Opening Day at Del Mar begins on Friday, July 16 and TVG, America's horse racing network, will be live on-site for each day of the prestigious meet with enhanced coverage, features and expert analysis. The weekend broadcast will also include the $1 million TVG Haskell Invitational from Monmouth Park featuring TVG Pegasus Stakes winner Mandaloun and Belmont Stakes (GI) runner-up Hot Rod Charlie.
TVG will have a full roster of talent on-site at Del Mar throughout the meet including Todd Schrupp, Simon Bray, Christina Blacker, Joaquin Jaime, Caleb Keller, Dave Weaver and Scott Hazelton with exclusive interviews, insights and handicapping selections. There will be new touchscreen technology on the set which will allow mark-up replays and graphics to introduce enhanced handicapping coverage.
The supersized coverage will utilize a total of 28 cameras – eight more than in previous meets – and will also give fans a behind-the-scenes look through a Jockey Cam utilized every day of the meet by leading riders including Umberto Rispoli, Flavien Prat and Jessica Pyfer.
“We're investing more than ever before and pulling out all the stops to give viewers an immersive experience for the Runhappy Del Mar summer meet,” said Kevin Grigsby, Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of Television. “We're not just covering the races. We plan to follow horses from the barn, to the paddock, to the gate, around the track and back, and we plan to use the jockey cams to give our viewers a closer look at some of what happens before the actual races in a way that helps their handicapping.”
Del Mar has a ten-race card lined up for Opening Day and the featured race is the $100,000 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes. Restricted to three-year-olds, the one-mile contest will be contested on the turf and has drawn a full field of fourteen sophomores. Dream Shake, third in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (GI) will be making his turf debut for trainer Peter Eurton and will have Joe Bravo in the irons.
The coverage of Del Mar's meet will run through Labor Day and will include the TVG Pacific Classic (GI) on August 21. The TVG Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge races which will earn the winner an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup which will be held at Del Mar on November 5-6.
There will be on-site coverage throughout the weekend at Monmouth Park leading up to the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational on Saturday, July 17. TVG's Mike Joyce, Gabby Gaudet, Caton Bredar and Larry Collmus will be reporting live from New Jersey with insights, interviews and analysis leading up to the marquee race for 3-year-olds.
The TVG Haskell (GI) has drawn a field of seven 3-year-olds with the Doug O'Neill-trained Hot Rod Charlie installed as the morning line favorite at 6-5 odds with Flavien Prat aboard. Mandaloun, a homebred for Juddmonte Farms, is the second choice at odds of 2-1 for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.
The post TVG Plans Extensive Coverage Of Del Mar Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
