By HorseplayerNOW.com Night School host Joe Kristufek
If you truly love horse racing, and have ideas on how to make it better, tonight’s special edition of Night School is for you.
Night School, the racing industry's national online fan education program, welcomes more than a dozen major executives and horse racing newsmakers tonight for a first-of-its-kind Town Hall Meeting. The season's 32nd of 40 Night School lesson plans begins at 8:30 p.m. (ET) and will put racing fans in direct contact with those who shape the industry.
Set a reminder and join FREE horse racing Night School fan education here.
Panelists on the 90-minute program include executives from leading industry and fan-based organizations, racetracks, online wagering companies, owners/breeders, television networks and print media. The session—to be moderated by Churchill Downs handicapper and Night School regular Jill Byrne—will include live polling of the fans on pertinent topics, a discussion among the executives on how to improve the game, and a Q&A with the fans and panelists. Those scheduled to appear in the live chat include:
- Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association;
- Trey Buck, executive director of racing for the American Quarter Horse Association;
- Jason Wilson, vice president of business development for The Jockey Club;
- Tom Chuckas, president of the Maryland Jockey Club;
- Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of the Stronach Group/president and general manager of Gulfstream Park;
- Jim Miller, assistant general manager of Hawthorne Race Course;
- Mandy Minger, vice president/marketing of Daily Racing Form;
- Amy Zimmerman, Eclipse Award-winning executive producer for HRTV;
- Jeff Platt, president of the Horseplayers Association of North America;
- Jennie Rees, Eclipse Award-winning turf writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal;
- John DeSantis, senior vice president/editor for Xpressbet;
- Jeremy Clemons, vice president/marketing for Twinspires;
- Satish Sanan, Breeders' Cup-winning owner/breeder of Padua Stables.
Tonight’s guests are in a position to make a difference, and they come from various factions of the sport. It will be interesting to hear their position on certain issues, and vision for the future in today’s competitive entertainment market.
Some of the questions that will be addressed in the panelist discussion include:
Who are your/our customers?
What does the industry need to do to get new customers/grow the fan base?
What is the industry doing right?
What does the industry need to improve on?
Give us one low cost/no cost item/idea that can be implemented tomorrow?
This edition of Night School is all about the future of the game, and its lifeblood -- YOU -- THE FAN!
We want YOU to participate. Ask the tough question. Give YOUR opinion and offer ideas that can improve the game we all love so much!
This week's Night School will be followed by another "After Night School Special," featuring live racing from Mountaineer Park, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET. The segment will cover the evening's final race in real time with free, live-streaming video and complimentary Daily Racing Form past performances.
Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Inc. and Daily Racing Form. Tuesday's session will be the 32nd of 40 Night School lesson plans throughout the 2012 season, which continues through November.
The Tuesday, September 18 episode of Night School discusses “Getting Into, featuring top racetrack executives from across the country. Race fans will be will have a direct pipeline to the decision-makers, with the ability to offer suggestions on how to improve the on-track experience, cater to the horseplayer, grow the fan base and strengthen the game.
This week's study materials, courtesy of Horse Player NOW.
This week's Night School preview video with Caton Bredar, Joe Kristufek and Jeremy Plonk
