"If track managements watch this grow and every week the amount we bet grows, they're going to have to say, 'Hey, we better pay attention to these people,'" said Mike Mayo, a key player in the Horseplayers Association of North America's push to be heard by track and industry officials

.

"All we want is to have people sit down and listen to us."

Mayo's comments come via an in-depth article by award-winning racing journalist Bill Finley on ESPN.com.

Mayo's group, HANA, has pegged today's sixth race from Will Rogers Downs as the first of its members' co-ordinated wagering initiatives, which, if all goes according to plan, would see significant impact to handle and pool size.

Post time for Race 6 from Will Rogers Downs today is 5:30 p.m. (ET). Although the race is not open to the majority of Canadian horse racing fans for wagering purposes, the dash is open to residents of Alberta.

Handicappers from far and wide were recruited by HANA in an experiment which could ultimately lead to the fans of the sport having more of an influence on some of the decisions that are made in the racing industry.

Click here to read a HANA blog entry outlining the association's plan.

To read Finley's ESPN.com article, click here.

(With files from HANA and ESPN.com)