Kevin Costello Makes History as First Repeat NHC Champion

Kevin Costello has officially won the 2023 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour, the first ever in the contest's 16 year history to win twice, announced the NTRA via press release Friday.

Having previously won in 2021 and qualifying every year since 2016, Costello secured a seat to the 2025 NHC in addition to the prize money and is eligible to take home a $5-million bonus should he become a three-peat winner at the 25th NHC competition in Las Vegas. Costello finished the 2023 Tour season with 24,053 points from 31 contests.

It was a close race for spots behind him as Michael Mulvihill finished in second with 22,991 points; Evan Trommer finished in third with 22,709 points; Sally Goodall placed fourth at 22,600 points; and Brett Wiener came in fifth with 22,399 points. The complete 2023 Tour results can be found here.

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FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY to Debut July 22

FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY, a new national television show covering the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, presented by FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association, will debut this coming Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The show will air on FOX for six consecutive weeks and deliver in-depth broadcasts of the historic track's biggest races.

“The greatest meet in horse racing is moving to FOX Sports' biggest stage,” said Michael Mulvihill, President, Insights and Analytics, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment and Tubi. “The launch of FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY demonstrates FOX Sports' commitment to showcasing this timeless sport and brings both new players and longtime handicappers as close to the action as possible.”

FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY airs through Aug. 26, culminating with an expanded show for the GI Travers S. FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY will offer fans in-depth coverage and analysis of:

The GI Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22; the GII Jim Dandy Presented by DK Horse July 29; the GI Whitney on Aug. 5; the GI Fourstardave H. Aug. 12; the GI Alabama Presented by Keeneland Sales Aug. 19; and the GI Travers Aug. 26.

“There is nothing in sports quite like the energy and excitement of a Saturday at Saratoga,  said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer and President of NYRA Bets. “Thanks to FOX Sports, this new show means the most national broadcast hours of Saratoga in history.”

NYRA and FOX Sports first established a partnership in 2016 with the launch of Saratoga Live, the critically acclaimed and award-winning television show providing daily coverage of the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. FOX Sports has continually expanded its coverage of racing's most important events each year since 2016 resulting in more than 1000 hours of live horse racing coverage in 2023.

Reflecting their long-term commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing, FOX Sports is also now the exclusive home of the GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets, which aired on FOX for the first time in 2023.

For additional information, and the current FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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FOX Sports Extends NYRA Media Rights Through 2030, Acquires Stake In NYRA Bets

FOX Sports, a unit of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)  announced Thursday an expanded partnership agreement that establishes FOX Sports as the official wagering partner of NYRA Bets and the leading media provider for elite thoroughbred racing through the next decade.

The prior FOX Sports/NYRA media rights agreement provided a FOX Sports subsidiary with an option to acquire a 25% stake in NYRA Bets, LLC (NYRA Bets), a leading Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) platform launched in 2016 and available to customers in 30 states across the country. The FOX Sports subsidiary will exercise this option by the summer of 2021, pending final regulatory approval.

The newly announced agreement provides a FOX Sports subsidiary with a future opportunity to increase its equity interest in NYRA Bets.

As an unprecedented year interrupted live sports around the world, horse racing operated safely and continuously. NYRA Bets achieved record growth in 2020, as new fans engaged with horse racing by watching an unparalleled amount of coverage across FOX Sports' family of networks. Driven by a dramatic expansion in this live television coverage, NYRA Bets generated $225 million in wagering handle in 2020, a more than 100% increase compared to 2019.

“The remarkably rapid expansion of NYRA Bets, and the digital ADW wagering marketplace, make this an ideal opportunity for FOX Sports to deepen and broaden its investment in both premier media rights and the high-growth sports wagering industry. With our investment options in NYRA Bets, FOX is now uniquely positioned as the only media company with strategic stakes in digital bet-taking businesses in horse racing, sports betting, poker and casino gaming,” said Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports' Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics. “We're confident that our television partnership with NYRA will fuel continued growth for NYRA Bets in the years ahead ”

Dave O'Rourke, President and CEO, NYRA, underscored the importance of its partnership with FOX Sports to the sport in New York as well as across the country.

“FOX Sports has shown an unwavering commitment to the sport of horse racing over the past five years,” said O'Rourke. “The strength of our partnership with FOX Sports, and the continued expansion of our high-quality telecasts, has proven to be hugely beneficial for the New York racing community and the sport as a whole.”

The new agreement will extend FOX Sports' television rights with NYRA through 2030 and further expand exclusivity for daily racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

Under the new deal, FOX Sports expects to air at least 700 hours of coverage each year from Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course and, outside of prior commitments, gives the network exclusive national broadcast rights at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course through 2030. NYRA will serve as the production arm for all horse racing events during the term of the partnership.

NYRA and FOX Sports began their collaboration during the first season of Saratoga Live during the 2016 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. The critically acclaimed show, broadcast daily from the grounds of Saratoga, aired 80 hours of live coverage on FS2 and coincided with the national launch of NYRA Bets. Since then, total coverage has grown to more than 700 hours in 2020. The NYRA Bets wagering handle has also grown – from $7.2 million in 2016 to over $225 million in 2020. Wagering through national ADW outlets increased 115% during that same period. Along with Saratoga Live, FOX Sports' NYRA television portfolio includes America's Day At The Races, airing in the spring, summer, fall and select dates throughout the winter racing season.

FOX Sports became the national television home for NYRA's Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course coverage in 2019. That same year, the brand furthered its commitment to horse racing by televising the Runhappy Travers to a national audience on the FOX broadcast network (FOX) for the first time in network history. Following a successful presentation in 2019, the Travers returned to FOX in 2020.

First held in 1864, the Travers is the most prestigious stakes race for 3-year-olds outside of the Triple Crown series and the traditional centerpiece of the annual 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. The race is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga Race Course who won the inaugural running in 1864 with a horse named Kentucky.

The new FOX Sports/NYRA agreement ensures that the Travers will air LIVE on FOX through 2030.

“NYRA is delighted to extend our relationship with FOX Sports,” said Tony Allevato, President, NYRA Bets. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the FOX Sports team over the next decade to grow NYRA Bets while continuing to present the very best in horse racing coverage to more sports fans than ever before.”

The agreement does not include the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the Belmont Stakes.

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Historic Edition Of Travers To Be Broadcast Live On FOX Network

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and FOX Sports today highlighted television coverage for Saturday's blockbuster Runhappy Travers Day at historic Saratoga Race Course.

For the second consecutive year, the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers will be televised live on the FOX broadcast network as part of a 1 ½ hour telecast from 5:00-6:30 PM ET on Saturday. Post time for the 151st running of the Runhappy Travers is scheduled for 6:15 PM ET.

An expanded Runhappy Travers Day edition of Saratoga Live, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm,will air nationally on FS1 beginning at 11:30 AM ET. Coverage and analysis of the day's races then shifts to FS2 beginning at 3:00 PM ET and continues throughout the afternoon on FS1/FS2.

Saturday's Runhappy Travers is headlined by Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law, trained by Barclay Tagg and to be ridden by Manny Franco, who made history in becoming the first New York bred in 138 years to win the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, capturing the nine-furlong American Classic on June 20 in the first leg of the revised Triple Crown schedule.

“For the first time ever, the Runhappy Travers is a key stop on the road to the Triple Crown,” said Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports Executive Vice President, Research, League Operations & Strategy. “We are thrilled to again present it on FOX and to showcase Belmont champion Tiz the Law as he continues his campaign. In addition, our expanded coverage across FS1 and FS2 gives horseplayers a full day of action.”

With this year's Saratoga summer meet currently closed to spectators, Saturday's Runhappy Travers Day coverage on Saratoga Live will leverage 32 cameras at various locations throughout the property to capture all the action before, during and after each race. For the first time at Saratoga, the broadcasts will include the introduction of the “WinStar Cam”, which will provide in-race aerial coverage throughout the day.

“Thanks to our partners at FOX, this year's Runhappy Travers will be brought to millions of households across the country by the best broadcast team in racing utilizing the latest technology to cover every angle live from Saratoga Race Course, said Tony Allevato, President of NYRA Bets & Executive Producer for NYRA TV. “We look forward to a spectacular day of racing from the sport's most iconic venue.”

The 151st running of the Runhappy Travers will be one of five graded stakes on the day. An enticing undercard includes the Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies; the Grade 1, $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy for 4-year-olds and up on Mellon turf and the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya for older fillies and mares on the inner turf.

First held in 1864, the Travers is the most prestigious stakes race for 3-year-olds outside of the Triple Crown series and the traditional centerpiece of the annual Saratoga meeting. The race is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga Race Course who won the inaugural running in 1864 with a horse named Kentucky.

NYRA and FOX Sports began their collaboration during the summer of 2016 with the launch of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning Saratoga Live airing on FS2. In November of 2018, NYRA and FOX Sports announced a new long-term television programming deal to make FOX Sports the year-round national television home for NYRA racing. As a result of this groundbreaking deal, FOX Sports will broadcast 700 hours of thoroughbred racing from NYRA tracks in 2020 including coverage of nearly every race day at Belmont Park and Saratoga.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.

For more information about FOX Sports, visit FOX Sports Press Pass

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