Jockey Club/NBC Sports with 'Road to Derby' Series
 

THE JOCKEY CLUB PARTNERS WITH NBC SPORTS GROUP AND
RACETRACKS TO BROADCAST “ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY” SERIES

Four Consecutive Weekends on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC in the Spring of 2012

NEW YORK – November 8, 2011 – The Jockey Club, in collaboration with the NBC Sports Group, CNBC and six racetracks, will provide live coverage of six major prep races for the 2012 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands over four consecutive weekends next spring, it was announced today. The series will be highlighted by a 90-minute live broadcast on NBC featuring the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park on April 7, 2012.

The other four Kentucky Derby prep races are the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes from Turfway Park on March 24 and the Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park on March 31, both of which will air on the NBC Sports Network (which will be renamed from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012), and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes from Keeneland Race Course and the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park, which will air on CNBC on April 14.

“The Jockey Club is proud to work with our television and racetrack partners to bring more of our sport’s best racing to a national audience,” said Ogden Mills Phipps, Chairman of The Jockey Club. “Increasing the television presence of Thoroughbred racing is just the first step in a long term, multi-media strategy focused on fan retention and development. Together with racetracks and other industry organizations, we plan to aggressively cross-promote Thoroughbred racing on a variety of traditional and new digital media platforms.”

“These races are important steppingstones to the Kentucky Derby,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “And this programming further demonstrates the NBC Sports Group’s commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred racing, which already includes long-term deals for the Triple Crown races as well as with Saratoga and Keeneland.”

Increased television coverage of Thoroughbred racing and the development of a new digital media strategy were among nine recommendations identified in the major economic study of the Thoroughbred industry that was commissioned by The Jockey Club, and conducted in association with the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, earlier this year. The findings and recommendations were announced in August at The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE (All Times ET)

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 5-6 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes and Bourbonette Oaks (Turfway Park)

Saturday, March 31, 2012, 5-6 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Florida Derby and Gulfstream Oaks (Gulfstream Park)

Saturday, April 7, 2012, 4:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial (Aqueduct Racetrack) and Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita Park)

Saturday, April 14, 2012, 6-7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Keeneland) and Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park)

Where is LaD? If it isn't included how am I supposed to know which horse will be sucking me again?

I assume you mean Fair Grounds and the Louisiana Derby. They moved it to Palm Sunday (preventing NY'ers from betting on it) and as such it'll be on HRTV only.

CNBC? Hmm. Are they trying to involve people who think about money and places to spend it (because hey the stock market is a form of gambling), or do they just not have enough places to put horse racing that we got that channel?

The name of the Wood Memorial's a long one geez. I get that they have sponsors, I just wish that things were less cumbersome so it'd be easier to remember and say all of it. They should really change the name of the Spiral to the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Stakes while they're at it. Oh well. Glad there's some sort of plan in place to promote their product. What's ESPN gonna do in the spring? The preps to the preps? Anything?