Telecast is Part of the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by America’s Best Racing”
Live Coverage Will be Streamed on NBCSports.com & the NBC Sports app
OCEANPORT, N.J. (July 16, 2020) – Two-time stakes winner Authentic will be the likely favorite in a seven-horse field of 3-year-olds for a free berth into the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in Saturday’s $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, live at 5 p.m. ET on NBC. The Haskell broadcast is part of the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – presented by America’s Best Racing.”
The one-hour program, which also will include coverage of the United Nations Stakes (G1) on turf, marks the fourth broadcast this year in the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – presented by America’s Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America’s most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here: https://www.breederscup.com/challenge-series/tv-schedule.
NBC Sports’ coverage will feature commentary and discussion led by host Ahmed Fareed and analyst Randy Moss from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who won 15 Breeders’ Cup races, including five victories in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), joins the broadcast from his home in Florida, and handicapper Eddie Olczyk from his home in Chicago. Reporters Britney Eurton and Matt Bernier will be on-site at Monmouth Park.
Live coverage will also be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.
Authentic, owned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, and trained by Bob Baffert, comes into the Haskell as the morning line favorite at odds of 4-5. Authentic has won two of three starts this year, which includes the Sham Stakes (G3) and the San Felipe Stakes (G2), both at Santa Anita Park. He finished second to Honor A.P. in his most recent start, the Santa Anita Derby (G1), on June 6.
Among the challengers to Authentic is St. Elias Stable’s Dr Post, the 5-2 second choice. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Joe Bravo, Dr Post comes into the Haskell off a fine effort in the 1 1/8 mile Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 20. The dark bay son of Quality Road raced wide into the stretch and closed from sixth to second behind Tiz the Law. Prior to the Belmont, Dr Post broke his maiden in March and then won the Unbridled Stakes, both at Gulfstream Park.
Following a win at Gulfstream Park in the winter, NY Traffic has been in the money in each of his three stakes starts along the Triple Crown trail for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. NY Traffic, owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman and ridden on Saturday by Paco Lopez, finished third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Feb. 15, and then finished second by 1 1/2 lengths in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He comes into the Haskell off a second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, after leading the field into the stretch.
The 1 3/8-mile United Nations Stakes is led by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway’s Arklow, who won last year’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont Park. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow finished sixth in last Sunday’s Elkhorn Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.
The 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, is scheduled to be held on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky and features a total of $35 million in purses and awards. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown.
ABOUT AMERICA’S BEST RACING
America’s Best Racing is a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America’s best Thoroughbred racing events with a primary focus on the sport’s lifestyle and competition. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net as well as on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
–NBC SPORTS–
