In sharing their different approaches of bringing new people to the sport, a pair of horse racing’s best-known fans — Griffin Johnson and Steve Kornacki — offer ideas on how everyone can do their part in introducing people to racing.

Speaking at The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing July 31 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., influencer Johnson encouraged others to use social media to tell stories that captivate potential new fans while NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kornacki noted that sharing one’s passion by bringing people to the track is still a very effective introduction to the sport.

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Both noted that a strength of horse racing is the passion of its fans and participants, and they called on people who love the sport to share that passion with others.

Through America’s Best Racing’s “A Stake in Stardom” initiative Johnson was able to lean into his love of horses as a minority owner — through West Point Thoroughbreds — of Arkansas Derby winner and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve runner Sandman. In the weeks leading up to the race Johnson provided his 14 million followers behind-the-scenes access to the Sport of Kings through videos and social media content.

Those efforts reached more than 200 million people. Churchill Downs Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Ziegler pointed to Johnson’s efforts as one reason the Kentucky Derby set handle records.

Johnson said horse racing can be intimidating for new fans, and he believes that’s part of the reason his followers embraced his sharing of the sport. He acknowledged he made mistakes in terminology and such, but his followers could see that the bottom line is that racing is a lot of fun and it’s all right to not immediately understand every aspect of the sport.

“These numbers are a whole new audience and a whole new demographic that is being brought to a sport that has been seen as very traditional; almost like a club,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of like hard to get in unless you’ve been brought up with a family that’s in it, or been introduced by another friend, or a family member.

“I have nobody in horse racing. I’d never been to a race growing up. This is my first introduction. I think what people have really gravitated toward is they finally feel like they have someone that knows nothing about racing, which I’ll say it right now — I have a lot to learn. I mess up a lot, and I just take it with grace,” Johnson added. “I think for the newcomers, a lot of them feel like, ‘Oh, I can just go along with Griffin, and he doesn’t always know what he’s talking about either.’ That is the beauty of what this campaign has been: giving people the first insight to the backside every morning at 5:30; showing off the [Mark] Casse barn and Sandman ... and making them feel like they’re an owner.”

Going forward, Johnson has reached a deal to do similar work with Breeders’ Cup, Keeneland, and the New York Racing Association. He praised racing’s efforts to try to make a connection with Gen Z and encouraged participants to share their love of the game on social media.

“There’s no other industry I’ve been in where there’s so many powerful people in one room that are willing to listen to a bunch of kids, and I think that is very authentic to who this audience is and who we are today, as horsemen,” Johnson said. “I’ve heard a million stories from people who have a passion for this game, and it’s just taking that and showing it to the kids.”

He said racing’s efforts to improve safety and post-racing career options for Thoroughbreds are well-placed, especially when it comes to new fans embracing the sport. He said social media provides a platform to share stories about those efforts, as well as love for the sport, and love for the horse.

“I just want everyone to know that when you think of social media, it’s just a tool. It’s a marketing tool. It’s the new generation and how they’re absorbing content,” Johnson said, adding that telling stories on these platforms builds interest. “It’s going to give people an experience of what you’re doing no matter what it is.”

Kornacki speaks at Round Table Conference (The Jockey Club)

Kornacki, who has covered the “horse race” of elections for NBC News and in recent years has shared statistical insights ahead of races such as the Kentucky Derby for NBC Sports, noted the power of bringing people to the track where established racing fans can help new people understand the beauty of the sport.

“I don’t need to tell folks in this room that there are tracks all over this country that still get a crowd, that still have energy, where the tradition runs deep, where there is a great day to be had,” Kornacki said. “I live in New York. I’m always telling folks, ‘Take the family to Monmouth Park, have a picnic, give the kids 20 bucks, bet on a race, see the horses in the paddock.’ I know snowbirds who head down to the Gulf Coast every winter, and I’m always telling them, ‘Take a drive over to Tampa Bay Downs, sit outside, watch the races, bask in the warm air, take in that lush green grass. Remind yourself, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s the middle of January, and this is where I am.’ ”

“I talk up tracks all over the country that I’ve been to; that I want to go to. I talk about Oaklawn. I talk about Santa Anita Park on Boxing Day or Del Mar in the summer. I talk about the smaller tracks, too. Get to Fairmount Park on a Saturday night. I’m always telling people, go out and see it, because I think that is the best advertisement there is for this sport. Take somebody who is not a horse racing fan and who perhaps has all the wrong ideas about what this sport is all about, and get them out to the track. Have them walk away saying, ‘That was a great experience.’ ”