Horseracing, the sport of kings, needs more punters and fewer drugs
Why America’s racetracks face long odds
“IT’S A WIN-WIN,” says Zach Noren, who is visiting Belmont Park, a racetrack on the border of Long Island and New York City, with his three-year-old son Jack. “He likes the horses and I like to bet.” Mr Noren normally pays attention to the “ponies” only for Triple Crown events, like the Kentucky Derby. This is not unusual. There were few punters at Belmont on a recent Sunday afternoon. The virus may have made people wary of placing a flutter in person, but interest in racing has been dwindling for years.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Off-track”
United States June 5th 2021
- Liberals and crime spikes
- The January 6th commission and the two main weaknesses of America’s democracy
- Congress is set to make a down-payment on innovation in America
- The pandemic pushed more Americans to try out van life
- Horseracing, the sport of kings, needs more punters and fewer drugs
- Hispanic Americans are most vulnerable to covid-19
- Fewer Americans are going hungry
- Who owns the national pastime?
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