Presenting the 15 most read stories of the year that passed.

by Dave Briggs

Before we get to our most read stories of 2023, we are wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024.

All of us at Harness Racing Update (HRU) send our deepest gratitude to our advertisers, readers, and contributors for the support in 2023 and the continued support this year.

This week marks eight years since the new management took over HRU in January of 2016. Since that time, we have gained a little over 2,700 HRU subscribers, an increase of 46 per cent.

In 2023, specifically, we increased our number of subscribers marginally in a year. We are extremely proud and thankful to continue to show year-over-year growth in each of the last eight years.

Even more important, HRU’s average click and open rates continue to greatly exceed industry standards.

In 2023, our average open rate was on par with 2022, exceeding 52 per cent, which is 24 per cent higher than the industry average. Our click-to-open rate is 14 per cent higher than the industry average.

HRU continued to post steady growth in other areas, as well. In 2018, we launched our popular broadcast division with 2-year-olds in Training and sales coverage. In 2023, our YouTube subscribers nearly reached 2,240, up some 240 subscribers from the end of 2022.

Our social media numbers on Facebook and Twitter are up, too.

All that means HRU is showing growth in virtually every category.

Now, to the stories and, first, a note: These are the stories that simply had the most views. They are not the “best” stories or our picks for the top 15. Rather, they represent the stories you, the readers, most viewed.

We think it’s a nice mix of stories that are serious, celebratory, positive and negative.

The 15 most read HRU stories of 2023 were:

15.Jeff Gural’s gambit

by Melissa Keith — Dec. 15

14. Nick Surick to be sentenced Thursday for his role in horse doping scheme

by Bill Finley — Jan. 15

13. Lauren Tritton’s history-making Pace drive

by Bob Heyden — July 14

12. Nick Surick slapped with prison sentence of five years and two months

by Robert Gearty — Jan. 20

11. Takter fighting to remove the stain from Manchego’s record

by Dave Briggs — March 12

10. Casie Coleman cooks up a ‘hands on without being there’ approach to training

by Murray Brown — June 4

9. The Meadowlands was correct in handling of race investigation

by Brett Sturman — May 26

8. Trainer Casie Coleman is a tough cookie with a soft heart

by Victoria Howard — Dec. 17

7. Serious storm brewing in Ohio

by Bob Roberts — Nov. 3

6. Ciao, Bella

by Debbie Little — July 12

5. New harness track and casino proposed for Chicago

by Neil Milbert — March 31

4.Only a dope would think harness racing doesn’t need serious change

by Dave Briggs — Nov. 26

3. Gural on why he’s closing Vernon Downs and wants New Jersey to join HISA

by Dave Briggs — May 14

2. Anthony Beaton suspended on cusp of OSS Gold Super Finals

by Melissa Keith — Oct. 15

1. Brittany Farms announces emotional end of an era

by Dave Briggs — Jan. 29