Paradigm shift key to salvation for racing tracks in California
The horse racing tracks in California that are in jeopardy can yet save themselves from extinction but they would have to undergo a paradigm shift. Apparently, marketing is the key to salvation. However, the product to be marketed may not be the core product
of the track. If marketing efforts are made to target the younger crowd, horse racing in California may revive and it may ask for using the tracks for other purposes in order to create bait for the coming generation.
“The average age of a racetrack customer is deceased, and the average age of our satellite customer is decomposed,” California Horse Racing Board member David Israel said. “The demographic is way too old. We need to attract younger customers to racetrack
experience.”
The hypothesis is exemplified by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, whose average daily crowds in its yearly summer meeting rival those at Keeneland or Saratoga race courses.
“We’ve been successful at Del Mar primarily because we started marketing something other than our core product,” track President Joe Harper said. “The first time we did our cougar contest [a beauty pageant for older women] there was a picture on the front
page of the paper—not the front page of sports, but the front page of the paper—of Ms. Cougar and me looking down her dress.
“I’m not saying that can work for every track, but it’s crazy Del Mar, and that works for us,” added Harper.
Del Mar, with its marketing efforts that generated the interest of the younger crowd has successfully rejuvenated the track and brought in sizeable amounts of young people who will probably become frequent visitors of any horse race event that Del Mar hosts.
This has also enabled Del Mar to expand its track, becoming one of the few tracks that have the potential to do so.
Prospects are so good for Del Mar that they are thinking along the lines to hold a meeting in fall.
“We want more racing days, and that’s dependent on CHRB and what Hollywood Park does,” Harper said. “The most important thing to do is think long term, and down the road it’s going to end up being Golden Gate [Fields near San Francisco], Santa Anita [Park
in Arcadia], and Del Mar. We’ll work with horsemen on how that calendar looks.
The summer meeting works great and is just right, so I’d hate to mess with it, but there’s room there for a fall meeting, and it would be profitable.”
Another track that may look for expansion is Oak Tree. However, the track’s Executive Director Sherwood Chillingworth is still not sure whether he wants to hold a fall meeting in 2011. He said this in a statement on Wednesday. The changes expected in Oak
Tree’s schedule may depend on Hollywood Park, the track that hosted Oak Tree’s fall meeting this year.
Santa Anita which is owned by MI Developments is another track that might get expanded in terms of dates. Its founder and chairman, Frank Stronach is currently deliberating on the pros and cons of the endeavor.
Israel is open to innovative ideas to improve the deplorable conditions of some of the racing tracks in California. He says that if California’s racing calendar shows 46-48 weeks of racing events he would be pleased. Israel and MI Developments were not on
good terms at the start of this year, but relations have become pleasant again.
“MI Developments emerged from the bankruptcy and so far the refocus has been positive,” Israel said. “Installing a new track at Santa Anita is a great step in the right direction.
“No matter what happened in the past, we can’t change that. I’m only concerned with what happens going forward, and so far I’m encouraged with what’s happened.”
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