

I spent the first four weeks of the shutdown in a hazy search for sports, looking for signs of it everywhere — in old NBA classics, Madden simulations, the car chases on TV from which I couldn’t un-glue myself.

Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, I made the three-hour trek to Calgary Stampede parties multiple summers in a row without ever giving a single thought to buying tickets to the rodeo. Horse racing was even less than an afterthought.

Even though I thought it would be tedious, maybe a little charming but ultimately not for me, I was ready to play the ponies. It’s the kind of thing you do early in a relationship, when you’re still pretending to be open to new experiences.

And then a dozen beautiful horses leaped from the gates, and I was entranced…

Read how she got hooked on horse racing

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival, Internet Gambling, Is Horse Racing Dead Tagged With: , ,

Group Seeks To Infuse Youth Into Aging Horse Racing Industry

June 10, 2019 by Leave a Comment

young attractive British racegoer“Young people can bring new creative ideas to the sport,” said Jaime Roth, who runs her family’s LNJ Foxwoods stable. “Are there bad things? Yeah. But for the most part, it’s a great sport. We’re dependent on the future and young women are a big part of the future.”

Bussanich firmly believes “if we don’t get these young people into the sport, we’re not going to have horse racing.” A 2016 study noted the average horse racing fan is 63 , — younger only than golf — and decision makers, owners and trainers are still prominently older white men.

“We constantly sit around board room tables and say, ‘How are we going to get more young people involved in horse racing?’” owner and Thoroughbred Ideas Foundation president and CEO said Craig Bernick said. “I’m the youngest person around the table a lot of times and I’m 41.”

Nexus is full of people horse racing executives yearn to attract: Bussanich grew up in New Jersey and developed her affection for the sport from going to a track in Florida at age 6; Sutton fell in love when filly Rags to Riches won the 2007 Belmont and Nexus member relations director Mary Cage was hooked by Smarty Jones’ underdog story during the 2004 Triple Crown.

Horse racing is so often a passion passed down generationally. The Nexus co-founders are trying to break down what they see as a high …

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Getting to Know the BCBC Boys – Tournament Players

January 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Nice profile / handicapping piece from a few years ago by Ren Hakim Carothers

We’ve long marketed our sport as that of kings. While this packaging does reflect the money that goes into breeding, training, and running these majestic athletes, heightening the stakes and romanticizing the idea of triumph, it can also convey exclusivity. It’s no wonder why horses with blue collar backstories competing at elite levels have captured the imagination of those outside our industry on more than one occasion. David, meet Goliath.

It’s time that mainstream audiences realized you need not be an owner of a horse, a trainer, or jockey to delight in the spoils of victory. Racing is not merely a spectator sport. It’s interactive. You simply need a ticket -a bet slip- to go along for the ride, and the fact that it’s not just the horses competing for seven figures this weekend puts an exclamation mark on that point.

BCBC Tournament Players

Again, the BCBC Bonus Boys are fascinating. Take Stephen Thompson, who is known as the “Undertaker” on the betting circuit, as an example. He is from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he’s the owner and licensed director of Thompson Funeral Home, Inc, which was started by his great-grandfather in 1890. He fell in love with racing at the tender age of ten, going to the races with his family, and has won entry into the BCBC seven of the last eight years. Stephen says you get so pumped up in these tournaments, but he has to stay “flatlined” to stay focused, and that, should he win, the first check he’s writing is for $100,000 to benefit retired racehorses. “Without them, we have nothing!”

There are two entrants looking to pull off a BC/BCBC double. David Lanzman was hooked on racing after he and a couple of friends snuck under the fence at Hollywood Park as teenagers, having a security guard place what would be winning bets for them. He realized you could make life-changing scores playing the ponies when, with his $400 rent due and …

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Fashion Saturdays at Saratoga Race Course 2018

July 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment

2018 Saratoga Horse Racing Meets Has a Lot to Offer with Fashion Saturdays

The 2018 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will showcase the tradition of style in Thoroughbred racing during Fashion Saturdays at the Spa. The first edition of the series will be held on Saturday, July 21.

The weekly event, held each Saturday of the meet from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., will welcome guests to the Coca-Cola Saratoga Pavilion for a boutique-style shopping experience. Guests will enjoy an array of women’s and men’s fashion apparel, accessories and beauty items from local retailers, as well as a selection of home décor and jewelry.

“Style and fashion are inherently a part of the racing experience and we are excited to honor this custom with Fashion Saturdays at Saratoga Race Course,” said NYRA Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer Lynn LaRocca. “We encourage fans to join us each Saturday for an afternoon of shopping at the Spa where our guests can find the perfect item to complement their race day ensemble.”

Participating vendors for this year’s Fashion Saturdays series include:

Bumble Beads Boutique, offering affordable women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, bridal specialty items and giftware.
Carol Wells Collection, featuring a selection of equestrian and fashion jewelry made using freshwater cultured pearls, quartz, beach glass and sea shells.
Complexions Spa, offering wellness and beauty products such as lotions, make-up kits and massage therapy.
Lifestyles of Saratoga, featuring a collection of women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories for shoppers of all ages.
Miss Scarlett Boutique, offering a hand-picked selection of fashionable dresses, hats, fascinators, jewelry and handbags.
The National, a classic men’s clothing shop featuring quality brands.
TOGA Heritage, featuring fine goods for the home and office and celebratory gifts which incorporate the culture, tradition and memories of Saratoga.
Shoppers at Fashion Saturdays will also enjoy light music, including jazz and acoustic guitar.

“The National team could not be more excited to participate in Fashion Saturdays at Saratoga Race Course. We are also honored to have a presence in the Grandstand at The Stretch on Saturdays to support the efforts that NYRA has invested in this all-new area to provide yet another memorable guest experience for track goers,” said The National Vice-President of Retail Peter Tavares. “Our men’s sportswear and accessory options cover the spectrum from casual to business attire.”

Fashion Saturdays corresponds with the biggest race days of the season at Saratoga, including the following lineup of major stakes:

July 21: Grade 1, $500,000 Diana; Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford
July 28: Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap; Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy; Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green; Grade 3, $200,000 Amsterdam
August 4: Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney; Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test; Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya
August 11: Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap; Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack
August 18: Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama; Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid
August 25: Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers; Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer; Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign; Grade 1, $600,000 Forego; Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina; Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial; Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa
September 1: Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward; Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway;; Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac; Grade 3, $250,000 Glens Falls
Season ticket plans, weekly ticket plans, single-day reserved seats, premium reserved seats in The Stretch, reserved tables in the Miller Lite Picnic Paddock and the Fourstardave Sports Bar, dining and group hospitality are currently on sale and available for purchase at NYRA.com/Saratoga.

Saratoga paddock copyright Agameofskill.comSeason admission passes may be purchased online at NYRA.com/Saratoga and in-person at more than 150 Stewart’s Shops locations throughout the Capital Region. A season pass provides fans with admission to 40 days of world-class thoroughbred racing at Saratoga Race Course, including the Grade 1 Travers on Saturday, August 25 and the Grade 1 Whitney on Saturday, August 4. The cost of a 2018 Grandstand season pass is $40; a Clubhouse season pass is $65. Season passes do not include reserved seating and are valid for one admission.

Single-day Grandstand admission is $5 and Clubhouse admission is $8 for guests who purchase their tickets prior to the day of the event. Single-day Grandstand admission is $7 and Clubhouse admission is $10 when purchased at the gate.

The 2018 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which includes 69 stakes worth $18.8 million in purses, will run from Friday, July 20, through Labor Day, Monday, September 3. After opening weekend, racing will be conducted six days a week, Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com/Saratoga.

source: NYRA

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival Tagged With: , , , ,

New Celebrities Ready to Promote Horse Racing

July 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Jamie Lynn Sigler
at the Stride Gum Longest Day of the Year Party. Crown Bar, Los Angeles, CA. 06-20-08

Breeders’ Cup, Thoroughbred horse racing’s most prestigious international event, has announced four new Breeders’ Cup Ambassadors, a distinction awarded to celebrity racing fans and owners. The new Breeders’ Cup Ambassadors will promote and serve as spokespersons for the upcoming 2018 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 2 and 3.

The new Breeders’ Cup Ambassadors include Chris Harrison (television host), Erik R. Johnson (NHL defenseman), Jamie-Lynn Sigler (actress), and Michael Owen (sports pundit). First launched in 2012, the Breeders’ Cup Ambassador program includes an impressive roster of talent, which mostly recently inducted Kate Upton, Gary Player, James Carville, Avery Johnson, John Ortiz, and Steven Jackson in 2013.

The newest Breeders’ Cup Ambassadors share a deep love for horse racing and boast intimate ties to the sport. Chris Harrison, most well-known for his role on the hit reality television show The Bachelor, began his career as a sportscaster and was a host for TVG Network during its launch in 1999.

Erik R. Johnson, the ice hockey defenseman for the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, first became a horse owner in 2014 and has since owned and raced winning horses in the name of his racing stable, ERJ Racing.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, an award-winning actress well known for her work on The Sopranos, grew up with horse racing as a daughter of the principal owners of the prestigious Winning Move Stable in New York.

Lastly, in addition to owning a state-of-the-art training facility and award-winning horses, former English footballer Michael Owen, who played for prestigious teams including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Liverpool F.C., recently made his own debut as a jockey at a charity race at Ascot Racecourse in 2017.

“I am excited to join a fantastic list of individuals as a Breeders’ Cup Ambassador,” said Harrison. “I’ve attended the Breeders’ Cup, and I really enjoy watching the outstanding showcase of international Thoroughbred racing, as well as the fun and energy at the event. I look forward to supporting the Breeders’ Cup for many years to come.”

“We are excited to introduce a new group of Ambassadors to the Breeders’ Cup family,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel. “From actors to former football players, these new ambassadors diversify our program with their many talents and backgrounds, and their shared passion for Breeders’ Cup and horse racing enriches the fan experience. We look forward to sharing their enthusiasm with fans across the world.”

The 35th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the iconic Churchill Downs racetrack. To learn more about the 2018 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, please visit www.breederscup.com/2018. For more details on Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Ambassadors, please visit http://www.breederscup.com/experience/celebrity-ambassadors.

source: Breeders Cup

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World Horse Racing Created to Promote the Sport

June 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Promoting Horse Racing Worldwide

A ground-breaking new media company dedicated to telling the story of international Thoroughbred horse racing has launched.

World Horse Racing will give fans exclusive access to the thrills, glamour and culture of one of the world’s most enthralling sports.

This major new media brand is unique in being powered by four iconic racing festivals – Ascot and Goodwood Racecourses in the UK, Breeders’ Cup in the United States, and Australia’s Victoria Racing Club.

Launching across the major social networks, World Horse Racing’s fresh approach to the sport aims to earn the respect of hardcore fans and attract sports enthusiasts who have yet to explore horse racing.

World Horse Racing will focus on racing’s astonishing athletes and engaging personalities – human and equine – along with the festivals that stage the greatest of sporting spectacles.

young attractive British racegoerThe authority and access afforded by its global network of founding partners will allow World Horse Racing to bring fans closer to the sport’s stars, and offer new, striking treatments of international thoroughbred horse racing.

World Horse Racing will also connect the sport’s stars with its fans by providing a platform for the very best in user generated content.

Coverage will be free to access on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, along with an existing network of over a million who follow founding partner pages.

“We already know horse racing is one of the most popular sports in the world,” said Ascot’s chief commercial officer, Juliet Slot, “but we felt there was real potential to tell our brilliant stories to a much wider audience. World Horse Racing gives us the perfect platform to reach a new generation of fans and give a more compelling and engaging story arc compared to standard news coverage. All four of us have so many fascinating tales to tell and it’s these ‘Wow, I never knew that’ pieces of content that we’re looking to celebrate.”

Breeders’ Cup CMO Bryan Pettigrew said of the launch: “Breeders’ Cup continues to forge relationships and collaborate with international racing leaders to move the Thoroughbred industry forward. WHR is a prime example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. We anticipate a great partnership with Ascot, Flemington and Goodwood in promoting our sport on a global platform.”

“Horse Racing has always had the most incredible stories that sit behind the sport,” said Goodwood’s MD, Adam Waterworth, “and World Horse Racing will tell those stories to a new and wider audience. In recent years the sport has become increasingly global, and so it seems the perfect time for a collection of the world’s most important festivals to launch a new platform that will enrich the existing fans experience through some real behind the scenes and previously unseen content, as well as introduce racing to a new audience by focusing on the horses, the people, and the sport.”

Neil Wilson, CEO of The Victoria Racing Club, said: “We’re excited to join with Goodwood, Ascot and Breeders’ Cup to showcase the best of horseracing around the world. This is an opportunity to broaden our reach and engage with racing fans globally by highlighting our spectacular race days including the four days of the world-renowned Melbourne Cup Carnival, our events, our equine and human athletes and the people behind it all, to new and existing audiences. World Horse Racing is a must-follow destination for fans seeking original and exclusive stories on and off the track.”

World Horse Racing’s social media will be produced and managed by Engage Digital Partners, which has a team of 80 staff in UK and India with on-ground presence in the Middle East, USA, Argentina and Australia. Engage has an impressive sports pedigree, working with the likes of World Rugby, Major League Baseball, Godolphin, Arsenal FC and Vodafone.

To find out more about World Horse Racing – and to catch up on the latest stories – search for World Horse Racing on social media, or just go to worldhorseracing.com.

Source: Press Release

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British Horse Racing Marketing Targets True Fans Among Youth

December 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment

young attractive British racegoerHorse racing in England is on an “upward curve” but faces challenges in keeping both the traditionalists and the younger generation happy, a leading figure in the sport says. Paul Fisher, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, which is responsible …

Source: Sports: British horse racing targets true fans among young

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British Horse Racing Targets True Fans Among Younger Players

October 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Ascot racecourse in UKHorse racing in England is on an “upward curve” but faces challenges in keeping both the traditionalists and the younger generation happy, a leading figure in the sport says. Paul Fisher, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, which is responsible for blue riband events such as the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, said it is… [Read more…]

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‘Sport of Kings’ Must Embrace the Younger Players

September 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Melbourne_Australian racing“Engage them and they will come back, lots of people who go racing feel they don’t have a voice but if racing authorities connect with them there are a lot of potential soldiers out there to come marching in through the gates.

“There is nothing like a day at the races and horse racing is a truly great sport.”

Racing must engage the young through social media to ensure the ‘Sport of Kings’ attracts a fresh audience and source of revenue, says influential racing blogger Stephen Power. Power, who attracted over 12,000 followers on Twitter in just 18 months with his views on racing, is impressed by the amount of young people attending race meetings.… [Read more…]

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Bet Like No Other Marketing Campaign tied to 2016 Breeders’ Cup

August 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The Breeders' Cup at KeenelandLEXINGTON, Ky. (August 18, 2016) — The Breeders’ Cup announced a new marketing campaign available to all simulcast outlets designed to promote wagering on this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park, November 4-5. Titled “Bet Like No Other,” the campaign will focus on the tremendous wagering opportunities and excitement of betting on the two greatest days in the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

The “Bet Like No Other” campaign will feature a :30 second television commercial, print, poster, radio and digital banner advertising and “edutainment” GIFs (Graphics Interchange Formats) to be used on social and digital media. All creative assets can be tagged by racetracks, OTB’s and casinos with a local message and are available for download on the Breeders’ Cup partner website.

The campaign will also be supported by a panel of wagering influencers who will take part in a month-long, charity driven program to raise awareness about betting the Breeders’ Cup. The four influencers are ESPN personality Kenny Mayne (@kenny_mayne), who finished 9th in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge; 2012 National Handicapping Championship Champion and co-owner of The Tournament Edge Michael Beychock (@beychockRacing); Renowned author and columnist Joel Stein (@thejoelstein) and social media wagering guru Monique Vag (@parlayqueen).

Beginning October 1, each wagering influencer will wager up to $2,000 on three NBC Sports telecasts of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing. The competition will end with the Breeders’ Cup on November 4-5 and each panelists bankroll will be donated to the charity of their choice with the Breeders’ Cup guaranteeing at least a $1,000 donation to each.

The two-day Breeders’ Cup is one of the world’s greatest wagering events, featuring some of the largest payouts on straight and exotic wagers during the calendar year. Last year, a total of $155.5 million was wagered on the races worldwide.

“While there are many popular aspects that people enjoy about the Breeders’ Cup, wagering on greatest races in the world is second to none,” said Justin McDonald, vice president of marketing. “Our goal is to ensure partner simulcast outlets have a successful Breeders’ Cup weekend and this campaign provides them the tools to reinforce the thrill, excitement and large potential payouts presented to all horseplayers and sports fans during the World Championships.”

The campaign was developed by Lexington-based advertising agency CORNETT, in conjunction with Breeders’ Cup.

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival Tagged With: , ,
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