Why did T-Breds remain popular & Harness go down tubes ?

[The Exporter]

T-breds have always had a popularity and handle ratio of about 10.1 over harness. Don't kid yourself, T=breds are experiencing the same downturn in both categories , just as harness. Yes, there are the boutique meets and facilities, Saratoga, Keenland and De mar. But they have lost small venues and are losing more. Bay Meadows will close after this meet.
Their foal population is way down, too. Let's face it, the sport of horse racing is literally dying off. The fan base ages and the young ones are not the least bit interested.
 I will be long gone before the game can turn the trend if at all.

[talkstohisself]

T-breds have always had a popularity and handle ratio of about 10.1 over harness. Don't kid yourself, T=breds are experiencing the same downturn in both categories , just as harness. Yes, there are the boutique meets and facilities, Saratoga, Keenland and De mar. But they have lost small venues and are losing more. Bay Meadows will close after this meet.
Their foal population is way down, too. Let's face it, the sport of horse racing is literally dying off. The fan base ages and the young ones are not the least bit interested.
 I will be long gone before the game can turn the trend if at all.

BEST POSt on this subject yet. Too many other gambling options are legally available.InEurop e they have been racing small meets for years. Nothing is forever. US racing hasn't changed its business to stay competitive.

[wisha roder]

T-breds have always had a popularity and handle ratio of about 10.1 over harness. Don't kid yourself, T=breds are experiencing the same downturn in both categories , just as harness. Yes, there are the boutique meets and facilities, Saratoga, Keenland and De mar. But they have lost small venues and are losing more. Bay Meadows will close after this meet.
Their foal population is way down, too. Let's face it, the sport of horse racing is literally dying off. The fan base ages and the young ones are not the least bit interested.
 I will be long gone before the game can turn the trend if at all.

Good post, but i will argue with the first sentence.  It has been a long time ago, but harness racing was the number one sport in the United States and baseball a distant second according to several accounts i've read up until about the 1920's or so.  Remember, families all got around by driving horses and we're not talking about t-breds, lol.  Harness racing was very popular and the match races beget the county fairs.  When you weren't driving your horse you were probably using it to plows your fields...and there again they certainly didn't use t-breds for that. The invention of automobiles changed all of that eventually and as the older population who grew up with horses has died off, racing isn't near as attractive to the younger generations who grew up in front of a tv.

[Halliday]

I do believe that in the future we will see some thoroughbred tracks, transition to harness tracks, if they must have horse racing, in order to have the casino. It is much cheaper to put on a standardbred meet then it is a thoroughbred meet.

[The Exporter]

Quarter Horse racing is less expensive to stage than T-breds and Standard.

[wiseowl]

Bay Meadows has been gone for a long time liked racing there in the late 70's.

[Generation XYZ]

Quarter Horse racing is less expensive to stage than T-breds and Standard.

Remember when they had a quarter horse meet at the Red Mile back in the early 2000's

[Newt Lobell]

Lotteries and casinos are a big factor to the 40 year decline in harness racing. More night time gambling options.

Unfortunately, harness racing is following jai-alai to its grave.

[theokodjak26]

Jai Alai is already six feet under. The few remaining frontons are generally near empty and their betting handles are non-existent. What a difference from I went to college in Miami where on a Saturday night at Miami Jai Alai the place was sold out and the excitement approached a Super Bowl.

[Stan durbread]

Remember when they had a quarter horse meet at the Red Mile back in the early 2000's

They had a 1/4 horse meet there last spring