Old horse, new tricks – "The Racing Journal" gets a leg up from the Missoula SCORE chapter

Ray Tracy has been publishing the Racing Journal for 20 years and has recently modernized his operation to make the publication more accessible.

In the lower level of a split-level ranch house between Florence and Stevensville, Ray and Cathy Tracy publish the Racing Journal http://theracingjournal.com/ , a regional publication about horse racing.

The March issue, fat with ads, sits on a coffee table. The editorial – called "Topper’s Comments ." – is dire. The basic betting rules of the "leaky roof" racing circuit need to be changed, argues Ray Tracy, whose nickname is "Topper."

This is all familiar territory for Tracy; he and his family have been in horse racing for 32 years.

Wearing a Western shirt with a fish design, he leads the way out the back door to a small barn and horse pasture. Three quarter horse colts are out there, rangy and jumpy. One of Tracy’s sons will train and race them when they come of age.

Despite strong interest in horse racing in the nation, the industry is suffering in this region, he explained. Tracks close every year for lack of money. The problem is that the business fundamentals are out of date and out of whack.

By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/04/11/business/biz03.txt

Missoula SCORE http://www.missoulascore.org/

Montana Community Development Corporation http://www.mtcdc.org/