Harness Racing Update

What Harness Racing Update does

Harness Racing Update (HRU) is an independently owned digital media company that publishes comprehensive coverage of North American standardbred harness racing. Founded in 2010 by Bill Finley and headquartered in Millwood, New York, HRU operates with a small core team of approximately five editorial and operations staff supplemented by a network of more than 80 contributors and photographers. Its primary product is a free, email-distributed PDF publication delivered via the Constant Contact platform to over 8,400 subscribers worldwide, complemented by a website housing news articles, columns, race results, entries, video replays, and a searchable archive of 570 pages of past editions dating to 2010.

HRU's content engine spans over 45 regular editorial columns, TrackMaster-integrated past-performance data, and — since 2022 — the HRU Broadcast video department covering 2-year-olds in training and major sales events. Distribution occurs exclusively through digital channels: the daily PDF email, the website, and social profiles on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, enabling both top-of-funnel audience acquisition and direct advertiser response tracking.

The business model is 100% advertising-supported with no subscription fee to readers. Revenue is generated through a structured digital advertising rate card offering full-page ads ($400–$500), site banners (starting $600/month), sponsored boxes ($750/month), splash screens ($150/day), and niche placements such as results-page flags ($25 each). Volume discounts on 12x, 26x, and 52x commitments anchor long-tenured advertisers drawn predominantly from the harness racing industry's tracks, sales companies, and breeding farms. Marketing is sales-led through a dedicated advertising director, with editorial credibility and high email engagement metrics (52% open rate, 29% click-to-open in 2024) serving as the primary value proposition.

Name

Harness Racing Update

Legal name

Harness Racing Update

Website

https://harnessracingupdate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harness Racing Update is an independent, free digital media outlet delivering daily PDF newsletters, website content, and video coverage of North American standardbred harness racing to over 8,400 subscribers worldwide, funded entirely through digital advertising sold to industry tracks, sales companies, and breeding farms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports News Media — Harness Racing

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Horse Racing Media, Data & Handicapping Content (MPAEADAF)

Keywords

• Harness racing news
• Digital sports media
• Horse racing journalism
• Advertising-supported publishing
• Standardbred industry coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Millwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: HRU generates revenue entirely through advertising. The publication offers various ad placements including full pages, half pages, quarter pages, sponsored boxes, site banners, splash screens, and results page flags. Volume discounts are available for advertisers committing to multiple ad placements (12x, 26x, or 52x frequency).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harness Racing Update (HRU) is a free daily digital publication that covers North American harness racing via an emailed PDF newsletter and an accompanying website. The publication delivers news, race results, entries, analysis, columns, photographs, and broadcast/video content to a subscriber base of industry professionals and racing fans, with revenue generated from advertisers serving that audience.

Product overview

Harness Racing Update (HRU) is a free, independent digital publication delivering comprehensive harness racing coverage across North America. The primary offering is a PDF-based publication distributed by email link, complemented by a website with news articles, columns, race results, and video replays. HRU also features an advertising platform for industry advertisers, a broadcast department producing video content, searchable PDF archives dating to 2010, and networks of contributors and photographers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HRU Broadcast: Video content department featuring hosts Heather Vitale, Jami Fellows and Heather Wilder showcasing videos of 2-year-olds in training and reports from major sales.

Products and services

• Harness Racing Update Daily PDF Newsletter Free daily PDF publication delivered via email to subscribers covering harness racing news, race results, entries, commentary, columns, and photographs across North America.
• HRU Website (harnessracingupdate.com) Online companion to the daily PDF delivering harness racing news, results, entries, and stories to readers on the web and supporting TrackMaster past-performance data integration.
• HRU Broadcast Video and broadcast arm of HRU producing harness racing audio/video content distributed across digital and social channels.
• HRU PDF Archive Library Historical archive of HRU daily PDFs available as a reference resource for subscribers and readers seeking past coverage of harness racing.
• HRU Editorial Columns Recurring opinion and analysis columns written by HRU staff and contributors for inclusion in the daily PDF and on the website.
• HRU Digital Advertising Services Sold advertising inventory including banners, sponsored boxes, splash screens, and results flags across the daily PDF and website, offered individually or in 12x/26x/52x volume bundles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52% email open rate (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Constant ContactcoreTechnology or IntegrationHRU uses Constant Contact for email distribution services, managing subscriber lists and delivering newsletters with tracking of open rates and click-to-open rates for performance analytics.
• Woodbine Mohawk ParkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Ontario harness racing track advertising on the platform as a sponsor, with regular coverage of Woodbine Mohawk Park events and races.
• Ontario RacingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOntario racing governing body advertising on the platform (31 ads) and sponsoring events like the Bet Ontario Handicapping Contest.
• Harrah's Hoosier ParkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndiana casino and racing venue advertising on the platform with sponsorship of HRU content and coverage.
• Preferred Equine OnlinemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor standardbred sales company advertising extensively on the platform (167 ads), with HRU coverage of their sales events.
• Standardbred Horse Sales Company At HarrisburgmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor standardbred horse sales company advertising extensively on the platform (328 ads), with HRU providing daily coverage during their annual auction.
• Lexington Selected Yearling SalemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading yearling sale company advertising extensively on the platform (282 ads), with HRU providing daily coverage during their sale.
• The MeadowlandsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier New Jersey harness racing venue and host of the Hambletonian advertising on the platform and sponsoring HRU content.
• Diamond Creek FarmmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor breeding farm advertising extensively on the platform (286 ads) and sponsoring HRU content.
• Winbak FarmmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor breeding farm advertising extensively on the platform (204 ads) and sponsoring HRU content.
• Seelster FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreeding farm advertising on the platform (144 ads).
• Tara Hills StudminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreeding farm advertising on the platform (41 ads).
• Concord Stud FarmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreeding farm advertising on the platform (25 ads).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Paulick Report: Independent digital horse-racing news outlet operating on an ad-supported model with free access. Closely mirrors HRU's niche positioning, advertising sales motion and digital distribution approach.
• The Blood-Horse: Industry trade publication covering thoroughbred racing and breeding. Comparable to HRU as a long-running, advertising-supported equine sports news outlet serving owners, breeders and fans.
• Horse Racing Nation: Digital horse-racing media site providing news, results and handicapping content via free, ad-supported distribution — functionally analogous to HRU but focused on thoroughbred.
• Daily Racing Form (DRF): The largest North American horse-racing daily publication across thoroughbred and harness. Directly comparable to HRU as an advertising-supported racing news/handicapping outlet, only with a much larger, thoroughbred-skewed audience.

Regional players

• Racing.com: Leading Australian racing media platform covering thoroughbred and harness racing. Comparable international peer to HRU given HRU's coverage of Australian Standardbred events.
• At The Races: UK/Ireland-focused horse-racing media and data site. Comparable international peer for HRU's European Standardbred coverage and as a free, ad-supported racing content destination.
• Standardbred Canada: Canadian governing body that publishes harness-racing news, results and analysis. Directly comparable to HRU as a Standardbred-specific media outlet, though it is a national association publication rather than an independent U.S. one.

Broad incumbents

• United States Trotting Association (USTA): Governing body for U.S. harness racing that also operates its own media channels covering the sport. Comparable to HRU because it covers the same Standardbred audience, though it is the official industry outlet rather than an independent trade title.
• TwinSpires: Major advance-deposit wagering platform that also produces racing news, handicapping and analysis. Overlaps with HRU's handicapping/content offering and racing-adjacent audience, though its primary business is betting rather than advertising-supported journalism.

Others

• Equibase: Official source for North American horse-racing data, results and statistics used widely by the industry. Adjacent to HRU, which integrates partner past-performance data; comparable as an essential, advertising-and-data-supported racing information utility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/x
• YouTubeharnessracingupdate.com/youtube
• Facebookfacebook.com/facebook
• Instagramharnessracingupdate.com/instagram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harness Racing Update