by Trey Nosrac

EXTERIOR:

NIGHTTIME: A white Tesla glides silently through the night. Two men ride in silence. A soft green glow from the dashboard computer lights their faces. The man in the passenger seat fidgets with his phone as the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel and speaks.

LAURENCE

What are you looking at?

TREY

The racing program for tomorrow night, my filly is in tough.

LAURENCE

How much do you own of her?

TREY

Twenty-five per cent.

LAURENCE

(After a pause, the driver speaks reflectively)

If we turn the clock back to when we were kids on Bloomfield Avenue, the idea that we would be rolling through the night in an electric car controlled by computers as we watch horseraces is mind-blowing.

TREY

We’ve come a long way from 12-year-olds launching rubber band-powered gliders off your garage roof.

LAURENCE

What did you think of the big race, the Hambleson?

TREY

It’s the Hambletonian. I forgot to watch it.

LAURENCE

What! Mister trotting harness guy misses the big day.

TREY

Yeah, it’s weird, but what difference does that race make to me? I rarely watch the Kentucky Derby or the World Series if my team is not playing. Some fans are into champion racehorses, but truthfully, I seldom know the names of the top horses in the country.

LAURENCE

Always the contrarian.

TREY

(Holds up his phone)

The race tomorrow, MY race, that’s a different story. My fixation on that race has no boundaries. I even watched replayed races where our competitors raced. I go to sleep thinking about how MY race will play out.

LAURENCE

Because you got skin in the game?

TREY

Exactly.

LAURENCE

Interesting.

TREY

Why does anyone pay attention if you don’t have any emotional attachment, a wager, a player you have connections with, or cheering for your home team?

LAURENCE

Don’t you think a big race on television would bring some fans?

TREY

Not really. It is one day of an odd sport. It could be sumo wrestling, pole vaulting, or Olympic wall climbing. You may watch for a few minutes out of curiosity, but why come back or seek the game out?

LAURENCE

But gambling on horses is motivation.

TREY

It doesn’t carry the weight it once did. Every sport has gambling. I was talking to a guy last night who is working with an outfit that allows gambling on professional fishing.

LAURENCE

For real?

TREY

One hundred per cent.

LAURENCE

So, how are you harness folks going to grow your sport? How can you grab attention?

TREY

(Holds up his phone again)

My thinking is to lean into the skin in the game. Fractional ownership of a racehorse, or a series of racehorses, could be massive for the people who do not know we exist. Suddenly, you care if it’s YOUR horse, money, or a friend’s horse. If you have reasons, you care plenty, and your attention is focused.

LAURENCE

And this is much more possible in your sport.

TREY

More than for most sports. This phone makes staying involved possible. We have this guy named MacDonald who does this fractional ownership thing, and I would bet money he has brought more interest to the sport than anyone else over the last few years. A dozen versions of him are worth more than just televising a race that doesn’t mean much to anyone.

LAURENCE

Are you one of his ownership groups?

TREY

No. My group may be a bit fractious but not technically fractional. More and more ownership groups are in fashion, and not only is it less expensive, but it’s also more fun.

LAURENCE

And social.

TREY

Yes. I can see small groups of owners, especially younger owners, chatting all day long about THEIR horses. They could meet in real time for races, with plenty of possibilities and a doable niche.

LAURENCE

Now, there’s the old Trey, talking crazy, optimistic, and confident for no apparent reason.

TREY

No joke, I’ve looked into the science of human motivation. The bottom line is that the skin-in-the-game concept is legitimate and significantly ramps interest and engagement in any venture, adventure, or project.

LAURENCE

It’s not for everybody.

TREY

No, of course not. You will always have lone rangers who want to make all the decisions and take all the risks. Good for them, and bless their hearts.

LAURENCE

You’re looking for a wider reach.

TREY

Tell me why we can’t recruit fractional owners from Dubai, Denver, or the Dominican Republic.

LAURENCE

Calm down.

TREY

Reasons to play, my friend. Find those reasons to add to wagering, and we could grow our rather esoteric sport of trotting and pacing horses.

(Pause)

Now, grab that steering wheel. A car driving itself makes me nervous.

FADE TO CUT