Starting with the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park July 29, six racing events will be the focus of America’s Best Racing’s fan development initiative focused on the start of Thoroughbred racing’s "Second Season."
The big event days for the second half of the year will include:
--Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Monmouth Park July 29
--Whitney Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 4
--Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar Aug. 26
--“Super Saturday” at Belmont Park and Santa Anita Park Sept. 29
--“Fall Stars Weekend” at Keeneland Oct. 6
According to a release from America’s Best Racing, activation elements will include:
--The viral and social media launch of the “Second Season” video;
--An on-track “Fan Hub,” branded as Racing 101 and hosted by Joe Kristufek, will kick off a pilot program designed to enhance new fan education at each of the above tracks’ “Second Season” event day. The Racing 101 Fan Hub will offer and provide new and casual fans the opportunity to receive personal, hands-on tutorials learning about the basics and intricacies of wagering as well as an introduction to the content and features of followhorseracing.com;
--Behind-the-scenes, insider short-form videos produced by America’s Best Racing will highlight the best races from the best tracks of the “Second Season,” including the lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment scene at each event. According to the release, these short-form video features, which will appear on followhorseracing.com, will also be distributed by Cinesport, which is syndicated to 100 websites including more than 30 national newspaper websites.
“With a very successful Triple Crown season behind us, it’s time to turn the awareness and spotlight towards the ‘Second Season’ of Thoroughbred racing, culminating with the Breeders’ Cup World Championship on Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita,” Jason Wilson, vice president of business development for The Jockey Club, said in a statement. “We are excited about the unprecedented cooperation and collaboration with these premier racetracks. We felt that building this approach shouldn’t be a top down thing, but it would have a much better chance at succeeding if it was generated more in a cooperative spirit.”
America’s Best Racing is a multi-media new fan development and awareness-building platform initiated by The Jockey Club. It is designed to increase the profile and visibility of America’s best Thoroughbred racing events, with a primary focus on the sport’s lifestyle and competition.
