Fox Sports 1’s contract with the Jockey Club to air mostly races for older horses begins this year and it will encompass nine telecasts this year.
The first races will be seen on Sunday, February 9 from Gulfstream Park in Florida with the Donn Handicap.
Some of the races will feature younger horses including the Blue Grass Stakes from Keeneland in Kentucky which will show contenders for the Kentucky Derby.
Later this year, the Saratoga Special Stakes for two year olds will provide viewers an opportunity to see who could challenge for the 2015 Derby.
Here’s what you’ll see this year on the Jockey Club Tour on Fox Sports 1 in 2014.
Historic Donn Handicap Kicks Off
“The Jockey Club Tour on FOX” SeriesThe February 9th 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 that 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, the 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 Blue Grass Stakes Day from Keeneland will provide fans to watch contenders on the 2014 Triple Crown trail and the Saratoga Special from Saratoga Race Course in August will showcase 2-year-olds who may compete in the 2015 Triple Crown.
The Jockey Club Tour on FOX series schedule includes the following races:
Date
Time (ET)
Event
Track/Notes
Sunday Feb. 9 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Donn Handicap (G1) Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Florida Saturday, March 29 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Dubai World Cup Meydan Race Course, Dubai Saturday April 12 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Blue Grass Stakes (G1) Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky Sunday, May 11 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Man o’ War Stakes (G1) Belmont Park, Elmont, New York Sunday July 6 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm United Nations Stakes (G1) Monmouth Park, Oceanport, NJ Sunday, July 20 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Eddie Read Stakes (G1)
TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)Del Mar, Del Mar, CaliforniaSaratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY Sunday, Aug. 10 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Springs, NYSunday, Aug. 17 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1) Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Springs, NYSunday, Sept. 14 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1) Woodbine Race Course, Toronto Each telecast will include at least two top stakes races featuring the leading horses in North America. The complete list of those races, as well as the names of the on-air talent for the shows, will be announced in the near future.
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 Feb. 9 with live coverage of the Donn Handicap on FOX Sports 1,” said Nathanson. “FOX Sports is planning to take a fresh approach to horseracing coverage with a focus on the horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and horseplayers that make the sport one of America’s great 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.
That will do it.
