#Soundbites - what can racing do better in 2026?

Compiled by - Bill Heller

Jamie Ness

Jamie Ness

Great question. I’ve been training for 25 years and it seems like this question keeps popping up. There is no golden answer. There are two sets of individuals that run our business, the owners and the bettors. Without those two, our jobs are dispensable. I think we have to do a little more at the racetracks, recognizing owners, recognizing bettors. Maybe a little more appreciation. Without them, we’re flipping burgers. Give them something. Give them a great parking spot. Is that a big deal? A free Racing Form. If they feel appreciated, they will come back.

Joe Sharp

I would say to react to the issues that we’re having in racing based on horsemanship and what is best for the horse and not on how it’s being perceived by the public and by social media. A lot of things are being done based on how they want the public perception to receive it, and it isn’t always what’s best for the horsemen or the horse.

Wayne Catalano

They’re light on horses everywhere. I don’t think they can do anything about it because the foal crop has always been down. With all these rules, it’s hard to get situated with the rules they put up right now. Everybody’s got to get acclimated within and get on the same page. 

Jim Bond

We have got to get purses up so we can get owners, a chance to break even or make money. Do something in this game right now because the expenses are just outweighing the cost. The reward is just not there. We’ve got to do better getting fans to the track. I know everybody wants to bet on their phones, but I think the pageantry or Saratoga, Keeneland and Del Mar, those tracks just bring people out. I don’t know the right way to do it. I’m not that smart, but I do believe we need a central organization because we’re all just going in too many different directions and we’re not getting it right.

Linda Rice

Boy that’s a tough question. Let me think about that. There’s so many. I don’t know where to start. I think that we have to have a more enthusiastic message for racing, not all doom and gloom. You know we’re very passionate about it and we need to share that passion with the public. I’m hoping that the regulatory bodies are kinder and more forgiving to people that find themselves in the crosshairs and have small innocuous mistakes.

Eoin Harty

I think we need to - and I think it looks like it’s actually happening - make a bigger push to entice younger generations into the sport. Without rejuvenating our fan base, we’re going to be in big trouble. It looks like there’s some - what do they call them - influencers working on it. I think that’s important.

Ron Ellis

Out here in California, we’ve got so many problems. There have been great strides in horse welfare, but I think there needs to be some easing of the regulating vets. They’re killing the field size here in California. Now, they tried putting in those historic racing machines and two days later, the attorney general had them physically removed. Throughout most of my career, our purses were the highest in the country, and racinos started to come in, and now we’re one of the lowest. It’s really hard to compete. Our level of competition hasn’t dropped at all. But the purses have. That’s really not a very sustainable combination.