TVG Features Live Coverage From Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park This Weekend

Swiss Skydiver, 2020's Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, will make her four-year-old debut live on TVG this weekend in the $300,000 Beholder Mile (G1), one of two graded stakes races on Santa Anita's nine-race card.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live at Santa Anita with exclusive interviews and expert analysis. Swiss Skydiver is scheduled to take on seven competitors in the $300,000 Beholder Mile, her first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November which concluded a sophomore season in which she won five graded stakes races, including a thrilling win in the Preakness Stakes over male rivals. Regular rider Robby Albarado will be aboard for owner Peter Callahan.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Arkansas on Saturday and TVG's Mike Joyce and Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park throughout the twelve-race card featuring the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a steppingstone towards the Arkansas Derby (GI) which is scheduled for April 10. The Rebel Stakes will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of eight of some of the most promising 3-year-olds in the country. Trainer Bob Baffert, who saddled Nadal to victory in this race last year, will send out two runners – Hozier and Concert Tour – to take on the 9-5 morning line favorite Caddo River for trainer Brad Cox.

Saturday at Oaklawn will also feature the 8-year-old debut of Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) champion Whitmore for trainer Ron Moquett in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes. The Eclipse Award winning sprinter has won the Hot Spring Stakes for the past four consecutive years and will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

The 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil will also return to action on Saturday at Oaklawn in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and face four rivals including recent Sam Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner Letruska. The 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil will have Florent Geroux in the irons for trainer Brad Cox.

TVG will also be broadcasting from Gulfstream Park this weekend and Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from the track with insights and interviews throughout the twelve-race card which features the $75,000 Silks Run Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita and Oaklawn Park, TVG will feature racing from Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Which ADWs Have Gained The Most During COVID-19 Pandemic?

Without legal advance deposit wagering in the United States, horse racing would have suffered unimaginable consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic that was unleashed one year ago. As it was, many tracks were forced to close while racing officials, health departments and infectious disease experts across the country worked toward solutions to keeping a major industry going.

Almost without exception, on-track business evaporated and racing was dependent on leading ADW companies TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet and NYRA Bets to stay in business. Those companies, the “big four” among ADWs, handled nearly $6.5 billion through the Oregon Racing Commission wagering hub, about 60% of the $10.9 billion bet on U.S. races in 2020, according to Equibase.

Some caveats: NYRA Bets totals do not include wagers made by New York residents on in-state races. Also, the ADW totals include a relatively small percentage that is wagered on Standardbred and Quarter Horse racing and international races. The totals for TwinSpires and Xpressbet may include “white label” ADWs created by various racetracks that use the aforementioned companies' technology.

Another $160 million was wagered through the Oregon hub by six smaller ADW companies.

Also, keep in mind that a significant portion of wagering dollars (though the details are not available) is bet through a hub in North Dakota. Elite Turf Club, Lien Games Racing, WatchAndWager.com and several others are registered in North Dakota, which is not as transparent with wagering totals as is Oregon. Among those companies, Elite Turf Club is probably the largest, with a number of high volume customers employing computer assisted wagering programs.

The growth in wagering through the Oregon hub by the “big four” from 2019 to 2020 was 52%. From a percentage standpoint, NYRA Bets – the smallest of the four and the latest to launch its business in 2016 – had the biggest gain of 104%. From a dollars standpoint, TVG was the leader, gaining over $1.2 billion in wagers from 2019 to 2020.

Perhaps not surprisingly, those two companies are affiliated with television throughout the year: NYRA Bets through programming on Fox Sports and TVG with its long-established racing network.

TVG's growth was so dramatic in 2020 that it overtook TwinSpires as the largest volume ADW company using the Oregon hub, ending a long run at the top by TwinSpires. In 2019, TwinSpires handled over $640 million more than TVG.

From a percentage standpoint, TwinSpires showed the slowest growth of the “big four” during the pandemic, gaining 30%. Xpressbet gained 34% from 2019-'20 topping $1 billion for the second consecutive year.

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TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Coast-To-Cost Kentucky Derby Preps

Kentucky Derby points will be on the line Saturday as some of California's top three-year-old prospects go to post in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) from Santa Anita and TVG will have live coverage of the Kentucky Derby prep race as well as the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1), one of the premier races for older horses.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be anchoring the coverage from California with expert analysis and interviews while Mike Joyce and Simon Bray will contribute to the broadcast from home. The featured $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) has drawn a field of eight of the top older horses in the country including the undefeated Maxfield who will put his five-win streak on the line for trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Florent Geroux.

Kentucky Derby points will be available the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) which will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle two of the seven contenders including Life is Good, a bay son of Into Mischief who notched his first stakes victory with a win in the Sham Stakes (G3) in January. Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith will be aboard.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Florida and TVG's Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from Tampa Bay Downs as the track holds its marquee event – the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), the centerpiece of the twelve-race card. Trainer Bill Mott will send out Candy Man Rocket, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) to square off against eleven rivals in the Kentucky Derby prep race, which offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. The card will also feature four other stakes races, three of which are graded including the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3) for sophomore fillies.

Gulfstream Park has twelve races on the schedule for Saturday and TVG's Caleb Keller will be trackside with insight and analysis throughout the card which features three stakes races including the $75,000 Hutcheson Stakes, a six-furlong contest that has an esteemed list of winners including Holy Bull and More Than Ready.

Aqueduct will host the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) on Saturday as the featured race on the ten-race card. The race has drawn a field of eight Triple Crown hopefuls including Freedom Fighter who has shipped to the East Coast for trainer Bob Baffert after a runner-up effort in the San Vicente Stakes (G2). Manuel Franco will be aboard the son of Violence. The Gotham Stakes (G3) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, TVG will be featuring racing from Fair Grounds, Oaklawn and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

 

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TVG’s Weekend Programming Features Live Coverage Of Derby Preps

TVG's coverage of the road to the Kentucky Derby will continue this weekend with live, on-site coverage of key Kentucky Derby prep races from Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) featuring the return of Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality and the $300,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

TVG's Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park on Saturday with interviews, insights and analysis of the eleven-race card which features three stakes races including the $750,000 Southwest Stakes which will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and serves as a steppingstone to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10. The Southwest Stakes (G3) will feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Essential Quality for trainer Brad Cox. The Godolphin homebred son of Tapit is undefeated from three starts and will have Luis Saez in the irons as he faces six rivals including multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior.

Sunday at Oaklawn Park will mark the much-anticipated return of dual Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl for trainer Brad Cox. The six-year-old mare, freshened since a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), will face five rivals in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3). Florent Geroux will be aboard the daughter of Tapizar who was purchased for $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton in November by Spendthrift Farm.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue at Gulfstream Park on Saturday and the award-winning network will have Gabby Gaudet, Joaquin Jaime and Caleb Keller on-site with expanded coverage of the fourteen-race card which will feature nine stakes races. The Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of ten including the 9-5 morning line favorite, Greatest Honour for Shug McGaughey, III. The bay son of Tapit was last seen winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) in January and will have Jose Ortiz aboard.

Saturday at Gulfstream Park will also feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Vequist in the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The two-time Grade 1 winning filly will square off against eleven-rivals with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons.

TVG will also be live trackside at Santa Anita with Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton anchoring the coverage from California with a nine-race card. The featured event is the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for three-year-olds going one-mile on the turf which has drawn a field of six including Rock Your World for trainer John Sadler and jockey Umberto Rispoli.

There are also Kentucky Derby points on the line at Turfway Park on Friday night in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. The race will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and features a field of thirteen including the Canadian-bred Grade 1 winner Gretzky the Great, installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for Mark Casse.

In addition to racing from Oaklawn, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, TVG will be featuring racing from Tampa Bay Downs, Fair Grounds, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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