At The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference, horse racing enthusiasts Griffin Johnson and Steve Kornacki shared strategies to attract new fans to the sport. Johnson, leveraging his social media influence and minority ownership of the Kentucky Derby contender Sandman, emphasized storytelling through digital platforms to demystify racing and engage a younger, more diverse audience. His behind-the-scenes content reached over 200 million people, helping break down barriers for newcomers by showing that it’s okay not to know all the details initially and highlighting the sport’s fun and passion. Johnson plans to expand these efforts with major racing organizations, encouraging the use of social media as a tool to share racing’s excitement and its commitment to horse safety and aftercare.

Kornacki, known for his election coverage and racing insights, stressed the importance of live experiences at racetracks to introduce people to the sport’s tradition and atmosphere. He advocates bringing friends and family to local tracks to witness firsthand the excitement and community spirit, which he believes is the most effective way to change misconceptions and foster appreciation. Both speakers underscored the passion of racing’s fans as a key strength and called on the community to actively share that enthusiasm to grow the sport’s fanbase.