The New York Racing Association will produce five one-hour television shows during the course of the Saratoga racing season that will air on MSG-Plus, a regional network that is available on satellite outlets. The programs will offer live coverage of the graded stakes races to be run on five of the six Saturdays of the meet.
It is also expected - though as of Thursday not finalized - that NYRA will do a show covering next Saturday's Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. That one-hour program would also include live coverage of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.
By opting to produce its own telecasts, NYRA eschewed the possibility of having some of Saratoga's Saturday races shown nationally on ESPN.
"ESPN was not as many Saturdays, wasn't a regular feature, wasn't quite as extensive," said Hal Handel, NYRA's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "This was a good time to reinforce the relationship we have with MSG; it's certainly no slap at ESPN.
The shows will feature NYRA in-house talent including Jason Blewitt, Eric Donovan, Jan Rushton, and Andy Serling.
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