Record Derby Success Could ‘Influence’ Racing’s Future

One of the key stories of the 151st Derby of Kentucky (G1) in Churchill Downs May 3 was the influencer of social networks Griffin Johnson and his participation with the winner of Arkansas Derby (G1) Sandbox .

Through West Point Thuybre, Johnson is a shareholder in Sandman, who ended seventh in the Derby, as part of the Influencer owned initiative of “A Stake in Stardom” of the United States. In the period prior to the race, Johnson brought his 9.7 million Tiktok, 2.7 million Instagram and 1.6 million followers of followers a look behind the scene to the races.

According to ABR, Johnson made 51 publications on social networks related to Sandman and Derby from March 20 to May 5 (not including Instagram or Snapchat stories). These publications received more than 212.2 million impressions, 3.3 million commitments and 35 million visits. In addition, Johnson appeared in numerous articles and made appearances on television, radio, podcasts and digital broadcasts.

ABR registered the two -week stretch more shocking in the history of the company that leads to Derby thanks to Johnson. ABR experienced a 586% increase in impressions, an increase of 311% in the commitment and a 545% increase in video views. Only around one third of his 503 positions were on Johnson or Sandman, showing how the impact took the derby as a whole.

This exhibition seems to have helped to push Kentucky to the record numbers in the bets and the largest audience of the race since 1989. The senior vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs, Mike Ziegler, said during the session of the Association of Racing International Commissioners of his annual conference that the record numbers were a surprise given as a surprise. Kentucky Derby had been in 2024.

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“If I had to tell me that we were going to be in Derby 150, I would never have believed it,” Ziegler said. “The impact on the social networks of this previous derby was astronomical, exponentially larger than Derby 150. Much of that has to do with Griffin Johnson and the other influential ones who were here for Derby. That is a shocking reality and that is what it is to give to Hears,”

Ziegler joined in the Panel of the Round Table of Pure Blood Race by the President and CEO of West Point, Terry Finley, and the president of the Association of Publication Hinders, Tina Bond. The panel organized in the Triple Crown Room of Churchill Downs was moderated by the owners of Pura Blood and the president of the Association of Breeders that Metzger.

Finley pointed out that many comments on Johnson’s publications were from people in the age range of 18-26 stating that they had seen the derby for the first time and that their parents observed with them.

“When you look at those figures, what was the only thing that was different? It was the explosion of social networks that went far, wide and deep,” said Finley. “I think it’s the first time we really have a case study that we can present to people and say:” Look, we are not guessing, we don’t expect. We are showing you the results. “

Althegh praise was released on Derby Day, both Finley and Bond expressed that sport still needs to see that success extended to the standard race days on lower level tracks to be sustainable in the future. Some of the topics discussed by the panel as causes of the concerns included the cultivation of foal in decline, the decoupling in Florida, a decrease in the operational careers of this century and states such as California Falling Beinde Sour to have.

“For me, it is not a sustainable business model,” said Bond, who raises and runs to horses as Purasanists of Song Hill in New York, about the current state of the races. “Very few of the horses get profits. It is very expensive to do business in New York. It is wonderful in the big days, but (all the small owners and coaches that feed this wonderful sport to help us to this point and grow the sport are needed.”

Finley called the current ecosystem, in which some days of race see the growing success, while other clues fight to stay open, “complex”, but said he encouraged by the passion of all members of the industry.

“When you have that, you have a future,” he said.

If the careers use social networks and the Internet correctly, it could be a way to a brighter future. Finley declared that he believed that the digital kingdom is the most important, profitable and wide marketing of sport.

In a posterior panel entitled “Racing Marketing in today’s competitive world”, Jimmy Chaffin, who works for the promotional initiative of Bond “The Heart of Horse Racing”, called the creation of fans “the first dominoes” that observes the participation on a larger scale.

Bond hopes that this increase in sport exposure to a broader audience will translate in site assistance to the site. She emphasized the importance of experience to convert viewers into fans and sport participants for life. To maintain that possible experience, the industry needs to solve its foal culture in decline, which would help keep a largest number or clues open.

“I think to build true fans, you have to interest them, but they have to have that experience on the track,” Bond said. “If they are not close enough, they are in northern California or are in Florida when the clues are gone, where are they going to get that experience? We have to bring people, but we have the sport, they build the sport, the sport jumps, they build the sport. We have to have the experience to want to be part of this.

In the period prior to Derby, Johnson associated with Twinspirs to offer promotions to bet on sport. Five days after the derby, the link is still shown in its Tiktok profile.

“That is a way to put it in someone’s hands so they can bet or learn about a horse,” said Finley. “Or for the course you want them to arrive at the pavilion. Equal important, I would say it is more important, they are registered to bet.”

The more money moves, the more money you will get to support the high portfolios. The highest purses, the higher it is an incentive to possess. The high incentive to possess, the greatest demand for horses to be raised.

“Getting to bet last Saturday is much easier than to bet today,” Ziegler said. “If our Twinspire team, along with the world’s Griffin of the world, is doing their job correctly, we can keep the people who register in accounts during the weekend (Derby) who stay with the game. If we can get any small percentage of them so that they stay, then we” “” “”. “

This increase in exposure through the game could generate interest in property and reproduction as those who join the industry learn more about it.

Bond and Chaffin joined in the marketing panel by the member of the Light Up Price Bell Board Member of Mill Ridge Farm. The Light Up Racing mission is to be a united voice for the industry to counteract the wrong information about the industry that extends online, a mission that Bell believes that influential ones like Johnson can also help to achieve.

“(Sport) has been playing a non-communication/reaction-response game, we are trying to make the transition more to a proactive campaign, preventive preparation and awareness,” said Bell. “Make sure that people like Griffin, who have these influence campaigns, know the facts about the races. They can quickly say that they are their followers, when they say that the races kill the horses, ‘you say:’ No, Hassual Real, Hasseual, Hassular, Hassular, Hassux, you haveular, you have, Hazaular, Hazaulare Done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, he has done, Done, has done, has done.

Chaffin showed a study in which people were asho that were more likely to believe when receiving information. Seventy -four percent of people said they would trust the information of people who believe they are like them, the highest percentage together with scientists. That supported his reasoning of why using influential people to promote careers was an important step.

“Authenticity, the genuine emotional response, without writing, letting people be people,” said Chaffin. “It is one of the reasons why the influencers do so well. I love everything Griffin was doing last weekend. We need 10 more graffins. Guess what, there are one hundred and Griffins, a more tapo thought out there.”