NYRA LINEMAKER ERIC DONOVAN TO PARTICIPATE IN LIVE WEB CHAT

Sunday, May 9, 2009

 

Contact: Ashley Herriman

aherriman@nyrainc.com

 

 

NYRA LINEMAKER ERIC DONOVAN TO PARTICIPATE IN LIVE WEB CHAT

 

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Eric Donovan, TV analyst and oddsmaker for The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will participate in a live web chat Friday, May 14, at 8:30 p.m. EDT on nyra.com.

 

A native of Ardsley, N.Y., Donovan, 33, began working as a member of the NYRA Communications Department in 1999. Three years later, he became a co-host on Talking Horses, NYRA’s daily preview show, which he still hosts with fellow analysts Andy Serling and Jason Blewitt.  In 2005, Donovan took over as the full-time NYRA oddsmaker, replacing Donald LaPlace.

 

Donovan also acts as regular co-host with Serling of NYRA’s Trips & Traps show, analyzing race replays for information on horses that handicappers won’t find in the past performances.  In 2009, Donovan served as a reporter during the first season of MSG+’s “Saturdays at Saratoga” series, interviewing the connections of various Saratoga stakes winners and working on the live broadcast of Rachel Alexandra’s historic win in the Woodward, which earned an honorable mention in the Eclipse Awards Local Television category.

 

Fans who wish to participate in the live dialogue with Donovan may log on to http://www.nyra.com/livechat beginning this Friday at 8:30 p.m.  No pre-registration is necessary and users may simply type questions and comments in the chat field at the bottom of the page for Donovan to address. At the conclusion of the chat, an “instant replay” is created for future reference.

 

NYRA has conducted live chats on Friday evenings since October 23. Donovan will be the seventh guest host in the chat series, following NYRA Chief Operating Officer Hal Handel, leading trainer Gary Contessa, veteran New York jockey Richard Migliore, Hall of Fame rider Jorge Velasquez, trainer and NYTHA president, Rick Violette, NYRA Racecaller and Director of TV Production John Imbriale, and most recently NYRA TV Analyst Jason Blewitt.  Fellow NYRA TV Analyst Andy Serling regularly hosts the chats.

 

Fans who wish to view transcriptions of previous chats may do so at http://www.nyra.com/livechat.

 

NYRA boasts a vast library of online offerings, comprised of the following websites:

 

• NYRA.com – Main website for Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• BelmontStakes.com – Comprehensive Belmont Stakes coverage
• Rachel’s Sandbox – Everything fans want to know about Rachel Alexandra
• NYRAGroupSales.com – Group sales info on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• On The Lead – NYRA’s official monthly email newsletter
• Twitter.com/NYRAnews – Racing updates at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• Twitter.com/andyserling – Race analysis at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• NYRA Facebook – Offers all the latest news on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• NYRA YouTube – Offers videos including trainer and jockey interviews, Trips & Traps
• NYRA Flickr – Offers pictures from Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• NYRA Insider Blog – Go behind the scenes at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
• NYRA Community Relations Blog – NYRA’s community outreach efforts
• NYRA Spotlight – Videos spotlighting NYRA racetrack personnel
• New York Watch – Read about up-and-coming stars from the NYRA circuit
• Backstretch Buzz – Exclusive videos from the backstretch
• Riders Up – In-depth interviews with members of the NYRA jockey colony

 

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