Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Returns to NBC Sunday

Led by Good Magic, last year's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 2-year-old Champion, a talented group of seven 3-year-olds are set for a shot at an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in the 1 1/8 mile, $1 million Haskell Invitational this Sunday, June 29 at 5:00 p.m. ET on the live NBC broadcast from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

The one-hour program is a part of the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In - Presented by America's Best Racing." 

Sunday's show is the fourth of 11 telecasts in the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, presented by America's Best Racing," on NBC and NBCSN, featuring 17 "Win and You're In" races plus other major stakes on the road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships on NBC and NBCSN from some of America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 35th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 2-3 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete Challenge series TV schedule can be accessed here. 

NBC's coverage of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series on Sunday will be hosted by Laffit Pincay III, who will be joined by analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, as well as handicapper Eddie Olczyk and reporter Nick Luck.

Good Magic, owned by e Five Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables and trained by Chad Brown, will be making his fifth start of the year. A son of 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, who won the Classic at Monmouth Park, Good Magic is the solid 6-5 favorite in the Haskell. Good Magic has not raced since finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes on May 19, while chasing eventual Triple Crown winner Justify for most of the way. Good Magic won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April and then finished a strong second to Justify in the Kentucky Derby.

The 3-1 second choice on the morning line is Calumet Farm's Bravazo, trained by D. Wayne Lukas. Bravazo and Justify were the only horses to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Following a sixth-place finish in the Derby, Bravazo was a fast-closing second behind Justify in the Preakness. He finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Peter Eurton has entered the California-based Core Beliefs, the 4-1 third choice. Core Beliefs finished third in the Santa Anita Derby, second in the Peter Pan at Belmont Park and won the Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 23.

The Haskell field from the rail out with jockey assignments and morning line odds is as follows:

Lone Sailor (Joe Bravo) 5-1; Navy Commander (Angel Arroyo) 12-1; Roaming Union (Albin Jimenez) 10-1; Core Beliefs (Flavian Prat) 4-1; Bravazo (Luis Saez) 3-1; Good Magic (Jose Ortiz) 6-5 and Golden Brown (Jairo Rendon) 15-1.

Fans can also get in on the excitement of the Haskell Invitational by playing The $100,000 Capture the Classic Challenge where  participants have the chance to predict the winners of the remaining designated Classic Division Races televised live on NBC or NBCSN - the Haskell Invitational, Travers Stakes and Awesome Again Stakes - for an opportunity to become a virtual owner of each winning horse. By properly selecting the winning horse of one of these Classic Division races virtual owners will receive insider access to premium content about their horse(s), such as behind-the-scenes videos and in-depth profiles, as well as a chance to win a $100,000 grand prize should their horse go on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 3.