by Paul Post

A new advocacy group dedicated to expanding Thoroughbred racing’s fan base has been formed.

The Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association launched its program on Thursday during New York Racing Association’s annual pre-meet media tour of Saratoga Race Course.

The group is comprised primarily of local fans in Saratoga Springs, New York, but will be involved at other tracks throughout the nation, too.

“Our goal is to enhance fan enjoyment of Thoroughbred racing,” Association Chairman Michael Amo said. “We hope that fans, whether regular participants or newcomers, will more fully experience the excitement of racing.”

Association Board member and former trainer Marilyn Lane said that with attendance at live racing on the decline, the meets at Saratoga, Keeneland Race Course, and Oaklawn Park are the only three meets where fans turn out regularly in large numbers.

“The rest of the meets, it’s just not enticing for people to go there,” Lane said. “If people aren’t attached to the horses, they’re going to go to other forms of gambling.”

That could have major ramifications for the sport, Lane said, expressing concern that tracks such as Belmont Park or Aqueduct might succumb to other types of development if live racing is no longer viable there.

The new group hopes to counteract negative trends by educating and enticing fans to the track. Lane said there needs to be more interaction between fans, jockeys, owners, trainers, and the horses themselves.

“One thing about horses, the closer you get to them, the more you like them,” she said.

Also, people are more apt to become involved with the sport if they know someone who’s passionate about it, Lane said.

She said that tracks also need to improve their hospitality offerings, to make fans feel more welcome at live races.

Group members will be eligible for special offers from publications such as Thoroughbred Times, giveaways, and discounts at participating businesses.

“Without the fan there is no racing,” New York Racing Association President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Hayward said. “NYRA is pleased to support this exciting new venture. It is essential that the industry continue to find ways to introduce new fans to this great and historic sport and to get more people engaged in the game.”

The fan association is an independent, nonprofit organization working cooperatively with NYRA. To visit the fan association's website, click here. 

Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent