Being a sports nut, I have been a fan since I was a young child. But it wasn\'t until a friend took me to the racetrack in my early 20\'s that I became hooked.
Seabiscuit was a finalist for Best Picture, Jockeys was a weekly reality show. Neither of these sparked any additional interest in horse racing. Horseracing is gambling. Shows about the backside and all that are nice, but they don\'t get people to gamble.
Poker has exploded due to television, and the focus is on gambling. There are no shows about Daniel Negreanu and what he does away from the poker table. Nobody cares. However, people watch his every move at the poker table. Poker players learn how to play the game by watching these guys play on television, as well as other tutorials (books, videos, etc..).
They then take these lessons to the internet and card rooms to play poker and gamble. They improve their games through information and learning.
Also, when they go bust they don\'t come back for awhile. Education is a good thing, it makes for better players, winning players make for repeat customers. Yes, there will always be losing players. But having MORE winning players is good for business.
Horse racing is no different. You want people to visit the track and wager, they need information on how to gamble, and how to gamble successfully. Losing isn\'t any fun.
Before the internet, there was the DRF. Try giving that to a newbie and watch his/her head spin. It takes a long time to really understand what to look for. There are many products out there that make it easier for someone to understand racing information and give them a fighting chance to win.
Young people use computers, there is software out there that breaks down races. I know several people using software with good success.
Whatever the product..Thorograph, software, etc... information is the key. Information that is relatively easy to use. The internet has changed how people get and use information. Racing needs to take advantage of this.
