Letter to the Editor: Jason Wilson

I am writing in response to the Open Letter to the Industry by the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TDN, April 18) :

This has been a challenging time for horse racing and the country as a whole. As sports shut down last month, Equibase examined what it could do to help support efforts to promote horse racing. With expanded television coverage on FOX Sports and NBC Sports, potential new fans are being exposed to horse racing in unprecedented ways. We have been working with NYRA to provide free past performance products in support of its America's Day at the Races programming on FOX Sports, and we are evaluating ways for other tracks to provide past performance information digitally. In addition, we recognized that all betting would be done online through advanced deposit wagering companies because there are no spectators allowed at tracks. These companies typically provide free past performance data to their customers, and over the past month the level of free past performance products has almost doubled on some of these platforms. As such, the marketplace is already providing this benefit to racing's customers.

Traditional past performances can be daunting to new customers, so since Mar. 19 Equibase has offered free selections and STATS True Odds to customers. This offer has been promoted through America's Best Racing as well as televised racing shows on TVG, FOX Sports and NBC Sports. As racetracks reopen, we will continue to find ways to support their efforts to get information into the hands of their customers in light of the fact that they will be watching from home for the foreseeable future.

Jason Wilson
President & COO
Equibase Company LLC