TJC Round Table: Janney Sees International Opportunity

In closing remarks at the 71st Annual Jockey Club Round Table on Matters Pertaining to Racing Aug. 3 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., The Jockey Club chairman Stuart Janney III told the sport's leadership that it's time to embrace a more global perspective.

Janney cited examples like increased international Breeders' Cup participation (both in horses and wagering), growth of the World Pool, and more television hours devoted to foreign races as evidence of where the future lies.

"Racing is global and, thankfully, in many parts of the world the sport is thriving," Janney said.

Recent research places horse racing as the third-most popular sport in the world, behind only soccer and basketball. 

"This is really the top of the iceberg," Janney said, suggesting U.S. racing can share in more of the international market now that it has implemented rules that more closely adhere to international standards through the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

Janney's comments wrapped a morning of speakers and panels that focused heavily on better use of data and analytics, in addition to the themes of safety and fairness that have dominated the gathering in recent years. With The Jockey Club-backed HISA finally in place (and the related legal challenges running out of paths to success), this year's Round Table agenda benefitted from some breathing room, allowing for the examination of a wider array of critical issues—not to mention opportunities—for the sport. 

"We need to get past the concerns that we are constantly in turmoil," Janney said, before appealing to all segments of the industry to contribute to America's Best Racing, a marketing and fan education initiative through The Jockey Club that has driven new engagement, especially with younger fans, through social media and marketing campaigns. 

In addition to its invited guests, the Round Table is an opportunity for The Jockey Club— the official Thoroughbred breed registry—to update industry partners and decision-makers on its initiatives. The organization's many subsidiaries include InCompass Solutions, Equibase, America's Best Racing, and charitable organizations like The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. The Jockey Club also owns a majority of BloodHorse.

Kristin Werner, senior counsel at The Jockey Club, announced that the process for permanently retiring a Thoroughbred from racing will now be offered digitally. In addition, digital certificates will allow for easier and more accurate tracing of the whereabouts of retired and inactive racehorses.

Werner also unveiled new recommendations from The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Safety Committee. While the committee does not have rule-making authority, its recommendations can serve as models and catalysts for change. To that end, the committee suggests that jurisdictions implement formal intervention strategies when a trainer's horses experience multiple fatal injuries. While a time period was not specified, Werner emphasized that the interventions are "not intended to be punitive" and instead are about implementing opportunities for improvement such as "continuing education, rest, diagnostics, and veterinary consultation and care."

The safety committee has also recommended improved reporting of racetrack surface diagnostics, which reinforces existing HISA requirements. 

"The Jockey Club recommends exploring the best methods for providing the racing surface data to the horsemen and public, including through an app, website, or other electronic feed," Werner said. "As with all of its recommendations, The Jockey Club will help provide resources to ensure this recommendation is met."

Later in the program, Kyle McDoniel, the recently appointed president and COO of Equibase, said he wants to apply his experience at ESPN and in sports betting with SportsRadar, the world's leading sports data collection service, to expand the applications of data beyond its traditional uses. 

"U.S. professional sports leagues are most interested in this data to enhance the storytelling to drive more interest and ultimately increase television ratings and fan engagement—including wagering," he said. "These are the concepts we must consider as we think about how data can be used to grow interest in horse racing."