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In the lead-up to the Dec. 26 opening of the 2012 Santa Anita winter-spring meet, track officials plan to saturate the Los Angeles market with advertising and special offers in order to “reintroduce” the area's sports fans to the excitement of Santa Anita Park. Chris Quinn, vice president of marketing for Santa Anita, said Santa Anita would employ digital technology and an “aggressive” outdoor billboard campaign that focuses on a younger audience. “This is something that's never been done here at Santa Anita and we're very excited about its potential,” Quinn said. “We’ll be flooding the L.A. market with 20 traditional billboards and we’ll also be a part of the electronic billboard at Angel Stadium...The total combined views or impressions from all of this is more than 30 million per month.” Santa Anita is also hoping to capitalize on the new horse-racing themed HBO original series “Luck,” which features an All-Star cast and has received positive reviews. A new “Luck Lounge” is under construction on the main floor of the grandstand and is scheduled to open on Jan. 28, Sunshine Millions Day. Additionally, there will be “Luck” tours at Santa Anita, a VIP “Luck Experience' contest and other cross-promotional efforts, according to a track press release. “LUCK has been shot in large-part here at Santa Anita and many of the characters that appear can be traced to real-life horsemen, fans and employees here,” said Quinn. “The LUCK Lounge will be a way for us to personalize what people are watching on HBO and it will enable them to connect the dots so to speak, with scene locations and characters here at the track.” Santa Anita also plans to target the growing Hispanic market through its advertising and promotions. “We realize that we can no longer simply open our gates and expect to attract big crowds,” Quinn said. “In addition to providing world-class racing, we must continue to enhance the on-track experience in order to grow and maintain our fan base. We’re very confident that when people come to Santa Anita, they’re going to realize that they’re at a very special place.” There are different programs being offered now to generate new horse racing fans. Like many sports, engaging fans through some form of entertainment platform, particularly games, is probably the most powerful and common method. Online racing games can attract potential new horse fans who are emotionally attached to various aspects of the sport - that emotional bond that can convert a novice into a more consistent horse racing fan. Though there are many free racing games, some don’t offer the deep level of experience that others do. Virtual racing that incorporates breeding, owning, training and competing for high-stake prizes with other players can really drive a player to higher, engaging, exciting levels of play. Horse games and horse racing games that maximize this experience are part of Horse Racing Simulation’s core products. You can visit HorseRaceGame.com to experience a wide range of race games offering various levels of involvement.
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