Historic Donn Handicap Kicks Off ‘The Jockey Club Tour on FOX’ Series
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Last year, Graydar won the Donn Handicap. This year, the race starts off "The Jockey Club Tour on FOX" series (Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire).
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The February 9 running of the $500,000 Donn Handicap, the first major race of the year for older racehorses, will kick off “The Jockey Club Tour on FOX” series of races, which will be televised on FOX Sports 1 during 2014. The new series includes eight other telecasts that will feature several of North America’s most prestigious races for older horses as well as the $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest Thoroughbred race.
The announcement of the 2014 schedule was made today by David Nathanson, general manager and chief operating officer of FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, and Ogden Mills Phipps, chairman of The Jockey Club.
While the nine telecasts will predominantly feature older horses, there will also be prominent races for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds. The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Day from Keeneland will provide fans the opportunity to watch contenders on the 2014 Triple Crown trail and the Saratoga Special from Saratoga Race Course in August will showcase 2-year-olds that might compete in the 2015 Triple Crown.
The Jockey Club Tour on FOX series schedule includes the following races:
Date
Time (ET)
Event
Track
Sunday, Feb. 9
5:00- 6:30 p.m.
Donn Handicap (G1)
Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Florida
Saturday, March 29
1:00 -2:30 p.m.
Dubai World Cup (G1)
Meydan Race Course, Dubai
Saturday, April 12
4:30- 6:00p.m.
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1)
Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky
Sunday, May 11
4:30- 6:00p.m.
Man o’ War Stakes (G1)
Belmont Park, Elmont, New York
Sunday, July 6
5:00- 6:30 p.m.
United Nations Stakes (G1)
Monmouth Park, Oceanport, New Jersey
Sunday, July 20
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Eddie Read Stakes (G1)
TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)
Del Mar, Del Mar, California
Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
Sunday, Aug. 10
5:00- 6:30 p.m.
Saratoga Special Stakes (G2)
Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
Sunday, Aug. 17
5:00- 6:30 p.m.
Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1)
Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
Sunday, Sept. 14
5:00- 6:30 p.m.
Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1)
Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto
Each telecast will include at least two top stakes races featuring the leading horses in North America. The complete list of all races, as well as the names of the on-air talent for the shows, will be announced in the near future, pending final approval from all necessary organizations.
The partnership between the FOX Sports Media Group and The Jockey Club is a multi-year agreement that was announced in August 2013. FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network, launched on Saturday, Aug. 17.
“We’re excited to begin our relationship with The Jockey Club on February 9 with live coverage of the Donn Handicap on FOX Sports 1,” said Nathanson. “FOX Sports is planning to take a fresh approach to horse racing coverage with a focus on the horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and horseplayers that make the sport one of America’s best pastimes.”
“As we have often stated, increasing the national television presence of Thoroughbred racing continues to be a key component of our fan retention and development efforts under the America’s Best Racing banner,” said Phipps. “This uniquely structured series will help casual fans follow the stars of our sport beyond the Triple Crown and into the summer and fall as many of them aim for the Breeders’ Cup. The inclusion of the Dubai World Cup certainly brings the sport’s international flavor to the series, and we are grateful to all of the participating racetracks for making these races available for our series.”
The agreement also includes international and Spanish-language rights, including the ability to air races on FOX Deportes, the nation’s leading Spanish-language sports network.
About The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is a founding member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the architect and sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America’s Best Racing at followhorseracing.com as well as on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple websites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2; Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional websites and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com, Scout.com and Yardbarker.com.
Also included in the group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.