In a new TDN series, we are asking the industry what is racing's biggest problem, and what is the solution to that problem. Today, Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy joins us to offer his perspective.What do you think is racing's biggest problem? I think the biggest problem is that our industry is not speaking as one. Consolidation, where we have everybody singing off the same hymn sheet, is critical. It's difficult to get all the racetracks on the same page and to operate with the same principles, and with a country as diverse as the US, it's even more challenging. I think we need to look at our industry in far broader scale that we're not always competing against each other. Most major sports franchises and industries have to work as a collective, knowing that if we succeed, you succeed.As well as that, I think there's been a lack of incentive to bring people to the racetrack, to develop an understanding of our sport. Obviously, we want people to be able to watch and bet on racing remotely through TV and online platforms. But in doing so, there's less incentive to cater to crowds and bring people to the track. This was always a sport that was built around people being in attendance, getting close to the horse and having that social interaction. As we get more remote and technology gets ingrained in everything we do, we've become somewhat isolated. And that's one thing that is very dangerous to this sport because it doesn't allow fans to develop the connection they had in the past.What is the solution?In life, in nature, in business, anything that doesn't evolve dies. Evolution is a constant so resisting change, or a lack of adaptation, will eventually cause weakness. Any business that does not adapt to changing cultures, no matter how strong they are, fails. One thing people hate is change, but it's also necessary. It has to be subtle and natural. It should satisfy the established demographic but also cater to the younger generation and their needs.I do think that we always have to keep an eye on how other businesses operate, how they succeed, how can we adapt some of those principles that are relevant to us, while also keeping a firm hold on tradition that has allowed the sport to develop.What I get frustrated with is when everybody starts talking in circular arguments about the same thing. But nobody wants to do anything about it. If they do something, they should want to do it with the understanding that we're doing it so that this business can be so much bigger.KeenelandWe need to understand what the outside world thinks of us and how we need to market ourselves towards it. Because we've operated behind a sort of steel curtain for so long, it's difficult to get into the game if you're an outsider. And we have to give people a portal into participation and education. I think the more we educate the general public in a healthy way, the more it allows them to understand our activity.One of the things we work very diligently on at Keeneland is trying to educate people on the very basics. Because once you see behind the scenes, you start to understand it. Whether you watch football or basketball or a motorsport team, you can draw similarities between the trainer, the coaches, the players and what we do on this side of the fence in our sport. It's exactly the same.There's so much competition from these other sports, that we can't assume that people are going to find us. We've got to find ways of bringing them to the racetrack and getting them interested, because it is a fantastic sport. It's very social. You see the big days, whether it's here at Keeneland, or Derby Day, or Royal Ascot, they're as much social events as they are race meetings.A symptom of people enjoying themselves is that they spend money. They bet, they interact with the sport, and they get informed. They gain a new appreciation and new exposure to the sport and understanding. The educational piece is one that we all have a duty to. It's not any specific organization's responsibility. It is each and every one of us who must get behind it and make sure we build it forward. We're almost like drug dealers. We've got to let people feel the adrenaline of their horse or their team winning because once they do, it's an easy sell.–Emma Hunter is a first-year trainee in the Godolphin Flying Start program. She is a native of Cork, Ireland. The first horse she ever foaled was Noble Yeats, winner of the 2022 Grand National, who was bred by her family.The post Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.