Tag: Kentucky Derby

NBC Sports Presents Five Hours Of Live Coverage From Kentucky Derby 147

NBC Sports presents the 147th Kentucky Derby this Saturday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC live from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Road to the Triple Crown begins this week, highlighted by NBC's live five-hour Kentucky Derby Day telecast this Saturday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET. NBC Sports kicks off more than 13 hours of Kentucky Derby Week action this Friday, April 30 with live coverage of the Kentucky Oaks beginning at Noon ET on NBCSN. Saturday's live Derby coverage begins with Kentucky Derby Prep at Noon ET on NBCSN. In total, NBC Sports will televise 17 live races.

This weekend's Derby marks the 20th anniversary of NBC Sports' first Kentucky Derby coverage in 2001, which was won by Monarchos. NBC Sports reporters Donna Brothers and Kenny Rice have covered the Kentucky Derby every year for NBC since 2001. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of analyst Jerry Bailey's Kentucky Derby win on Grindstone in 1996.

The 2021 Kentucky Derby features likely favorite Essential Quality, who was named 2020's Champion two-year-old male and is undefeated in his career, and this year's Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie. With a win in this year's Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert – who trains Medina Spirit in Saturday's field – would earn his seventh career Derby victory, breaking a tie with Ben Jones for the most ever by a trainer.

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group's coverage of the Kentucky Derby features host Mike Tirico, who is hosting Derby coverage for the fifth time; analysts Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey and two-time Kentucky Derby winner, and Randy Moss; handicapper/reporter Eddie Olczyk; host/reporter Ahmed Fareed; reporters Britney Eurton, Donna Brothers, Kenny Rice, and Laffit Pincay III; and race caller Larry Collmus.

NBC Sports' Jac Collinsworth makes his Kentucky Derby debut as a reporter from Churchill Downs, and four-time Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross will join NBC Sports' 2021 Kentucky Derby coverage as a lifestyle and fashion correspondent. Steve Kornacki, NBC News' and MSNBC's celebrated national political correspondent, will join NBC Sports' 2021 Kentucky Derby coverage as an insights analyst.

The coordinating producer of NBC's horse racing coverage is Rob Hyland, who has been a part of the network's horse racing coverage since 2001. The Kentucky Derby is directed by Drew Esocoff. The coverage on NBCSN is produced by Billy Matthews and directed by Kaare Numme. Executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports and NBCSN is Sam Flood.

Highlights of Kentucky Derby coverage Saturday on NBC include:

  • Five live races in the NBC Kentucky Derby show (nine live races in Saturday's full coverage)
  • Mike Tirico's championship discussion with Bill Belichick, six-time Super Bowl winner as New England Patriots head coach, and Bob Baffert, six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer
  • Tirico's one-on-one discussion with Baffert, who is aiming to become the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history
  • Feature on the family of trainer Steve Asmussen, who trains Super Stock and Midnight Bourbon in this year's Derby field. Keith Asmussen, Steve's father, co-owns Super Stock
  • Jac Collinsworth tells the story of Kentucky Derby qualifier Hot Rod Charlie and his connections, highlighting five Brown University football teammates who made the initial $110,000 investment in the horse
  • Tim Layden essays, including one on Canonero II, who had one of the biggest Derby upsets 50 years ago, rallying from 18th place to win the 1971 Kentucky Derby by 3¾ lengths
  • Tom Hammond's retrospective as NBC Sports marks the 20th anniversary of its first Kentucky Derby coverage
  • For the first time, a live drone and two live jockey cam systems will be utilized in Derby coverage (among 50 total cameras)
  • NBC Sports' backstretch bat cam returns for the first time since 2019, offering a perspective from 15-18 feet above the track and traveling up to 80 mph
  • A camera focused on race caller Larry Collmus
  • NBC Sports EDGE's Matt Bernier to provide betting-focused articles and video previews throughout the week
  • NBC Sports EDGE's new sports betting-focused podcast, 'Bet the Edge,' hosted by Sara Perlman, launched today and will have daily Kentucky Derby segments throughout the week. Click here to listen to the debut episode as Eddie Olczyk joins the show to discuss handicapping Saturday's Kentucky Derby

NBC SPORTS GROUP TRIPLE CROWN COVERAGE (All Times ET):

KENTUCKY DERBY
Date Time Event Network
Fri., April 30 Noon Kentucky Oaks NBCSN
Sat., May 1 Noon Kentucky Derby Prep NBCSN
Sat., May 1 2:30 p.m. Kentucky Derby NBC
PREAKNESS STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., May 14 5 p.m. Black-Eyed Susan Stakes NBCSN
Sat., May 15 2 p.m. Preakness Prep NBCSN
Sat., May 15 5 p.m. Preakness Stakes NBC
BELMONT STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., June 4 5 p.m. Belmont Stakes Access NBCSN
Sat., June 5 3 p.m. Belmont Stakes Prep NBCSN
Sat., June 5 5 p.m. Belmont Stakes
NBC

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Steve Kornacki Joins NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby Coverage

Steve Kornacki, NBC News' and MSNBC's celebrated national political correspondent, will join NBC Sports' 2021 Kentucky Derby coverage this Saturday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Kornacki, who has been widely lauded for his ability to easily communicate the complex election process, will apply his unique analytical perspective in “Meet the Contenders” segments on the Kentucky Derby field. In addition, he will offer insight on notable betting trends.

Last fall, Kornacki brought his election-style coverage to Football Night in America, breaking down the NFL playoff picture.

“After successfully tackling FNIA, we're excited to have Steve join our Kentucky Derby team,” said Rob Hyland, Coordinating Producer of NBC Sports' Kentucky Derby coverage and Football Night in America. “We expect he will be right at home working a sport that includes terms like neck-and-neck, down-to-the-wire, and dead heat.”

“It's going to be a thrill to be at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, something I've wanted to do since the very first Derby I watched as a kid in 1987,” Kornacki said. “To get to play a role with the NBC Sports team, which I've been a fan of for years, is an honor.”

Kornacki, who will be making his first trip to Churchill Downs, is a native of Groton, Massachusetts, and regularly attended races at nearby Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park in his teens and as a Boston University student. One of his earliest horse racing memories came when an uncle took him to the harness races at Scarborough Downs in Maine. He picked five consecutive winners. It's a performance he's spent the last three decades trying to replicate.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown.

The post Steve Kornacki Joins NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby Coverage appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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McIngvale to Make Largest Bet in Derby History

Owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is planning to bet at least $2 million to win on Essential Quality (Tapit) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby as a hedge to cover the costs of a furniture promotion underway at his Gallery Furniture stores. It is believed that McIngvale's bet will be the largest ever placed on the Derby or any U.S. horse race.

McIngvale has already launched the “Kentucky Derby Fave Wins, You Win” promotion. Anyone buying a mattress that costs $3,000 or more will receive a 100% refund if the favorite wins the race. Costumers will also have the option of receiving a store credit of 150% of the price paid for the mattress. McIngvale won't know until Saturday exactly how many mattresses his stores will have sold in relation to the promotion but says it will likely be around “a couple thousand.”

Once he has determined how many mattresses have been sold, McIngvale will bet enough on Essential Quality to cover the losses incurred by the promotion. He says he will bet at least $2 million and could bet as much as $4 million.

“The favorite has won the Derby six out of the last seven times and if that happens this year the people who bought the mattresses will get 100% of their money back,” he said. “We have gotten a lot of response so far and expect a lot more response over the next five days.”

It is expected that Essential Quality will go off at about 5-2. At that price, a $2-million win bet will return a profit of

$5 million, which will pay for an awful lot of mattresses.

“In this day and age of Amazon, we bricks and mortar guys have to do something to be different, something to stand out,” he said.

In 2019, the last time the race was run on the first Saturday in May, there was $41.8 million in the win pool. A $2-million bet would account for about 5% of the pool, more than enough to lower the odds on Essential Quality. The race favorite that year, Improbable (City Zip), had $6.9 million wagered on him to win. He went off at 4-1.

“I'm going to wire the money into Churchill, probably on Thursday,” McIngvale said. “When it gets closer to the race I will figure out how many mattresses we have sold, add up the total, and then I'll figure out how much to bet on the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. It's going to be great for the other people too because it will make the other 19 horses a better value than they would be if I hadn't made a big bet.

“I'm better off if the horse wins, by a 10-1 margin because people will tell all their friends about this and the word of mouth publicity if he wins will be off the charts. The good thing about horse racing is you can bet as much as you want to because it is pari-mutuel wagering and the Derby is a race with huge handle.”

McIngvale is confident Essential Quality can get the job done.

“He's won all his races, was the champion 2-year-old and is by Tapit, the best sire in the country,” McIngvale said. “So you have to like the horse. There's nothing not to like about him.”

McIngvale is used to making huge wagers, many of which he ties in with store promotions. He made a huge, losing bet on the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series. Earlier this year, he successfully bet $3.5 million on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to cover the spread in the Super Bowl. Does he still get nervous when betting that much?

“I'm more nervous watching one of my horses run in a $10,000 claimer,” he said. “I don't get nervous doing this. To me, it's fun and exciting and it's exciting for the customers.”

The post McIngvale to Make Largest Bet in Derby History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Lil Indy, Dam of Maximum Security, Dies While Foaling

Lil Indy (Anasheed–Cresta, by Cresta Rider), the dam of champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day), died Saturday night while foaling a filly by Curlin, Summer Wind Farm's Jane Lyon reported in a Facebook post.

“It is with deep sadness I have to announce the passing of Lil Indy, the dam of Maximum Security. She died foaling a beautiful Curlin filly Saturday evening,” Lyon said. “While she graced Summer Wind Farm for a far too short time, she captured our hearts with her sweet demeanor and beautiful spirit. She will always remain in our hearts. Godspeed Lil Indy, you were loved here.”

Just a $2,200 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky purchase who won twice in 19 starts on the track, Lil Indy became a household name when Maximum Security put together a championship season as a sophomore in 2019, a campaign that also famously featured his disqualification from first in the GI Kentucky Derby. Bought for $11,000 at Keeneland November the previous year, she summoned $1.85 million from Lyon's Summer Wind Equine at the same sale in 2019.

Lil Indy's remaining produce is an unraced 3-year-old Flashback colt named Stand Proud, an unnamed juvenile full-sister to Maximum Security who sold to Four Star Sales for $65,000 this year at Keeneland January, a yearling Quality Road colt named Qualified and the Curlin filly born Saturday night.

The post Lil Indy, Dam of Maximum Security, Dies While Foaling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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