Often the simplest things are overlooked or taken for granted. In the hustle and bustle of the world we move from task to task without taking a few seconds to consider the people who made it all possible. In the horse racing industry, perhaps no group feels more presumed to be a part of the equation than bettors. They are hammered with higher takeout rates than other forms of gambling, sometimes charged for simple admission to the racetrack, often provided subpar or paltry food selections, and potentially subjected to substantial gas and toll costs to attend the races. Could steps be taken to ease the burden on those people who brave the roads to attend the races, or even to those that spend hours during a day handicapping and watching the races from the comfort of their homes? Perhaps. But the likelihood of the model changing is small and even the adjustments we have seen – lowing some takeout rates or eliminating admission costs – were slow to become incorporated. Even today, if you want to attend certain major Standardbred racing events there is a fee to enter. The economics of taking advantage of your major dates with an admission fee are logical and at least most places provide a hat or other giveaway for the fee, so we'll give them a pass. There is a no-cost gesture that management at every track can make to show their gratitude for the people who support their product. Say "thank you" and show the wagering public that you appreciate them. That is exactly what Meadowlands Marketing Coordinator and TV Host Jessica Otten did via Twitter on January 28: "Huge thank you to our horsemen & horse players-over $3.7 million wagered on tonight's 14 race card! #playbigm" Otten agrees that these "love notes" to the people who put on the show and support the product should become more commonplace. "I've done it a few times before. It is important to thank the bettors but also the horsemen who put on the show," said Otten. "As a horseman myself, I realize all of the hard work they put in during the week and without their support there are no races to bet on, there are no bettors, and I don't have a job." Otten is very familiar with how fragile the entire infrastructure is when it comes the harness racing. As a Michigan native she has seen the industry collapse in front of her eyes over the years, with Northville Downs' final program on Saturday night perhaps the last domino to fall in the sequence. "I was fortunate to go back last weekend [January 19/20] and I wasn't really thinking about the closure at the time. When I was there I realized it would be the last time I would get my horse ready or be in the winner's circle there. Between Saginaw, Jackson, Hazel, Sports Creek and now Northville closing, I've seen so many tracks disappear right before my eyes," said Otten, who is holding out hope for the future. "I still believe they will build another track even though Plymouth Township pulled the plug. The whole thing is surreal." Northville Downs, which opened for business on August 4, 1944, saw its record handle of $935,067 in 1986 and set its attendance record of 9,610 way back in 1950. Closing day is expected to be February 3. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter While no amount of "thank yous" will save Northville, one person who always mentions the role of the betting public is current Red Mile VP of Racing & Sports Wagering Operations Gabe Prewitt. Whether he was announcing the races or doing on or off-air handicapping at countless tracks across the U.S. over the last decade, I can't recall a racing card where Prewitt didn't make the effort to thank the bettors. It doesn't matter if the handle was $100,000 at Pompano Park or $5 million at the Meadowlands, Prewitt never forgets the driving force behind the sport. "If we are asking people to put up their hard-earned money into something, the least we can do is thank them," said Prewitt, who called thanking people a lost art. Prewitt said some of his attitude on thanking the bettors began out of necessity because the tracks where he was working were desperate for attention. "Usually we began and got momentum by begging and pleading for attention. By promoting the product and posting on social media we did get new people, and it was free. It doesn't cost anything to say thank you," said Prewitt. "Without the gamblers we have nothing and I think they appreciate the thank you." When Prewitt arrived at Pompano Park in the fall of 2013 he said average daily handle was about $80,000 per night. When the doors closed in April 2022, that number had risen 10x to about $700,000 per card. Once the ball got rolling, on every card you would see a graphic on the live simulcast feed or posted to social media thanking the bettors for their support. "At any given time we knew a closure was on the table at Pompano and the entire staff and horsemen felt like we were sitting in the hourglass as long as we could. Maybe the increased handle bought us a couple of years, I don't know, but at least it made it so we weren't a hindrance to the company," said Prewitt. Searching through social media there are definitely people from many tracks across North America who have said "thanks" to their customers. In late December we found this note from Jeff Zidek, the Track Announcer at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows: "THANK YOU from everyone at @HWoodMeadows to those that played our races today.  Our total handle broke the $1 million mark for 13 races..." Meadowlands COO/GM Jason Settlemoir often thanks the horsemen and bettors for their support on major stakes days/nights. Woodbine Entertainment Executive Chair Jim Lawson has taken to X (Twitter) numerous times to thank the "our loyal customers" after a big weekend of handle. These notes to the general public are important. They show management cares and maybe we need more of that – every night at every track. Not everyone will think a simple "thank you" is enough. There will be the naysayers who will point out all of the mistakes the team at a track may make and complain about takeout or the wagering menu. In many cases these people may be right. Their voices should be heard, but it is much harder to criticize a person or entity that is saying all the right things, even when sometimes they aren't actually doing them. As they say, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.