FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
THE “ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY™ ” SERIES REACHES THE STARTING GATE THIS WEEKEND
NEW YORK – March 20, 2012 – The Jockey Club, in collaboration with the NBC Sports Group, CNBC and six racetracks, will provide live coverage of the Road to the Kentucky Derby™, a series of six major prep races for the 2012 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands to be run over four consecutive weekends. Coverage begins with the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes from Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., this Saturday 5-6 p.m. on NBC Sports Network.
In addition to the Spiral Stakes, which was won last year by eventual Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, NBC Sports Network will present the Bourbonette Oaks, a race for fillies that is an important prep race for the Kentucky Oaks.
Laffit Pincay III will host NBC Sports Network’s coverage this Saturday from Turfway Park. He will be joined by analysts Gary Stevens and Randy Moss; and reporters Donna Brothers, Jay Privman and Millie Ball.
MOSS ON THE SPIRAL STAKES: “The Spiral has produced two Kentucky Derby winners – including Animal Kingdom last year. Maybe we’ll catch another one this weekend.”
MOSS ON THIS YEAR’S CROP OF 3-YEAR-OLDS: “We still have the major preps left to go, so maybe I’m moving too early. But to me, Union Rags, Creative Cause, Hansen and some others make this a solid group of 3-year-olds. And racehorses tend to bring along interesting people and interesting stories, which is always part of the fun.”
The Road to the Kentucky Derby series will culiminate in a 90-minute live broadcast on NBC featuring the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park, the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Central Bank Ashland Stakes for fillies from Keeneland Race Course on April 7 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The other Road to the Kentucky Derby series telecasts feature the Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park on Saturday, March 31 from 5-6 p.m. ET, which will air on the NBC Sports Network, and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes from Keeneland Race Course and the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park, which will air on CNBC on Saturday, April 14 from 6-7 p.m. ET.
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)
Host: Laffit Pincay, III
Analysts: Gary Stevens, Randy Moss
Reporters: Donna Brothers, Jay Privman, Millie Ball
Track Announcer: Mike Battaglia
Saturday, March 31, 2012, 5-6 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Florida Derby and Gulfstream Oaks (Gulfstream Park)
Host: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Gary Stevens, Randy Moss
Reporters: Bob Neumeier, Kenny Rice, Christina Olivares
Track Announcer: Larry Collmus
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), Central Bank Ashland Stakes (Keeneland Race Course)
Host: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Gary Stevens, Randy Moss
Reporters: Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Laffit Pincay, III, Mike Battaglia (from Keeneland), Bob Neumeier (from Aqueduct)
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 6-7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Keeneland Race Course) and Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park)
Host: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Gary Stevens, Randy Moss
Reporters: Mike Battaglia, Kenny Rice, Katie Mikolay, Jay Privman (from Oaklawn)
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NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: The NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup, which was broadcast on NBC from 1984-2005. Last year marked the first time that all three Triple Crown races appeared on one network since NBC last aired the Triple Crown in 2005. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001. This year, the NBC Sports Group will present 27 hours of Triple Crown coverage across NBC and NBC Sports Network.
NBC Sports Group is also the home to Summer at Saratoga, Autumn at Keeneland, and, in collaboration with The Jockey Club, the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will provide live coverage of six major prep races for the 2012 Kentucky Derby.
CNBC: With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, CNBC World and CNBC HD+, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news providing real-time data, analysis and information to more than 390 million homes worldwide. The network’s 16 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.) is produced at CNBC’s global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC.com and CNBC Mobile Web (mobile.cnbc.com) offer real-time stock quotes, charts, analysis and streaming video.
THE JOCKEY CLUB: The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms, among others. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
Kentucky Derby and The Road to the Kentucky Derby are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
