The Canadian Sportsman

With the stakes season now hibernating for the winter, so begins another long season of "How to Save the Industry" discourse. This annual tradition is equal parts disheartening, depressing and completely necessary.
 
We all know that we need to draw younger people into the game – after all, we discuss it every year around this time, along with improving the gambling product, keeping the stars on the track, expanding marketing budgets and the rest of the usual suspects.
 
Of our biggest problems, I have always been most intrigued by the graying of our participants and the efforts to attract the next generation.
 
Last month, I visited Diamond Creek Farm in Georgetown, KY and spoke with breeder Adam Bowden for a feature story in The Sportman.  During the interview, I asked Bowden, 28, how much the larger issues facing the industry, such as our aging population, weigh on his mind.
 
"As for owners getting out of the business or the people in the business getting too old, I think that happens every generation and then you get new faces in the game," he said, adding that he is encouraged when he looks around and sees a number of young people, including trainer Frank Antonacci, driver Tim Tetrick and owner Adam Victor, Jr. occupying roles at the highest levels of the sport.
 
"There are plenty of young people in the game. I think it's just hard to see older people leave because they've been around for so long. It was hard to see farms like Yankeeland or Armstrong Bros. close. It's hard because they've been staples of the industry, but that's part of life."
 
When I asked if his philosophy is a product of his younger mindset or because time is on his side, Bowden was unequivocal in his response.
 
"No," he said. "I'm probably just optimistic. I just maybe think things are better than they are."
 
Well, I'm optimistic, too, and agree that I also see a lot of young leaders on the Canadian side when it comes to the four pillars — owners, breeders, trainers and drivers. From Jody Jamieson, who is not only our leading driver but also a successful owner, to Seelster Farms' young leadership and exuberant driver Scott Zeron, I think we are in good hands.
 
Sadly, we aren't in such good shape when it comes to the next generation of fans and bettors.
 
I've been on the record in my glowing support of the various youth camp programs and how, at least at the grassroots level, they have been successful in grabbing and holding the interest of youngsters in the game. Programs like these require a firm belief in Tortoise v. Hare — that slow and steady will eventually win the race.
 
But are these kids more likely to grow up to be horsepeople or fans/bettors? Time will tell.
 
As for a solution that is both faster-acting and more far-reaching, I'm neither smart enough to come up with a novel cure-all idea nor powerful enough to implement it if I did. But I'm a big fan of trying to build on the many good ideas that already exist in one incarnation or another. That's the jumping point behind our newest blog, "Small Victories", where we are keeping a running list of good things happening around us and examining possible avenues for future progress.
 
To that end, we recently listed Standardbred Canada's National Handicapping Championship as a 'Small Victory'. The well-run contest with a guaranteed $25,000 grand prize is a step in the right direction when it comes to generating a little interest on the betting side. But could it be expanded and used to introduce or entice some younger bettors?
 
The thought of a youth gambling camp for 11 to 13-year-olds is probably not going to fly, but what about a second division of the Handicapping Championships restricted to entrants under 25 or 30 years of age?
 
I'm well aware that the kids like poker these days and all kinds of other immediate gratification, but a significant grand prize, say $10,000, isn't chump change for most college-aged kids.
 
Can a small victory become a bigger one? I think so. There I go being optimistic again.

You never know what kind of debate you are going to get into over a pitcher of beer with a couple of friends.

“I think if I could change one thing about myself it would be my bladder,” said a friend, recently, who was immediately mocked by the others at the table for his out-of-the-blue comment.

What you would change about yourself if you could is right up there with other popular ‘what-if’ games such as, ‘How will I spend my lottery winnings’ and ‘What would I do if I was granted three wishes’. I’m sure everyone has a little something about them that they wish a fairy godmother could amend, but something struck the others at the table funny about a guy who would burn his personal get-out-of-jail-free card on something as seemingly insignificant as a larger bladder.

“Are you kidding me?” he protested. “Nothing could possibly have a bigger impact on my life — I could sleep in late and not be interrupted, drive for hours without any pit stops, make it through a pint of beer without having the hassle of walking all the way to the restroom… it would be life-changing,” he said, adamantly.

Despite his passion and commitment to the idea, he was immediately shouted down by a chorus of skeptics, who were not convinced that he had given his choice nearly enough thought.

Within 60 seconds, many alternatives were presented for his consideration:

“Wouldn’t you rather have a rocket arm so you could throw a 100 mph fastball?”
“No.”

“What about the speed of a cheetah – be the fastest man alive?”
“Nope.”

“Wouldn’t you like to be taller or have more hair?”
“Don’t care.”

“How about an Irish or Scottish accent that would make the ladies swoon?”
“Whatever.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have laser vision or at least 20/20 so you could ditch your glasses?”
“No.”

“I’m telling you it’s the bladder. Hands down, no question,” he said, rising from the table, en route to the men’s room.

The latest installment from my weekly Guelph Mercury column...

A little over a month ago, driver Jody Jamieson of Cambridge was dripping mud on the carpet in the spartan drivers' room at The Red Mile in Kentucky. On the other side of the window, the famous red-clay oval had become a soup bowl in the steady downpour.

Pulling off his goggles, Jamieson looked like a guy that fell asleep at the beach wearing sunglasses. About the only other clean inch or two was a satisfied smile.
The thrill of the chase has a funny way of cutting through fatigue.

By all rights, Jamieson should be tired by now in his quest to claim the North American win title for drivers in 2009. But he doesn't look it. He said he hit his stride in the summer on the circuit between Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville and Flamboro and Georgian Downs. As of yesterday, Double-J led the continent with 687 wins, just 11 ahead of U.S.-based driver Jason Bartlett in 205 fewer starts.

Jamieson, who turned 33 on Nov. 6, leads Canada's dash chase by 202 victories over Brad Forward of Woodstock. Jamieson has already set a personal best for wins in a year, surpassing the 587 he recorded in 2006.

It's been a banner year in the earnings department, too. Jamieson tops Canada with just under $10 million purse earnings to his credit, which is nearly a career best and more than $3 million more than the nation's next closest money driver, Randy Waples of Milton.

Now Jamieson is gunning for a new mark for wins in a single year on Canadian soil. His friend Mark MacDonald of Cambridge set the standard of 741 in 2006.

"I feel good. I'm going to the racetrack with a great attitude and looking to race," Jamieson said.

For a man already established as one of Canada's best drivers — if not the best - all this win-chasing seems counterintuitive at first.

The normal procedure is young-up-and-coming driver puts himself through the ringer, driving anywhere and everywhere he can for about five years to get noticed and gain the respect of trainers. Then, once established, the driver settles into a more reasonable schedule at a big-name track and races less often for more money.

Jamieson did all that, reaching the pinnacle in 2007 when Tell All topped the pacing world and Jamieson was named Canada's driver of the year.
Yet, Jamieson didn't, necessarily, find himself at the top of the driving heap. He decided to hit the reset button.

"I think it was because I had my own horses. I owned Santanna (Blue Chip) and I owned Federal Flex. No one even considered me (to drive) because they knew I owned Santanna," Jamieson said.

He knows people question his methods, he knows people think winning the dash title is a pointless pursuit when there are more important barometers of greatness — namely money and big stakes wins — but Jamieson is correct when he says the chase has had the intended impact of keeping him sharp and his name in the news.

Besides, part of the point was to take advantage of his relative youth and the fact race dates are still plentiful.

"Maybe when I'm in my prime, if I'm not now, I'm not going to have the same opportunities to win 800, 700, 600 races in a year," he said.