Inspiration can arrive at any moment. While watching CBS Sunday Morning (an excellent show for those that haven’t tried it) there was a segment about a ‘Secret Santa’ who roams the United States and gives out $100 bills to random people in the spirit of the holiday to make their lives just a bit easier. My mind quickly shifted to Harness Racing, because let’s face it, I think about the sport nearly non-stop in one form or another. What if drivers and trainers randomly roamed the grandstand in the racing nights leading up to the holiday to hand out $20-$50 betting vouchers to the people? Yeah, tracks typically have some giveaways around the holidays, but this would be different. Now you have a regular ‘Joe” who happened to visit the track that night getting a personal interaction with one of the stars of the sport. Maybe he goes home and tells a friend that he was simply walking around the grandstand and Yannick Gingras or Jimmy Takter came up to him dressed in his colors and handed him a betting voucher. How cool is that? Each driver/trainer could take a race or two off that night so he/she can roam the track apron or restaurant. Talk to the people; share a laugh. It’s all about creating goodwill and removing the barriers between the grandstand and the paddock. Another idea is to have a ‘kid’s night’ at the track, and it doesn’t have to be during the holidays. Advertise that all kids in attendance get a free toy. Maybe you could section off an area of the track and show a kids movie to occupy them while the parents watch some races. Then you halt the races after the movie, about halfway through the card, and have the top drivers and trainers come from the paddock to hand out the toys to the kids and meet the parents. You want a younger audience and new fans? I just provided an easy way to give a group of kids a positive experience at the track. Getting back to the original idea of handing out vouchers, why can’t we extend the concept of horsemen interaction to a broader audience? What if we took Yannick Gingras, Tim Tetrick, Jason Bartlett, Jimmy Takter, Ron Burke, and others to Times Square in their colors? We coordinate with the state to set up a booth with a big screen showing harness racing and the horsemen chat with the crowd and give out free gift cards and mystery vouchers for Yonkers and/or The Meadowlands. This could work in any city center around a track. Trace Tetrick and Ricky Macomber Jr. could do something in a local mall in Anderson, Indiana. Or maybe they go to Indianapolis? Sure, it would cost a handful of horsemen some personal time, but isn’t it worth it to increase exposure for the sport? If there is one thing I’ve learned over the last 20 years, it is that people who know nothing about horse racing are generally intrigued when I mention what I do for a living. They want to hear more about it and always remark how interesting my job must be. With that in mind, maybe it is time we stop waiting for the people to show up at the track, because they aren’t coming on their own, and start bringing a piece of the track to the people. Let’s pique their curiosity by showing up where they don’t expect it and wow them with stories about the why racing is great. Public speaking isn’t for everyone, but I’m certain if you stick Yannick Gingras or Corey Callahan in Times Square, they will talk at least a few people into showing up at the track. Even better, maybe part of the lure is that people get to spend a night at the races with the horsemen they spoke to on the street. That driver or trainer has to take the night off to spend it with their new “friends” and potential future customers. It’s all about creating relationships. You can’t meet people if you never leave your house and you can’t get a job without going on an interview. We aren’t getting more customers hanging out at the track. Let’s go find them!