In response to requests from Jessica and Winston:

An audience member asked about the possibility of Trackus coming to New York. Trackus, also known as dancing Chiclets (OK, maybe only by me), allows viewers to see the order of horses throughout a race by displaying saddlecloth-colored squares at the bottom of the televised (on- and off-track) race; the information is transmitted through a computer chip in the saddlecloth. They are currently in use at Keeneland and Woodbine, and perhaps elsewhere?

Hayward said that he’d like to do it, but that costs currently prohibit it. The system costs $75,000 per track to install and carries with it a $2,000 daily operating fee, without any significant return on investment—once installed, Trackus will not bring any additional revenue to NYRA. And when considered in light of other capital needs, such as maintenance of the turf course and improving the living conditions of backstretch workers, Trackus doesn’t head the priority list. Hayward was clearly enthusiastic, but also clear that it’s not a possibility for now.

Another audience member asked about establishing a program for would-be trainers in New York, noting that nothing here exists similar to the program at the University of Arizona, which offers a degree in race track management. Nick Zito talked about beginning as a hotwalker and working his way up as a groom, and the long road towards being a trainer, noting that he didn’t come from a racing family and thus didn’t have any connections to help him along the way. He and Charles Hayward agreed that such a program would be an asset to New York racing, commenting on the slow disappearance of small training outfits, given that “demanding owners” want big-name trainers, and that mentoring opportunities in the training business don’t exist as they used to.

Hope that helps, and thanks for reading and commenting. I really hope that there are no typos in here, but thanks in advance to anyone who’s editing better than I am these days…