Brooklyn Backstretch blogged a great post regarding the Round Table discussion held to identify the problem areas in Thoroughbred racing. Below are a list of 5 factors contributing to racing's decline (My comments are in red):
* Competititon from other types of gambling (Yes, casinos!)
* Brand perception (Stop sending race horses to slaughter!)
* Dilution of the product ( Racetracks are in competition for business-Too many classes!)
* The fan experience (What experience? Racetracks want more people in the stands, yet do NOTHING to get them there - Grand River Raceway excluded, they try and involve all fans into their racing programs!)
* Fragmented distribution (NA Cup, Confederation Cup, etc., should be picked up by NBC, ABC, or another main broadcasting company!)
McKinsey recommends (My comments in red):
* Increased television coverage (Make it attractive for broadcasting sponsorship)
* A Free-To-Play Website (Much like the free online poker-I like picking exactas and trifectas but am not seasoned enough to spend copious amounts of cash on betting websites)
* Fewer, better races and better scheduling to increase field size and showcase the best product (Ensure all racetracks get their fareshare)
* Creation of a social game (See above-A Free-To-Play website)
* Innovative wagering platforms (?)
* Track-integrated ADW (?)
* Racing integrity reforms (Yes, yes, yes!)
* Encouragement of ownership through greater transparency (Make sure all owners know the difference between a horse's head and it's rearend-No blaming the trainer for everything that goes awry!)
* Dissemination of best practices from tracks around the country (A+ for effort!)
I would also add:
* A unified governing body should be in place for the standardbred industry
* A suspension should hold it's strength across the borders
Onward!
Stay safe, keep your hooves on the ground, and keep reaching for the wire!
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