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Kentucky Derby Delivers Most Watched 2020 Sporting Event Since Super Bowl LIV

NBC Sports' presentation of the rescheduled 146th Kentucky Derby on Saturday averaged a preliminary* Total Audience Delivery of 8.4 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Digital – ranking as the most-watched sporting event since Super Bowl LIV in February and the most-watched sporting event on Labor Day Weekend since 2017, based on fast national data from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics (*does not include Out of Home viewership, which is included in official national viewership as of Aug. 31, 2020, and will be available later this week).

In addition, 9.8 million viewers watched on NBC as Authentic crossed the finish line 1 1/4 lengths ahead of favorite Tiz the Law.

Immediately following the Kentucky Derby on NBC, Saturday night's Game 7 of the New York Islanders-Philadelphia Flyers Second Round series (a 4-0 Islanders' victory), averaged a preliminary TAD of 2.57 million viewers – marking the most-watched game of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Additional Viewership Highlights:

The 2020 Kentucky Derby, with 8.3 million viewers on NBC (TV only), topped by 20% the most-watched sporting event on last year's Labor Day Weekend (6.9 million, Oregon-Auburn college football on ABC, Sat. 8/31/19).
The 2020 Kentucky Derby (6:37-7:23 p.m. ET) delivered a 4.8/14 fast national rating. Local market ratings for all 56 metered markets will be available Monday afternoon. (By comparison, the 2019 Kentucky Derby telecast registered a 10.9 overnight rating with a 25 audience share.)
NBC Sports Digital delivered an Average Minute Audience of 132,800 viewers for the 2020 Kentucky Derby to rank as NBC Sports' most-streamed horse racing event ever.

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Authentic Moves One Win Closer To $1-Million ‘BetMakers Bonanza’ Payoff

With Saturday's Kentucky Derby added to his impressive list of accomplishments that includes a victory in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational, Authentic is now just one race away from collecting a $1 million bonus promotion that Monmouth Park and BetMakers have partnered to offer this year.

Known as the “BetMakers Bonanza,” the $1 million bonus goes to the connections of any horse that wins the TVG.Com Haskell Stakes, the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Breeders' Cup Classic will take place Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Authentic captured the 53^rd edition of Haskell on July 18, extending trainer Bob Baffert's record to nine victories in Monmouth Park's showcase race. The Haskell victory also qualified Authentic for the Breeders' Cup Classic with its “Win and You're In” designation.

“It would be fitting if, in the first year of the $1 million bonus, a horse trained by Bob Baffert earned it. Bob's support of the Haskell through the years with top quality 3-year-olds continues to validate the Haskell's importance on the 3-year-old calendar,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operators of Monmouth Park.

The Haskell has been a consistent stop for Kentucky Derby winners throughout its history, although this year marked the first time the Haskell has been contested before the Kentucky Derby. COVID-19 forced the Kentucky Derby to be moved from its traditional spot the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in September this year.

In 2015, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah added to his legacy by making the Haskell his next stop following the Belmont Stakes, attracting a record crowd of 60,983.

American Pharoah is among eight Haskell participants who have gone on to win Horse of the Year, joining Spend a Buck, Alysheba, Holy Bull, Skip Away, Point Given, Curlin and Rachel Alexandra.

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Spectator-less Kentucky Oaks-Derby Day Wagering Down Nearly 50%, Lowest Since 2002.

A historic Kentucky Derby saw Authentic claim the Garland of Roses in what was the first time the race had ever occurred on Labor Day weekend.

Authentic, owned by Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Myracehorse.com, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing and bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, led from the start, held off a challenge through the stretch from Tiz The Law and drew away to a 1 1/4-length victory. Trainer Bob Baffert secured his sixth Kentucky Derby win, tying the all-time record and jockey John Velazquez won the Kentucky Derby for the third time.

“We are grateful to our fans and our community for their support of the 146^th Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. “We look forward to seeing our loyal fans at next year's 147^th Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby on the first weekend of May.”

Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $126.0 million compared to $250.9 million on the 2019 Kentucky Derby Day program. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race was $79.4 million compared to $165.5 million from last year's Derby race.

Churchill Downs attributed the decline in handle for this year's Derby Day program to the lack of on-track wagering, fewer horses per race including in the Kentucky Derby race, and a prohibitive favorite in the Derby race.

Similar declines were reported for Kentucky Oaks day on Friday, which saw a decline in wagers from $60.1 million in 2019 to $30.6 million in 2020. The Oaks itself handled $9.8 million compared to $19.3 million in 2019.

Combined Oaks-Derby day wagering totaled $156.6 million, a 49.7% decline from the record $311.1 million wagered in 2019 when the Oaks and Derby were run in May.

In 2019, $31.2 million was bet on-track at Churchill Downs on Oaks and Derby day ($9.9 million on the Oaks card and $21.3 million on the Derby). That's equal to 20.2% of the $154.4 million in lost wagers this year.

Other wagering declines resulted from a contract dispute between Churchill Downs Inc. and the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association representing race and sports books throughout Nevada. Race and sports books were permitted to book wagers on the races but they were not commingled into the pari-mutuel pools hosted by Churchill Downs or counted in the totals.

The combined Oaks and Derby day wagers were the lowest since 2002.

The Churchill Downs press release added, “Although it is difficult to compare the financial performance to prior years, we are pleased with the profitability of the spectator-less 2020 Derby Week.”

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First Two Winners At Saratoga Vanned Off, One Suffers Fatal Injury

The winners of the first two races at Saratoga Friday were vanned off after crossing the wire.

Samborella won the opener of the card, the Seeking the Ante Stakes, prevailing by 2 1/4 lengths but suffered an injury to her left front just after the wire. Jockey Luis Saez pulled up the 2-year-old Jeremiah Engelhart trainee quickly. Veterinarians applied a brace to Samborella and vanned her off. Anna Seitz of It's All About The Girls Stable later tweeted that the filly had been euthanized.

In Race 2, Danny Gargan trainee Judge N Jury pulled up after winning the maiden special weight by 1 1/4 lengths. The 2-year-old colt was given a ride back to his barn.

“The horse was returning unsatisfactorily and was given a van ride as a precaution per [senior examining veterinarian] Dr. [Sarah] Hinchliffe,” a NYRA spokesman indicated late Friday.

The pair of incidents comes days after a report from the Daily Racing Form noting five fatalities in a four-day period. The deaths included three workout fatalities and two racing fatalities.

The current meet closes on Monday, Sept. 7.

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