My hope for the upcoming year is that everyone passionate about Thoroughbred racing finds a way to bring new fans, owners, and investors into the fold.
Make this year the one where you invite people unfamiliar with racing to experience a day at the track. Host birthday parties or office gatherings at the racecourse, and open your stables or farms for school field trips or scout visits. On major race days, welcome attendees to tailgate and socialize in the parking lot.
Reading others’ hopes and concerns about the sport, a common theme emerges: “The sport isn’t doing enough to attract fresh fans.” There’s a shared desire to see fresh energy put into reviving the sport. However, horse racing won’t become welcoming to casual fans unless those involved see them as valued customers—but too often, they don’t. The sport remains a closed-off community where newcomers can feel like outsiders.
Unlike mainstream sports leagues with well-oiled media marketing, horse racing’s key stakeholders, like racetrack operators, earn mainly from gamblers—especially large betting syndicates—rather than casual fans. Earnings flow primarily from breeders, owners, trainers, and auction houses involved in the sales and daily workings of the sport, with casual viewers often overlooked. The Breeders’ Cup targets elite owners rather than social media followers or casual viewers.
Because participants are financially compensated within the existing system, there’s little urgency to change. Without a dedicated effort to grow the fan base, the sport struggles to expand its reach, while other women’s sports see rapid audience growth. A major problem is that most marketing budgets focus narrowly on existing customers rather than trying to attract new fans to promising races.
In a fragmented industry without a unified marketing budget, racecourses that engage new fans first—like Keeneland, Oaklawn Park, Monmouth Park, and Del Mar, or Australia’s Flemington and Royal Randwick—offer valuable lessons. A lifelong love of racing often starts with a single visit to the track.
Much of horse racing’s media and social media today are inward-facing, targeting insiders rather than newcomers or lawmakers who impact the sport’s future. Imagine if half the discussions in podcasts were replaced with accessible content like YouTube videos and Instagram reels spotlighting jockeys and trainers.
The new Belmont Park in 2026 and Pimlico Racecourse in 2027 present unique chances to attract fresh audiences. The New York Racing Association and Maryland Jockey Club must seize this moment to create a strong, engaging presentation with media partners. These tracks could also collaborate on scheduling to maximize interest between Triple Crown races.
Following Belmont’s example, the Breeders’ Cup could choose future dates and venues aimed at maximizing attendance and viewership. Tracking broadcast and livestream audiences on major race days is an important gauge of growth, likely more telling than betting figures, which can be skewed by off-track wagering.
Transparency around sales and enrollment of new owners could improve, as many newcomers go unnoticed. There is uncertainty whether the number of new owners entering the sport will outpace those leaving. Financial support for aftercare, currently voluntary, might become a sustainable system where all stakeholders contribute a small amount at point of sale. Some funds could also be used to showcase the genuine care horses receive, countering critics’ concerns.
Until the industry unites behind a plan to increase interest, every racing enthusiast has a responsibility to promote the sport however and wherever possible. Many are already involved; hopefully, more will join in.
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Fan Take: This call to action matters deeply to horse racing fans because it highlights the urgency of growing the sport’s audience to secure its future. By embracing new fans and showcasing the sport’s rich stories beyond the insiders, racing can ignite a new passion that revitalizes and sustains it for generations to come.
