Instead of “It's post time!” alerting race fans that the horses have reached the starting gate, thousands of viewers of the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs instead might hear “¡Llegó el Momento de la Partida!”
Kentucky Downs for the first time will offer race calls and handicapping analysis in Spanish through a partnership with Daily Racing Form's DRF en Español. The seven-day meet runs Sept. 1, 3, 4 ,8, 10, 11 and 14.
A full broadcast in Spanish will be available each day on YouTube.com/DRFenEspanol and DRF.com/Espanol. Meet-long content on DRF en Español and DRF en Español social media will include editorial content, handicapping shows, interviews and training reports. Veteran turf journalist and broadcaster Roberto Rodriguez, director of DRF en Español, will head the coverage.
People of Hispanic heritage form the fastest-growing and second-largest segment of the United States, comprising nearly 20 percent of the population, according to the 2020 census.
Daily Racing Form launched DRF en Español in August 2020 to serve the Spanish-language audience. The venture expanded by teaming with Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup in the fall of 2021, with DRF en Español creating a new fan base that has grown each month. According to DRF en Español, its audience is younger and more mobile-friendly than the regular DRF.com target.
“We're excited about tapping into this fast-growing market,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' vice president for racing. “Spanish is the native language of so many of our racing participants, and we know our Hispanic jockeys and trainers have huge followings. Betting horses is a sport based on information. Anything we can do to make more information available to more people is a good thing. Roberto is a titan in Spanish-speaking turf journalism and with DRF en Español has an important platform to help us better connect with our Hispanic horse-racing fans.”
DRF en Español's coverage includes Al Dia, a daily handicapping show; La Referencia, a comprehensive premium handicapping product with free download; La Reference Xpress, a two-page downloadable handicapping product with selections; and a daily e-newsletter with race recaps, upcoming shows and handicapping products.
Among those looking forward to the Spanish-language broadcasts and handicapping content is Churchill Downs-based trainer Juan Cano, who believes it will spark additional betting. Though he learned English after coming to America from Guatemala, Cano says he enjoys watching racing broadcasts in his native tongue, such as simulcasting from Chile.
“They're talking in Español while the horses are running – it's way different,” he said. “It's exciting. I speak English, but a lot of people who speak Spanish don't. People in Chile might now start watching the races from Kentucky Downs. A lot of people are going to start looking at the races. Like my family, my daddy (in Guatemala). He looks at the races but he doesn't understand what they're saying. Having it in Spanish will be good.”
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