Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Carol M. — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:39:12 GMT

I agree with the comments about the stars of horseracing being retired just when we get interested in them. Someone on another blog suggested that a stallion should be a minimum age (say 5 years old) before his progeny could be registered as Triple Crown eligible. This might at least get an extra year of racing out of some horses. The other big problem seems to be the stamina of today's horse. I don't have any answer for that. Any suggestions? One thing that has been in my mind is limiting the number of covers per year for an individual horse. Or does the market place do that sufficiently?

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

@STLdustin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:38:20 GMT

I agree with most above. This issue is peanuts compared to others facing the industry. I knew the difference between a $1 tri, $2 tri, DD, Pk3, etc by the time I was 10-years-old. I’m pretty sure any new patron to the game can figure the current system out, assuming they have the smarts of an average 3rd grader.

Smugness aside, I agree that we have to find a way to attract new fans to the sport. I became a fan because my dad was a fan. Now that I’m 29, I only have a handful of friends who give two hoots about the sport (or even consider it a “sport” for that matter). That tells me that they will not be passing on the passion for the sport that my father passed onto me. It saddens me to think of our great sport dwindling to the popularity levels of, say, soccer.

I don’t have the answer, but I have a suggestion…I’d like to see a “state of the union” forum on HRTV or TVG. I’d like to see racing officials, breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys, and most importantly, fans, be involved in a roundtable discussion on what can be done to improve the horse racing industry. Why has this not been done?

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Johnny — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:17:52 GMT

Agree with Arlington fan.

Second you start following a horse of they go..

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Pedigree Ann — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:15:14 GMT

Terri Z, Quality Road hadn't run since the last weekend in August. He wasn't fit enough to go past his comfort zone of 9f on a contested pace, something he has rarely had to contend with. It was clear he was going to get burned out on the lead with other front runners to contend with. You can get away with 'fresh' in sprints and miles, but not in an end-of-season 10f, when the rest of the field is more battle-tested.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Pboo — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:59:21 GMT

RayJay nailed it....they could have done an autopsy on Life At Ten by now. It seem obvious that KY people are hoping the racing public will forget that BC race but it's not going to happen. That is what the non-racing public has taken home from the BC and they still wonder what happened and why no official results of the investigation ( if there is one) have been forthcoming.

Two other points regarding new and existing race fans... most of these people realize that no one can possibly train 100 plus horses. That has got to go. Second, I watch 2 TV shows showing horseracing fairly regularly. I listen to the talking heads give bets, etc. Last week, one of these heads made comments about a group he has put together to buy/ claim horses and Baffert is the trainer( I believe). These shows need to present a daily disclaimer for each host so we know where their interests really are... this is particularly true when they begin telling the public what horse s/b HOY even if they don't have a vote. They still influence opinion.

I'm finished...for now!

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Terri Z — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:56:17 GMT

Sunny Farm I am in total agreement with you. It's really a disgrace that after the Life At Ten episode at the Breeders Cup that Pletcher could still be eligable for the Eclipse award. And to have him win the Trainer of the Year award is a travesty.

And poor Ned Evans (deceased owner of Quality Road) can no longer voice his opinion especially since Quality Road (another Pletcher trainee) was not acting right before the Breeders Cup Classic and was pulled up.

There needs to be some credibility and accountability when it comes to horse racing. And its especially disgraceful for all these questional goings on at the Breeders Cup to be going on at Churchill Downs; Churchill Downs is supposed to be the epitomy of all that is great with horse racing.

There needs to an independent commissioner of horse racing to oversee the "overseers".

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Bellwether — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:50:52 GMT

Oh! YEA...LIFE @ TEN(useless stew-warts/vets)..."THE CHEATERS & REPETERS"...A LOT LONGER SUSPENSIONS...JAIL TIME...A HUGE STEP N THE RITE DIRECTION & BUY ALL MEANS GET A REEL PROMOTOR(V8) THAT CAN PUT A REEL FACE ON OUR "NATIONAL TREASURE"...ALEX WALDROP & THE NTRA DOES KNOT HAVE A CLUE???(HES N WAY OVER HIS NOGGIN)... LONG LIVE THE KING BABY!!!...ty...

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

MC — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 05:33:12 GMT

I am a huge racing fan but don't care much about betting. I attend the races every chance I get. My ideas are coming from a horse lover perspective. Breakfast with the Works at Keeneland and Dawn at the Downs at Churchill are really fun events. Tracks should do more to let the fans get close to the horses. I did a backstretch tour of Churchill Downs and you couldn't even walk around the barn area. Also, some trainers had screens up so you could not even see their horses. I understand that all horses are not good candidates for visitors but a good number of them are. I have visited many farms and have never had a scare of getting bitten or anything. I think people should learn from the Zenyatta sensation. Just look at the number of women/girls who are following her and checking her website. All little girls love horses and they all grow up into big girls who still love horses. It seems that too much emphasis is put on betting and the regular fan is ignored. Downs after Dark has been successful. Those are the kinds of things that are going to keep racing going in my opinion. I just don't see that gambling changes other than allowing slot machines or casinos really helping that much. Lastly, the comments above about cheating and so forth really do affect this sport. I only have one friend who watches racing with me. All my friends shame me for watching because they say the animals are mistreated and sent to slaughter. That is the perception of most people. Huge Black Eye that should be addressed.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Terri Z — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:01:43 GMT

Gulfstream Park is now having 7am breakfast with a jockey or trainer on Saturdays. Participants can watch the horses work out and can learn from the pros.

What a terrific way to educate the public.

It's ashame that too many people intimidated by horse racing. More tracks need to teach basic handicapping and how to read the track program. One needs to know the basics of what surface the horse does best on, the win and loss records, the times, and history of that horse. Also, learning to read horse body language in the paddock is often a good predictor of how that horse will do in a race.

I have so many fond memories of the time I have spent at the track. And I will never forget the efforts of so many talented horses, trainers, and jockeys.

I have met people from all around the country and the Caribbean. And have been fortunate enough to meet owners, groomers, and some very knowledgeable trainers and handicappers.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

arlingtonfan — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:47:39 GMT

I don't really see this as a key reason why racing is losing its fans and failing to attract new ones. To me, the biggest problem is that in most cases, the minute you fall in love with a racehorse, he or she is retired. We've been blessed to have some recent exceptions, like Zenyatta and Goldikova. But they are exceptions. How long would baseball and football retain their many fans if half the teams' players retired each year? Not long, I suspect.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Sunny Farm — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:01:00 GMT

I don't think that diverse betting options scar the fans. There are all levels of betting,and for the new comer as well as the pro.

I agree with those who said

"Stop the drugging & cheating"

If you ask anyone on the street why they don't attend races or bet,the first thing said- 98% of the time- "Racing is crooked "

How do you stop a cheater from feeding a horse green potatoe peels to make him sick-they don't test for green potaoe peel- and the many other ways that cheaters use.

Severe punishment must be given,severe enough to make a cheater change his ways, or be thrown out in ALL racing states.

This preception can be changed BY TAKING ACTION & letting the public know that the industry does care enough to change the rules to harsh punishment. IE: That we in the industry DO care about the horse & his welfare.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

ThoroFan — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:37:11 GMT

Dr. Popoli

Good beginning at getting to the "root causes" of racing's problems. Clearly a national leadership for racing like that being proposed would help with your points. Also, racetracks are woefully poor at educating new fans. NTRA once estimated that there were over 29 million racing fan in the country. Yet, when we count the number of core or serious players we can count barely a fraction. For sake of the bottom line, the industry seems to be focused on that cohort. What about the others who love our sport and need our help to get engaged? We at ThoroFan (www.thorofan.com) are interested in bringing these folks to the game and teaching them what a wonderful sport and game we have. Check us out!

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Dwayne — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:17:16 GMT

As a veteran horse player I dont see the different wagering options as deterrent. The short fields in major stakes races are what discourages me and a lot of my fellow handicappers. Fringe and novice players who may not yet grasp exotics would appreciate the bigger payoffs from larger fields on a consistent basis as it is easier to bet an exacta than say a pick 6

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Pedigree Ann — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:40:29 GMT

Forgot to add that I, too, have a Ph.D. Mine is in statistical mathematics; what's yours in, Gary? Marketing? Engineering? English Literature? Agronomy? Point is, if it's not in a field that is germane to the point, why mention it?

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Pedigree Ann — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:33:10 GMT

Oddly enough, British betting (most of it with bookies who don't contribute a percentage to purse support) uses odds far more confusing than the US tote. 11/3, 11/4, 100/30 ('Burlington Bertie', according to McCriric), 8/13, 6/4, 4/7, 7/4, 13/2, 15/2, 9/4, 15/8, etc. Bettors demand to know their odds more exactly, it appears. Everybody else in the world, of course, uses decimals.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

JerseyBoy — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:56:45 GMT

GARY:

Horseplayers are smarter than you think. It does not take more than one look at the offerings to see what bets are available at a given track. Also, most people tend to bet on the same 2 or 3 tracks, not on multiple tracks.

But here is an idea. If I look at the Sporting Life online I can see the past performances of the horses racing in England and Ireland. Why can't the tracks in America put the past performances online?. Why must I first buy the past performances to determine whether a race is worth betting on?

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Sir Barton — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:48:18 GMT

I agree wholeheartedly with decimal odds. If the stock exchanges can switch over so can the horse racing industry. I also agree with the above that promoting it to the younger crowd with $1 beer nights is a good idea as well. Most newcomers just want to bet WP or show. While 10 cent standard for superfectas might be good for the game I don't see it saving the horse racing industry.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

SimplyNotSureRU — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:29:51 GMT

Rather than eliminate breakage & reduce takeout, tracks simply create more wager types at cheaper levels to encourage betting pennies rather than dollars. Greedy bastards are only interested in getting the last dime as quickly as possible. Occasional hotdog/beer specials, bobblehead giveaways & occasional free parking/entry is the limit of their imaginations for attracting bodies. More scams rather than solutions. Most think cheating is good for them. Imagine that.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Byron Rogers — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:48:53 GMT

Another one of the major issues with attracting new fans/bettors to our great game is the very way we display the odds and the way we payout.

Get a new person to the track and they see the odds 9/5, the first question they ask is "what do I get if I put a dollar on?". Most people don't understand fractional betting and to be honest an understanding of it should not be some rite of passage that we put people through. Put up $2.80 on the screen and they would immediately understand what they would be getting for their $1.

Payouts are also counter intuitive. If you can bet $1 why is the displayed payout based on $2? Standardize the payouts to $1 across all tracks and again it would make things a lot easier for all.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Gia — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:52:58 GMT

While I understand that horse racing a betting industry and I know most "race fans" are the people who bet on a regular basis, there are a few of us that, while we may gamble occasionally, realy are just race fans because we like to watch the horses. Unfortunately, unless you pay the extra money to have either TVG or HRTV, you will see very few races on televison. I have TVG and watch quite often, but I rarely ever bet. I do not live near a track, but attend the low level races at the fair each year. Here are my observations. Betting on races can be fun, but if you have no clue what you are doing, there don't seem to be alot of people that will just help you out (for free)everyone wants you to buy something that teachs you about handicapping. For the casual better, we just want the basic info and maybe someone to show/tell us a few pointers, that's it. I don't plan on making my living as a gambler at the track -- I go there for fun. While much is made of the gambling side -- I want to see the horses --owners and trainers need to take a cue from the Zenyatta team and try to attrac the rest of us. We would come to the track more often if we could see the horses up close, interact with the trainers, jockeys, owners. Why not have some play days at track where people can just come a watch workouts and such and meet and greet days where people can come and learn about horse racing. I have been watching racing since I was a child, I am now 53 and still love the horses. I have owned horses in the past, not race horses, but I did a little barrel racing years ago. Anyway, I like to just watch the races, there are others like me out there, but no one really tries to get us out to the track -- even if we don't always bet, we are still spending some money at the track and if we enjoy the day, we will come back.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

Dan — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:18:46 GMT

Racing still has Win, Place, and Show Bets the simpliest bets possible. If you want to draw more fans to horse racing reduce the number of race tracks, racing days to 3, and have more night racing.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

fbacon — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:29:05 GMT

I have been a mutuel clerk in so.ca.for 30 years .To get more people in the gates you must give them free programs, free programs , 1$ beer ,hotdogs and sodas.The extra $ generated through the windows will bring in a profit which is what its all about .Also as a clerk i find that appx 15 to 20 % of the new costomers do have some confussion about the bet types and the different amounts to bet for different tracks

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

EQUINE PAPARAZZI — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:25:19 GMT

Most new players stick with the easy bets (WPS, Exacta, Tri) and progress to P3 and P4, etc. The fact that bet minimums are different is just a non-issue and is no factor is whether people stick with the sport or bail.

However, i do think betting is much harder than handicapping, but it has little to do with the bet minimums. It has more to do with having the right horses and not betting ENOUGH money.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

SPLITSOF12 — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:02:51 GMT

I agree with Brian, this is about tenth on the pecking order. The first thing racing needs to do is unite all the different factions who represent the game and get them to the table and start putting together a collective bargaining agreement. One that is fair and works for all sides. After that you just change one thing at a time, and keep moving forward. I feel their is plenty of wealth to go around it just needs to be redistributed differently. And when those things start happening then you'll see a product that will start to bring fans back to the racetrack. There's nothing like being on the fence at the racetrack at the start of a race and listen to the thundering roar of hooves pounding on the dirt. The force and energy these animals create is astounding and mesmerizing. It's sheer beauty.

re: Want New Fans? Make It Simple - By Gary Popoli, Ph.D.

shesfast — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:25:42 GMT

Yes bet minimums do matter especially to new fans. It's not like average joes like me have money to just throw around. How much fun can i really have with 20 bucks at a race track? If i decide to spend 20 dollars that really inst going to get me very far especially if i want to bet. How much does it cost to get into the track? How much is something to drink or snack on going to cost? What about the cost of a racing program? Wait my 20bucks is gone before i even made it to the window! GAh!!