Why Nobody Watches Horse Racing Anymore.

In 1973, horse racing was America’s #1 spectator sport, with more than 76 million admissions in a single year. Today the Kentucky Derby keeps setting betting records, while tracks across the country sit near empty or get sold to NFL teams. This is the full story of how it happened. It starts with Matt Winn’s $2 bet and Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral, then the TV decision racing got wrong and Secretariat’s 31-length Belmont. From there it covers Ruffian, the mystery of Alydar’s death, Barbaro, Eight Belles, the Santa Anita crisis and the federal doping indictments. It ends with the closing of Hollywood Park, Arlington and Golden Gate Fields.