One option to draw more viewers to the Triple Crown is controversial, and not everyone is sold on the idea.
Once again this year, the Belmont Stakes is taking place at the Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. This has brought excitement to Saratoga Springs, as the city closes off Broadway downtown, putting the spotlight on the sport.
Saratoga Race Course has a rich history in horse racing, attracting dedicated fans. However, there is an ongoing discussion on how to maintain the Triple Crown’s appeal to a wider audience.
Horse racing has deep roots in the United States, predating even the Declaration of Independence. However, in today’s world, the sport must find ways to stand out amongst a myriad of other popular sports.
Racetracks like Saratoga have attempted to make the weekend a spectacle, with bands and activities throughout the races in hopes of showing the greatness of horse racing and what a day at the track looks like.
“It’s a great day out, lots of excitement,” said Michael Banahan of Godolphin, who owns Kentucky Derby winner and Belmont contender Sovereignty. “There are a lot of things that go on during the race week, as well. … I think just some people that hadn’t seen that before are beginning to enjoy that.”
The outreach extends beyond the track. Places like America’s Best Racing are working to educate casual fans about everything from betting to how well horses are taken care of and what to expect on race day.
It has connected with celebrities and influencers to get them involved in horse racing. That most recently included TikTok star Griffin Johnson, who was given a small ownership stake in Derby and Preakness horse Sandman.
Johnson showed himself getting ready for the races, bathing Sandman and showing what the colt does on his off day. Through this, the combined accounts of ABR and Johnson totaled 268 million-plus impressions and 111 million views.
“It’s great to have another young horse racing fan in the room,” said ABR’s director of digital marketing, Rachel Miller. “But, obviously, the same formula isn’t going to work forever. It’s going to reach a point where maybe Griffin’s involvement in racing may stall out or Sandman’s not racing anymore. There are just so many unknown variables, especially in this sport, and that’s one of the harder sells.”
There’s another option to draw more viewers, but it’s controversial.
Ever since Sovereignty didn’t run in the Preakness Stakes, forfeiting a shot at the Triple Crown to rest up for the Belmont, there have been conversations about spreading out the three legs beyond the current gap of two weeks, then three weeks.
Banahan believes spacing out the legs for more rest could attract higher-caliber horses, with more of a chance of the Kentucky Derby winner running, raising interest.
“I’m not too sure if that’ll be the case or not,” Banahan said. “I think the quality of racing is probably what draws people in. I think if we get better horses in all those races, I think they’ll get the casual to tune into those as well. Good competition, good horses in there, that happens by having a little more time between to rest. That’ll be good for us.”
Not everyone agrees that extending the time in between races would increase viewership. Trainer Chad Brown, who has Hill Road in the Belmont, thinks extending the time in between races actually will hurt the Triple Crown.
“I think if you start spreading it out, you run the risk of losing everyone’s attention, too,” Brown said. “That’s a long time for everyone to be invested in watching how this turns out. I think that the average sports fan moves on from sport to sport throughout the year. I think we have to be happy that we have some of them just for the Triple Crown, even if we can’t get them all the way through the bigger stuff. I think extending events runs risks for that.”
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