What Does the USTA Do With the Money.....

[Ponder]

That appears on the weekly USTA Fines & Suspensions page? This looks like a pretty significant amount of money, and I'm curious to know where it goes. It should go towards marketing of the sport, but I doubt it...

[trotter2229]

That appears on the weekly USTA Fines & Suspensions page? This looks like a pretty significant amount of money, and I'm curious to know where it goes. It should go towards marketing of the sport, but I doubt it...

You are right on with the comment that money should be used for marketing, this industry has to be so much better marketing itself. i saw that Stadnardbred Canada has an interesting initiative to do this with a share of purse money.

Standardbred Canada today announced the development of a comprehensive plan to revitalize Ontario’s harness racing industry. And we need your help!

The formation of the Ontario Racing Development and Sustainability Plan has been in the works for well over a year and is the result of two Wagering Conferences, months of consultation with industry stakeholders, and numerous committee meetings emanating in part from SC’s Wagering Action Plan.

The concept is to establish, fund and execute an aggressive plan aimed at making Ontario harness racing self-sufficient through a concerted investment in development, technology, marketing and advocacy. The plan, which calls for a 5% levy taken from the Ontario purse pool, is outlined below.

Standardbred Canada will be hosting meetings of horse people and stakeholders across the province during the month of August to fully explain the Racing Development and Sustainability Plan and to answer any questions on its funding and implementation.

Jody Jamieson is one of the champions driving the plan. “Every person in this industry has tremendous passion for what they do,” said Jamieson. “Each of them hopes for the long-term success of harness racing in this province. It’s time for all of us to step up and make a real investment in the future of our sport.”

“I am asking every horseperson in Ontario to take responsibility and show their support for reinvesting in their future by signing the Racing Sustainability and Reinvestment Plan petition. The future of the industry we work in, love and are passionate about starts today, with a signature of support,” he continued.

“The timing has never been better for this project to get off the ground,” stated John Gallinger, president of Standardbred Canada. “Many in this industry are looking at the tenuous nature of harness racing in what were some of our previously strongest jurisdictions. The industry is in need of a comprehensive framework that focuses on real development and growth. This plan deals with the sport’s most critical issues, and the areas with the most potential for true long-term renewal – wagering, development and marketing.”

Racing Development and Sustainability Plan

The Concept

The RDSP will be an investment by Ontario’s horse owners and horse people through a 5% levy taken directly from the Ontario standardbred purse pool.

Funds will be managed and administered by an Ontario division of Standardbred Canada. Budgets will be reported separately, be fully transparent, audited and available and published annually.

Current Ontario purse pool: Approximately: $180 million.

Projects

Wagering Development to include:

Ontario Racing Products – (i.e. Canada One)
Lottery Wager
Expanded distribution
Betting Exchange Platform
New Wagering Products
Handicapping programs, leagues, championships, etc.
Consumer Marketing & Development Projects:

New Racing Products
Ontario Racing Festival
Fan Experience & Education
Fair Racing Revitalization
Publicity & Public Relations
Provincial Branding
Management

An “Ontario division” of Standardbred Canada will manage the Plan.

The Ontario division would be comprised of an Oversight Committee of the following:

4 Horsemen's Association Representatives (chosen from Ontario's horsemen's groups)
3 elected SC Active Directors (owners, trainers, drivers)
1 elected SC Racetrack Director
1 elected SC Breeder Director
Non voting members

1 Standardbred Canada Management
1 Standardbred Canada Chairperson
Time Lines

August to October – Have individuals sign an online or in-person petition with their support of the model.
October, 2010 – Submit signatures and business plan to the Ontario Racing Commission
October, 2010 to December, 2010 – ORC review and approval
January, 2011 – Funding to begin flowing.
To view the Racing Development and Sustainability Plan Frequently Asked Questions page, click here.

[Allan]

That appears on the weekly USTA Fines & Suspensions page? This looks like a pretty significant amount of money, and I'm curious to know where it goes. It should go towards marketing of the sport, but I doubt it...

The USTA doesn't get this money. Basically the USTA Fines & Suspensions list is a compiliation of the fines and suspensions handed out by the various state racing commissions and judges at the local tracks (if sent to the USTA). The money goes to the various states who issued the fine and probably is used to pay for racing commission expenses such as drug testing.

[Joe Fitz]

Canada has a big advantage over the US when it comes to establishing an overall vision for the sport and bringing that to fruition. In the US, you have all these contiguous little fiefdoms competing with each other for the gaming dollars; they all have their own version of the rules and their own self-serving politicians making the calls on the big issues: New York vs New Jersey vs Pennsylvania. The Provinces are bigger in Canada to the point where the tracks aren't really competing for the same dollars. There's more elbow room up there. The USTA would love to impose an overall plan on the sport throughout the US but the political and business leaders don't work well with others.

[Allan]

Let's not kid ourselves, Ontario is harness racing in Canada. The Maritimes have a significant racing calendar, but it is truly minor league, on the level of fair racing (no disrespect intended, I admire the Maritime racing program). The other provinces have small seasonal programs.

The problem is there is no local market. With simulcasting, each race track is national. That is why too much racing is killing racing. The little handle that harness racing gets is being split between multiple tracks on a given night. For example, midweek there are eleven harness tracks operating in the United States today. In a national market, do we need eleven tracks operating on the same day?