The importance of thoroughbred racing on television has been on the decline in recent years. In racing's "heyday" the sport was widely televised on the major networks. But, early on in this decade the sport has faded even with all the stations available on cable today. But through the MSG network in 2010, the races during Saratoga were televised and with this brought an renewed interest in a major network covering the sport of kings.
The past Saratoga meet, the VERSUS network (on cable and owned by NBC) partnered up with NBC in covering each of the Saturday stake races from the Spa. With the success of this past season, there is a new two year agreement between NYRA and NBC sports for racing at Saratoga through the 2013 season with the most added "live" coverage ever. It will include three hour long shows on NBC and five on VERSUS spanning seven weekends in total.
The "tentative" schedule released by NBC and what will be called; the NBC Sports Network next year (formally known as VERSUS) is the following for August dates; August 11th - 6pm to 7pm (NBC Sports Network) August 12th - 4pm to 6pm (NBC Sports Network) August 18th - 5pm to 6pm (NBC Sports Network) August 25th - 4pm to 6pm (NBC) and September 1st - 5pm to 6pm (NBC) earlier dates in the meet will be announced later.
Every so often, an exciting thoroughbred comes along. Usually, such a horse is one that has the spotlight like during the Triple Crown races, is an older handicap runner that has made a name for himself or like in recent years, a exciting filly or mare the captured the hearts of the sport (Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta). In this case, it's a filly that races on the "proper" surface and is well bred with a famous father and mother. This "gray" streak as NYRA race caller; Tom Durkin called her this past weekend, likes to win and in dramatic fashion.
Winter Memories, the daughter of El Prado and the dam of Memories of Silver has become one of the most exciting runners on the NYRA circuit. She has had an excellent record on grass the past two years and one of her highlights was a race this past summer at Saratoga . Coming into the Saratoga meet, this three year old runner had finished no worst than 2nd in her five lifetime starts. When she was entered in the grade II - Lake George Stakes on the grass going a mile and a sixteenth, she was the odds-on favorite. This filly likes to race from the back of pack and she did not disappoint with a furious late charge and drawing off late by over four lengths. It was an "eye opening" effort that visually was one of the best during the 2011 Saratoga meet.
Her next start a few weeks later at the Spa, wasn't as good. She got a "yielding" turf course and was caught behind horses and didn't show her usual late charge. So, going into her race this past Saturday there were question marks whether her form was tailing off. In the grade I - Garden City Stakes at Belmont , again she was the favorite and this time we saw the "real" Winter Memories. Rating in the back of the pack, she sat chilly almost to the eighth pole and then unleashed her charge from behind horses while tipping out wide in the stretch. She motored past her rivals and like a "gray streak" won in style. When a horse like this who makes that "monster move" like Winter Memories does and rallies from the clouds, it brings excitement to the sport. She's not a household name, but she should be. You gotta see her to believe it!
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