Gulfstream Park generated headlines within the industry in January because a Bryan Adams concert at the racetrack brought out so many fans that traffic was tied up for hours around the facility with eager concert-goers. Evidently, the energetic, overflow crowd of people at Gulfstream made it difficult for some Thoroughbred owners and trainers to get to the track in time to watch and saddle their runners.

	Booklet (right) edged Harlan's Holiday again in Gulfstream's Fountain of Youth.

It didn't take disgruntled horsemen long to complain to track management about the crowd and protest its presence on the grounds during racing hours. Quite possibly, the large turnout for the concert even caught Gulfstream officials by surprise. Let's face it, crowd control isn't an area racetrack management has had to focus much attention on in recent years.

What's the problem here? I believe Gulfstream Park is on the right track. When was the last time anyone in this business used the term "overflow crowd" to describe attendance at the races (excluding Triple Crown events and the Breeders' Cup)? I've never heard or read of a racecar driver complaining that getting to Daytona Speedway was a challenge the morning of a race because there were too many people in attendance. Racing wants to be on par with other professional sports but as a whole we don't act anything like other sports. This industry does more to push people away than invite them into our coveted circle. That's why I support what Gulfstream is attempting to do. Whether or not it works, remains to be seen.

The racing industry must change in order to carve racing's niche in public awareness and acceptance. To preserve this sport, the industry must draw new fans. New fans are not like us. They look different, they talk differently, and they obviously have varying passions -- none of which include horse racing. If we turn our backs on them, they'll certainly do the same to us. And we need them now more than ever. Concerts, family days, even alternative gaming all are viable avenues to pursue in bringing new blood to the racetrack.

I traveled to Gulfstream Park for the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 16. The concert slated for that afternoon was the Gregg Allman Band and Friends. Curious, I ventured over to the North Paddock Stage at 2:30 p.m. to check out the crowd. The horses had just departed the walking ring and the area was jammed with people.

To the right of the stage was a large-screen monitor that showed the post parade and the odds. A few people watched the horses on the monitor, occasionally glancing down at their programs. Not far from the monitor was a "Handicapping Palace" booth complete with literature and hand-outs explaining, in essence, a day at the races. A few interested people asked the booth's attendant questions and looked over the available material.

Within the sea of concert-goers, I overheard a couple of telling conversations. One gentleman, wearing a black T-shirt and sporting a pony tail mentioned to his friend that the last time he was at the races admission was two dollars and a program was fifty cents. I remember those days too. That was 10 years ago. Ten years between visits is too long to build a customer.

I also stumbled upon a family with a blanket spread out atop a patch of grass not far from the concert's reserved seating area. A young boy had his program opened to the seventh race and was asking his father questions about the horses' names. If this industry can succeed in getting that family back to the track again, drawn by another concert or a family festival of some kind, we're on our way. If we let them go because the line to the parking lot is too long with them there, we have failed miserably.

To top off the day, the Fountain of Youth was as thrilling a finish as you'll see at the races with Florida-bred Booklet holding off Harlan's Holiday at the wire to win by a nose.

Cultivating a new fan base is going to require time. I'm sure the fans of the Gregg Allman Band or Bryan Adams didn't send as much money through the mutuel windows as some of us, but the hope is that one day they will.

If we fail to embrace new methods of attracting fans to racetracks, it won't be too long before the streets around Gulfstream Park and racetracks around the country are deserted again. The only piece of advice I have for horsemen saddling runners at racetracks attempting to attract new fans to your place of business: leave earlier.