Two divisions of the G1 $500K Arkansas Derby bolster 13.5 hours of coverage
Free Equibase past performances available for all races that are part of broadcast
ELMONT, N.Y. – America’s Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will feature exciting graded-stakes action from Oaklawn Park including two divisions of the Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby on Saturday’s live broadcast on FS1.
The acclaimed national telecast presenting coverage and analysis of the best racing from around the country will air on FS1/FS2 Friday through Sunday for a combined 13.5 hours of national television coverage from Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs.
Friday, May 1
4:00 – 7:00 p.m.* (FS2)
Saturday, May 2
1:00 – 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
8:00 – 8:30 p.m. (FS2)
Sunday, May 3
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (FS2)
2:30 – 4:30 p.m. (FS1)
*All times Eastern
America’s Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA’s YouTube channel which boasts more than 30,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA’s channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA’s YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, Talking Horses episodes, America’s Day at the Races replays and more.
America’s Day at the Races is presented by America’s Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. Hosted by Greg Wolf and Laffit Pincay III, this weekend’s broadcast team includes Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Gary Stevens, Michelle Yu, Tom Amoss and Jonathon Kinchen.
With live racing on the NYRA circuit currently on hiatus due to the continued impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this weekend’s broadcast will be highlighted by a plethora of stakes races from Oaklawn Park.
Friday’s Oaklawn card features a trio of stakes led by the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy. The 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies, offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers, has drawn an elite 14-horse field led by Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner British Idiom, who earned the Eclipse Award as champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
The Fantasy field includes a pair of talented fillies who earned stakes wins at Aqueduct Racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott led by Grade 2 Demoiselle-winner Lake Avenue and last-out Busanda victress Harvey’s Lil Goil. Graded-stakes winners in the field include Venetian Harbor, a 9 1/4-length winner of the Grade 2 Las Virgenes in February at Santa Anita; Swiss Skydiver, who posted a front-running score in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks; Grade 3 Honeybee champ Shedaresthedevil; and Grade 2 Pocahontas victress Lazy Daisy.
Supporting stakes on Friday’s Oaklawn card include the $165,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship, a 1 1/16-mile route for Arkansas-breds 3-years-old and up; and the $80,000 Gardenia at 1 1/16-miles for sophomore fillies.
Saturday’s Oaklawn Park stakes action is led by two divisions of the Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby. The 1 1/8-mile test offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. The first division of the Arkansas Derby features the undefeated Charlatan, an imposing Speightstown chestnut trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Charlatan romped to a 10 1/4-length score last out in an optional-claiming mile at Santa Anita to earn a field-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure. He will be challenged by Basin, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
The second division of the Arkansas Derby is led by Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male Storm the Court. The Court Vision colt is winless in two sophomore starts and will have to overcome the Baffert-trained phenom Nadal, who is undefeated in three starts including Grade 2 scores in the San Vicente at Santa Anita and the Rebel last out at Oaklawn.
Graded-stakes winners in the field include King Guillermo, who posted a 49-1 upset score in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby; the Asmussen-trained Silver Prospector, who won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in November; and last-out Grade 2 Louisiana Derby champ Wells Bayou.
In the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap, Grade 1-winners Improbable and Combatant will face fierce challenges in the nine-furlong test from last year’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial champ Tacitus and Grade 2 Jim Dandy victor Tax.
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Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America’s Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
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Introduced in August 2016, NYRA Bets is a leading online wagering platform, available nationwide online, on your phone and at kiosks at NYRA tracks. As a legal, United States-based, regulated and licensed provider of horse race wagering, NYRA Bets gives fans the opportunity to wager on more than 250 race tracks worldwide from anywhere at any time. You can download the NYRA Bets app for iOS and Android.
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NYRA Press Release
Photo: Oaklawn Park
