[boswd]

The attendance problem is all over the country. The sport has it days in the sun, KY Derby and the rest of the TC races, Saratoga and to a certain degree Del Mar. These are the days and places where the NNBP (normally non betting public) will come out and enjoy a day at the races.
The decline is hard to pinpoint when it started. I am guessing somewhere around the early to mid 80's. The '70's was the last true golden decade of the sport where people came out in droves to the tracks. I am sure it's not a coinicidence that was also the last decade to see a triple crown winner. Horse racing up through the 70's was part of the Big 4 Football, Baseball,Boxing and Horse racing.
I have my own theory on that : Like all the sports, with the exception of the NFL, they all go through a popularity slump. What other sports have done is find a star or stars, hitch their wagon to it and market to the most obvious target market. Kids!!! The NBA did it with Dr.J, Larry Bird and Majic Johnson to get it out of its attendance and interest slump. Baseball did with McGuire and Sosa.
Now horse racing can produce stars but it's hands are tied with marketing. How can you market your sport towards kids when a major aspect of horse racing is gamblling? You can't. They have been hoping for a Triple Crown winner to help them out. they have gotten close with the great stories behind Funny Cide and Smarty Jones. And even Cigar helped bring people out to the tracks.
So I think it needs a bona fide superstar, not a budding one but a true star ,one that will race across the country much like Cigar did. Until then the sport will have to be content with the KY Derby The Preakness, The Belmont and Saratoga to draw the NNBP.