Of Podcasts & Web Sites
It’s rare that anyone in the racing industry does anything online that I think warrants much praise. More often, racing’s approach to the Internet seems to be of the frustrating two steps backward-one step forward variety (see Equibase and its change to PDF-only race chart delivery). But a recent news item deserves glowing mention: Churchill Downs announced last week that they would begin offering podcasts and videocasts on their members-only Twin Spires Club site. Fans can now get barn notes, handicapping talk, interviews with horsemen, etc. so long as they’re signed up for a free Twin Spires membership. Props to Churchill for trying out these emerging media; may other tracks and the NTRA pay attention and perhaps even pick up on the idea. Podcasts, videocasts, and blogs are exactly the kinds of things the sport needs to incorporate into its efforts to keep existing fans engaged and create new ones (particularly among the young and tech-savvy).
Somewhat related: Shortly after Ashado sold at the Keeneland November sale for $9 million to Sheik Mohammed, Maryjean Wall reported in a column that consignor Taylor Made had marketed the mare with a swanky leather-bound album to 45 potential bidders. This is a great example of how well one corner of the racing industry reaches out to a defined, select audience.
What almost nobody seems to do nearly so well is reach out to the masses, which is why this article about owner Rick Porter and his successful RockportHarbor.com web site so delighted me. Porter started the site last year to showcase his then-promising two-year-old colt. When Rockport was sidelined early in his three-year-old campaign with a nagging foot injury, Porter realized he could also use the site to keep fans up-to-date on the rest of his stable. And it’s worked. Porter and his trainer, John Servis, now have a devoted fan base that congregates on the site’s discussion forum, turns out for barn tours, and cheers on all of Fox Hill Farm’s starters. All of which suggests that there are a lot of fans out there who aren’t necessarily hardcore horseplayers, eagerly seeking to connect to the sport in a more casual, fun, and personal way. Porter’s managed to tap that — the question is, when will the rest of the industry figure out how to apply its marketing know-how in a similar way on a larger scale and get more of these people involved before the sport slips into even further irrelevancy?
