The NTRA’s Safety and Integrity Alliance has just published a new version of its Code of Standards. Why should you care? What difference does the Code make? For that matter, what difference is the Alliance making? These are all questions I hear from time to time and they deserve straight-forward answers....
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I noted in that blog that in 2009, polling conducted by the NTRA's long-time polling consultants (who we share with Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government) found that about 50.6 million adults in the U.S. qualify as Thoroughbred racing fans. Here is a brief explanation of how these results were reached....
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This year's event was a nail-biter with the championship undecided until the very last race when NHC veteran and Ellis Park racetrack owner, Ron Geary, was passed by newcomer John Doyle, who selected the winner of the very last race of the contest to move to the top of the leader board. ...
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The 2010 graded stakes schedule of major North American races concludes Monday with the San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita....
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It is time again for my annual Thanksgiving holiday blog. Knowing that I tend to get caught up in the fun – family, friends and food – I like to take a few minutes before it all begins to express my gratitude too....
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When we formed the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance almost two years ago, we knew that it needed to be as much as about education and best practice sharing as it was about accreditation....
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Last week, the NTRA's lobbying team secured introduction of important federal legislation to protect our $1.3 billion market for advance deposit wagering....
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I have been blogging about the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance for almost two years now. What happened this week was some of the best Alliance news yet. Pimlico has now been fully accredited....
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The release by Equibase of Thoroughbred Racing's Economic Indicators for the first Quarter of 2010 was no cause for celebration. We continue to see declines in handle - about 10% so far this year when measured against 2008....
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This entry is Part II of my focus on a recent query from one of my readers asking me to explain to those "on the horse side" of the business....
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This week, I want to focus on a recent query from one of my readers asking me to explain to those "on the horse side" of the business, "What is the role of NTRA - what can NTRA realistically accomplish week to week?".
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A student had the courage to ask the burning question on the minds of many of his fellow classmates, "Where will this industry be in five years?" In other words, I surmised, "Am I studying for a career in the wrong field?"...
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New York is not the only state facing challenges, but due to its size and scale, New York's challenges are, to a large extent, the industry's challenges.
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I just spent a fascinating two days at the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship at the Red Rock Resort, Spa and Casino in Las Vegas....
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This is a big week for some of racing's most devoted followers. On Friday and Saturday, some 300 horse players will compete in the 11th Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas....
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You are no doubt aware that a large number of Mid-Atlantic racetracks and OTBs are being denied the right to offer simulcast wagering on races run at Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds, and Santa Anita Park. ...
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It's the time of year when people like to make a wish list for the upcoming 12 months. We are on the verge, though, of completing not just another year, but a full decade. So in that spirit, here's my list of wishes for the Thoroughbred industry in the 2010s....
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Two tax incentives that greatly benefited the horse industry are set to expire at the end of the year...but there's still time to take advantage of them if you're thinking of an equipment purchase in 2009. ...
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This week, it was my pleasure to speak to a very passionate, engaging (and some might say courageous) group of young men and women who make their living in the Thoroughbred industry. The next generation of leaders in our industry is already meeting monthly with the goal of devising a long term plan for racing and breeding through the year 2020....
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Last week I told you I would be speaking to marketers from across the country at the NTRA's Marketing Summit in Las Vegas. I asked for your ideas and you responded -- man, did you ever respond! I received almost 50 substantive, insightful, passionate responses....
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Here are a couple of fun, new ways to get ready for this year's big event....
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My strong suspicion is that Rachel will win the 2009 Horse of the Year award even if she takes the rest of the year off. The only possible way it could turn out any differently is if Zenyatta wins the Breeders' Cup Classic, or defeats Rachel head-to-head at some other venue....
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What do the Thoroughbred industry - including horseplayers - and the Obama administration have in common? At least one thing. We both need a stimulus package. ...
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In the midst of preparations for our strategic planning session next week, I have traveled to Del Mar to lead another Alliance accreditation inspection as I did at Hollywood Park several weeks ago. ...
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With all of the negative news surrounding our industry, what should Thoroughbred racing do to emerge from this slump? These are questions we will be asking ourselves over the next few weeks and months as we convene a meeting of the NTRA Board of Directors to discuss the strategic direction of the NTRA going forward....
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