America's Best Racing names 2014 brand ambassadors

On the heels of a successful debut in 2013, The Jockey Club announced that it

will continue the America's Best Racing mobile marketing tour with a team of six

brand ambassadors embedded in key racing markets throughout 2014 and 2015. The

major racing events of the tour will be supported by the 2014 edition of the "ABRV,"

a bus that will focus on hospitality and direct fan education.

The two-year fan development campaign will focus on Chicago, Los Angeles,

Miami and New York, with two ambassadors based in Los Angeles and New York and

one each in Chicago and Miami. In addition to efforts in their "home" markets,

the ambassadors will also work within the region to reach other racing fans and

racing facilities.

America's Best Racing (ABR), a multi-media marketing platform that is funded

by The Jockey Club, is designed to increase the profile and visibility of

America's best Thoroughbred racing events, with a primary focus on the lifestyle

and competition of the sport. It was launched in early 2012 with the debut of

followhorseracing.com,

and with ongoing promotional assistance from NTRA Communications, it has

expanded since then.

"One of the most successful components of the 2013 ABRV tour was the intimate

one-on-one interaction with new fans, bringing them individually along to a

level of comfort at the racetrack throughout a day at the races," said Jason

Wilson, vice president of business development for The Jockey Club. "In 2014 we

will continue to recruit individuals and groups to experience Thoroughbred

racing at the track and through television and digital media."

The new cast of ambassadors was selected via a nationwide search that drew

more than 200 applicants.

"A common trait among all of the 2014-2015 ambassadors is a true passion for

Thoroughbred racing," Wilson said. "The ambassadors will use that passion to

promote interest in America's top Thoroughbred racing events across the

country."

With entertainment-driven millennials (18- to 34-year-olds) as the primary

target, the brand ambassadors will continue to reach out to key local

influencers along with social and professional groups to increase interest in

the sport.

"The ambassadors will help teach new fans the basics of horse racing, work

closely with racetracks to bring new groups of fans to the sport for a day at

the track, and host event parties for the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup races

and the key events leading up to them," Wilson added. "They will also continue

to reach out to local and national media outlets and engage potential fans on

college campuses, in high-traffic areas and at strategic locations within their

markets."

The brand ambassadors also will contribute blogs, stories, video content and

slideshows related to racing's big events and their individual fan engagement on

ABR's website, followhorseracing.com. And in turn, they will be encouraging

their hosted groups and individuals to share their experiences as well.

"With the brand ambassadors already in market, the activation around the ABRV

will evolve and focus primarily on the races included in our new series on FOX

Sports 1," Wilson said. "Beginning in April, the bus will come into each market

during the week before the race to help drive interest and excitement around

these events. The new look of the bus will be revealed toward the end of March."

The Jockey Club previously announced a series of up to 10 telecasts on FOX

Sports 1. The schedule for this series as well as the talent for the shows is

expected to be released soon.

Two ambassadors -- Jose Contreras and Victoria Garofalo -- return from the

2013 crew. Conteras will be based in Los Angeles and Garofalo will be based in

New York. Joining them will be Ciara Austin (Los Angeles), Dan Tordjman (New

York), Michael Johnson (Chicago), and Vince Mathews (Miami).

In addition, 2013 ambassador Chip McGaughey will be working directly with

ABR's agency of record, Cornett-IMS, to direct and coordinate local and national

marketing fan development efforts.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com