The horse racing industry in the US has been facing rough times with the total wagered dropping from $14.7 billion in 2007 to $12.3 billion in 2009. Although experts have given many possible reasons for this decline, fans of the horse racing world agree that the main problem is the luck of quality in the sports products.

Unfortunately for the industry, fans do not enjoy betting on six-horse fields with low-quality horses, which have become a common offer in tracks such as Hollywood Park and Churchill Downs that used to feature strong names in the horse racing world. The solution brought by slot machines has not really been a solution since the results of the introduction of these gaming machines in tracks have been more than disappointing.

In the middle of the search for a way to revamp profits again, the members of the industry will now be watching the beginning of the season in Monmouth Park on Saturday. The Oceanport track has made some daring and unparalleled changes to its racing program and if they work out, other horse racing tracks in the country may follow the example.

Monmouth used to operate five days a week from May to November but this year, most of the purse money will be divided among 50 days of racing at the track, which will run only three days a week. As a consequence, purses will reach the $1 million a day approximately, becoming the USA’s richest horse racing program.