At a time when most are preparing for retirement, Michael Calderone is preparing for a revolution. The 64-year-old entrepreneur has already invested millions of his own money and nearly two years of his life into building something no one else saw coming: a platform that may not only revive the fading world of harness racing, but completely redefine how fans connect to sports.
FreeRaceHorse.com is unlike anything the sports world has seen before — a purpose-built platform designed to connect fans with the heart of the sport: the horse. Calderone sees it as a chance to build something lasting, real and deeply emotional: “a true relationship between fractional owners and the equine athletes they follow.”
This mission puts transparency and ethical care at the forefront, laying the groundwork for a more humane, modern and self-sustaining sports ecosystem where spectators become stakeholders and fans become advocates.
The Problem No One Could Solve
Harness racing has long been in decline. Reliant on casino and state subsidies, the sport has struggled to stay relevant in a fast-evolving digital world. While other sports evolved to attract younger fans, horse racing lagged behind.
Calderone believes the problem isn’t the sport. Rather, it’s how horse racing has been presented.
“They’ve tried changing the betting options, the purse structures and the marketing slogans, but they never changed how the fan connects with the experience. That’s where they lost the next generation.”
In his view, the sport wasn’t broken — it was a missed opportunity. The industry had failed to evolve into a business model that could emotionally and economically connect with modern audiences and unlock new, scalable revenue through deeper fan engagement.
Not a Fix — a 180-Degree Shift
Calderone views FreeRaceHorse.com as a total reinvention of the sport. At its core is the radical idea of free fractional ownership. Any fan — without cost, paperwork or complexity — can claim a stake in a real harness racehorse.
And with that comes a level of full, immersive access no other sport has ever delivered.
Fans follow their horses through every moment, from livestreams from the horses’ stalls, paddocks and training sessions to AI-powered interactions that allow fans to engage directly with their horse’s personality. The platform even empowers fans with interactive decision-making opportunities, including naming the horse to training and choosing workout routines. Finally, deep, 5K-produced storytelling brings the culture, characters and stakes of the sport to life.
“It’s not just about your horse. It’s about the world these animals live in, the people who care for them and the emotional stakes that build between every race. It’s dramatic, it’s funny, it’s exciting and most of all, it’s captivating. It’s everything sports entertainment should be.”
Calderone believes no other sport can offer this level of direct, meaningful engagement between fans and the athletes at its core. Where others simulate ownership through fantasy apps and passive platforms, FreeRaceHorse.com delivers real stakes, real access and real storytelling to create an emotionally powerful and commercially untapped fan-to-sport connection.
A Business Built On Belief
While many startups talk about disruption, Calderone is living it — building from the outside, without industry support and often without consensus. He’s not backed by legacy operators or conventional investors. He’s backed by conviction.
Calderone has built FreeRacehorse.com based on the belief that a better model that values transparency, participation and animal welfare can reshape not just a sport, but the entire business around it.
“These animals are majestic. They give everything and ask for nothing. And if we can get people to care — really care about them — they’ll demand better for them too. That’s what drives me.”
The Soft Launch — and the Stakes
FreeRaceHorse.com quietly went live in mid-April without a big media campaign, but with a committed group of believers and disruptors determined to build something different. For Calderone, it’s been a long, mostly solitary road. But now, he believes the time has come to turn a personal mission into a shared one.
“This platform isn’t just about giving fans a horse — it’s about giving them a voice. I’ve taken it this far alone, but it won’t work without a community that believes in what we’re doing. The horses can’t speak for themselves. That’s why we’re here.”
Calderone’s hope is that fans won’t just show up to play and enjoy something new and exciting — they’ll show up to protect, connect and change the sport forever.
Why This Matters
In an age where sports franchises and streaming platforms are fighting for attention, Calderone has figured out how to deliver what modern fans are really craving — emotion, ownership and shared experience.
He believes that by changing the relationship between fans and horses, the entire future of the sport can change, while at the same time building a sustainable, ethical business model unlike anything else in the market.
“FreeRaceHorse.com isn’t just about revitalizing a sport. It’s about building a new kind of fandom — where people don’t just root for a team. They become part of a living, breathing story.”
If Calderone is right, that story is just beginning.
