It goes without saying that owners, trainers and horsepeople are all champing at the bit to get back racing their stock. The social distancing guidelines implemented by the majority of provincial and state governments have, for the most part, put racing on the sidelines for the time being.
Seeing as though the distancing guidelines vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, some tracks have retained the ability to continue offering their product to the masses throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic. The varying rules have led to angst among those that, through no wrongdoing of their own, have been forced to begrudgingly sit on the sidelines and watch.
Regardless of the unenviable, neutral position that idle horsepeople have been forced to endure, pockets of live horse racing is still taking place in North America through the current crisis. That racing is being noticed, according to Mike Mulvihill.
Mulvihill, an executive vice president with Fox Sports, has said that total viewing of horse racing on national networks in the United States has grown by 206 per cent this year, even though many tracks are currently dark, including many of the most prominent racecourses.
“Horse racing has been a welcome substitute for other events that are currently unavailable,” Mulvihill was quoted as saying. “Viewing of horse racing has tripled over last year. Online sign-ups for new bettors are up. Betting handle at the tracks we present is up. It’s been a nice bit of normalcy when the rest of the sports world is anything but.”
Horses pictured circling the walking ring at Gulfstream Park in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The live racing that is still occurring is being done so under strict adherence to social distancing protocols, both on the racing and production end of the equation. In terms of the presentation that is being offered to those that tune in, on-air talent has altered its communication techniques in order to get through to a viewership that contains many new followers.
“Hats off to our production and talent team,” TVG CEO Kip Levin has been quoted as saying. “Literally within days they had shifted from talking to the fan that knew a lot about the sport to talking to and really educating the audience in ways in which we don’t normally do.”
New York Racing Association Chief Revenue Officer Tony Allevato has also commented on the situation, and has stated that each of racing’s jurisdictions needs a strong national product for survival.
“We are in horse racing for the long haul, and our goal is to see New York horse racing thrive,” said Allevato, “and for horse racing to be successful in New York, it needs to be successful across the country, and there’s a massive ecosystem that’s involved here with tens and tens of thousands of jobs.”
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(With files from ABC News)