Wednesday, July 25, 2012

THE NEW YORK RACING SERIES ON MSG+ HEADS TO SARATOGA

The Madison Square Garden Company

Dan Schoenberg / 212-465-6367

Brian Fisher / 212-465-6754

 

The New York Racing Association, Inc.

Dan Silver / dsilver@nyrainc.com 

 

 

the New YORK RACING SERIES ON MSG+ HEADS TO SARATOGA

 

Two Consecutive Saturdays Featuring Four of the Top Races of the Summer

Live Starting at 5:00 p.m.

 

Saturday, July 28 – The Diana & Jim Dandy Stakes

Saturday, August 4 – The Whitney Handicap & The Prioress

 

 

New York, NY (July 25, 2012) – The New York Racing Series on MSG+, featuring live thoroughbred racing specials from The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) between May and November, will head north to Saratoga for two consecutive Saturdays starting July 28 at 5:00 p.m.

 

The Saturday specials will feature two live marquee races each day: the Diana and Jim Dandy on Saturday, July 28; and the Whitney and Prioress on Saturday, August 4. The one-hour telecasts will be hosted by NYRA’s Jason Blewitt and include feature commentary and analysis from NYRA’s Eric Donovan, Richard Migliore, Andy Serling and Maggie Wolfendale.

 

The Grade 1, $600,000 Diana is expected to draw a stellar field of older filly and mare turfers, including Hungry Island, Tapitsfly, Winter Memories and Zagora. The Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy will feature a group of talented three-year-old colts hoping for a breakout summer performance, including Alpha, Atigun, Neck ‘n Neck and Teeth of the Dog.

 

The following weekend’s duo of Grade 1 races, the $750,000 Whitney and the $300,000 Prioress, will feature many of the top older male dirt horses and the speediest three-year-old fillies in the country, respectively.

 

MSG+’s daily coverage of thoroughbred racing starts each morning at 9:30 a.m. with “Saratoga in 30,” the half-hour race-replay show hosted by Blewitt and Donovan every day except Wednesday, and “Thoroughbred Weekly,” a weekly half-hour show on Wednesdays hosted by Blewitt, Donovan and Serling, which includes timely features and races of the week.

 

The New York Racing Series on MSG+ continues this fall with the New York Showcase Day from Belmont Park, featuring seven stakes races for New York-bred horses, on Saturday, October 20 at 4:00 p.m. and concludes on Saturday, November 24 with the Cigar Mile from Aqueduct starting at 3:00 p.m.

 

As the exclusive local television home of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, New York Liberty and New York Red Bulls, MSG Networks telecasts nearly 700 live professional games per year. MSG Networks also telecasts 150 live college basketball games and 50 live college football games from top national conferences (SEC, Pac 12, Big 12), as well as horse racing, boxing and award-winning original programming. MSG Networks recently earned 16 New York Emmy Awards, including 14 for MSG – tops in the New York region for the third year in a row – and two for MSG+. Over the past five years, MSG Networks has totaled 77 New York Emmy Awards, including 69 for MSG – also the most of any New York station or network in that time – and eight for MSG+.

 

About MSG Media

MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from MSG’s venues. MSG Media consists of the MSG Networks (MSG, MSG+, MSG HD and MSG+ HD) regional sports networks and the Fuse Networks (Fuse and Fuse HD), a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Media is also responsible for managing interactive initiatives (online, mobile, VOD and iTV) across all business segments. MSG Media is part of The Madison Square Garden Company, a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company’s overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the Company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports consists of owning and operating sports franchises, including the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Connecticut Whale (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, track and field and tennis. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes.  MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company's diverse collection of venues. These venues include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, the Chicago Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.

 

About The New York Racing Association, Inc.

Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks (Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course) through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2011, more than 1.8 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring in nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races totals more than $8.1 million. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com. You can also follow NYRA on social media platforms Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

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