by Bob Carson

Editor’s Note: The USTA website is pleased to present freelance writer Bob Carson and his popular “Outside the Box” features. This monthly series is a menu of outlandish proposals presented with a wink — but the purpose behind them is serious. The views contained in this column are that of the author alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of the United States Trotting Association.

“Time expands, then contracts, all in tune with the stirrings of the heart.” — Haruki Murakami

Bob Carson

Harness horse racing has the extraordinary ability to manipulate time. Should we decide to sanction the power, any race secretary can easily make a 1:56 horse a prohibitive favorite or a hopeless longshot in a race. We should capitalize on this ability for a very select few.

Young talent is great. Young talent is exciting. But old talent is better for marketing because the customer has had years to identify with the performer or competitor. A great performer is much more bankable and marketable than a great performance. A great performer is a hook that customers will latch onto and hang onto. Nothing personal — it’s business.

True greatness requires longevity. Sports fans especially appreciate warhorses that play on as the years roll past and the reflexes slow.

John McEnroe is 50. His fellow Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg is 56. Last night, while channel surfing, I paused to watch McEnroe spin his serve to Borg in a live event. The match was a spirited affair and I would consider buying a ticket if the Legends Tour came to my town.

At this moment, Sam Querrey and John Isner are the top ranked American tennis players, amazing players, players who today could rout Mac and Bjorn without working up a sweat. The new players are a harder sell for the simple reason that most of us could not pick them out of a police lineup.

Autumn Ryan graphic

In baseball, Roger Clemens pitched 30 years. Teams did not pay Clemens multiple millions each summer to come out of his umpteenth retirement to win a handful of ballgames. They knew people loved to watch a warhorse — even as he approached 50 and even as his skills eroded. Should “The Rocket” decide to toe the rubber for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Independent Atlantic League next Tuesday, Roger could pull eyes to the screen and fannies to the seats.

Our harness racing champions rarely circle the ovals for more than a few fleeting years. No matter how great a champion, you need more than a couple of years to become truly famous. It is not plowing new ground to suggest that if a few of our great horses trotted or paced on and on, harness racing would have some stars that could be marketed.

Let’s make a concerted effort to keep at least a couple of our warhorses on the track. This should be easier for harness horse racing than other sports — because, in some respects, we have that intriguing ability to stop time.

The twist on this pitch is that we make sure that our marketable star only races in situations where the legendary horse is a slight favorite. We are looking for marketability; we are not looking for record times. We are focusing on putting on a good show. Here are a few thoughts on how this could be accomplished.

First, we need to identify the select few. The rare performer we decide to classify as a “Legacy” horse needs to be special, really special, without a doubt a former champion. The legendary classification would require a mixture of ingredients: durability, that indefinable “star-quality,” perhaps compelling back stories, and ownership that is willing. Maybe one horse every few years; it is hard to predict when the next wunderkind will appear, but they will. When we find one, let’s tilt the racing field to reward longevity.

“Legacy” horses would have purses and races specially tailored to their present ability. Race secretaries could have free rein to write races designed to maximize the attention and interest in the race. The race should always give an edge to the star and include a purse worth racing for; they should be ultra competitive affairs regardless of the speed ratings.

The races should never be exhibitions. Last time I watched, Roger Clements and John McEnroe were not vamping; they were playing their ancient hearts out and trying very hard to win. Our “Legacy” horses will always be involved in a serious (albeit) slower race. The horse will race a regular schedule with traditional charted lines. This harness horse race should be a good betting race and hopefully increase the pools.

This horse was born and bred to race. To me, the “I would never embarrass this horse” argument has always rung hollow. If the horse is healthy and loves the game, he will not be “embarrassed” if he is placed in the proper situation. Horses appear to know when they win or lose, but few have been sited with stopwatches.

What is embarrassing about a horse that raced a 1:50 mile as a 3-year-old, now racing a solid competitive race as a 10-year-old at any speed? A 50-year-old McEnroe looked mad when he could not reach a volley, but he never appeared embarrassed — because he was in a competitive situation.

Racetracks should reward the “Legacy” horse with appearance fees and preferred post positions. Fellow competitors will not complain because they will be racing for a larger purse and the glory of being in a race with a legend.

A very famous horse coming to town is a story that can be sold outside the racing choir because a famous horse arrives with a back-story and is a new item on the entertainment menu.

The longer these star horses race (and win, even in lesser competition), the larger their legend can grow. People are not stupid. They do not expect a warhorse to race world record times. Fans and customers can easily scale back expectations and adjust wagering patterns.

Suppose a legendary horse comes to your local racetrack at age nine. He is placed in a competitive race to his present abilities. The customers want a well-promoted, well-attended hotly contested horse race. Hopefully, the star wins by a nose. Does it matter if the timer reads 1:56 or 2:01? Not to me. Not to most customers. We want a good show, and the show will be better if a legendary star is in the lineup.

We don’t want to get ridiculous; the end of the road looms for everyone, McEnroe, Roger and Shady Daisy. The problem in our speed-obsessed sport is that harness racing pushes our stars off the stage too quickly. Other sports seem to realize that these legends have value and they find ways to monetize them.

Why not join the fun by taking one of our top harness horse stars of the moment, give them six or seven more years on the stage and let them marinate in the spotlight for as long as possible.

It’s just good business. And it is about time.