The inaugural U.S. Steeplechase Championships are set to go Saturday, Oct. 17, with six events being conducted in Far Hills, New Jersey, and five races from the International Gold Cup in The Plains, Virginia.
The Championships will be featured on a live five-hour broadcast by NBC Universal Sports and on www.universalsports.com. Races on the Far Hills card will be broadcast internationally in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the dedicated horseracing channel “At The Races.” Simulcast coverage will also extend the European audience with Satellite Information Services distribution into off-track betting outlets in Germany, as well as the UK and Ireland.
Woodbine Entertainment Group has entered into an agreement withthe National Steeplechase Association to host the pari-mutuel pools on the six hurdle races fromthe Far Hills race meeting.
America’s top jumpers will compete in an all-stakes, six-race card at Far Hills for $550,000 in prize money. Highlight of the U.S. Steeplechase Championships will be the NSA grade I American Grand National, the nation’s premier race, for a $250,000 purse over 14 fences.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to not only showcase steeplechase racing on national television, but also to offer wagering at many locations around the globe where steeplechasing is extremely popular,” said Lou Raffetto, NSA chief executive officer.
The following is the schedule for U.S. Championship Day at Far Hills (all times EDT):
12:50 p.m. Peapack (Filly & Mare Hurdle Stakes) 2m1f (turf) $ 50,000
1:30 p.m. Harry E. Harris (Maiden Hurdle Stakes) 2m1f (turf) $ 50,000
2:15 p.m. Appleton (Restricted Hurdle Stakes) 2m1f (turf) $ 50,000
3:00 p.m. Foxbrook (Novice Hurdle Stakes) 2m4f (turf) $100,000
3:55 p.m. Grand National (Gr. I Hurdle Stakes) 2m5f (turf) $250,000
4:40 p.m. Gladstone (Three-Year-Old Hurdle Stakes) 2m1f (turf) $ 50,000
For more information, contact the NSA office at (410) 392-0700 or visit the NSA Website at
www.nationalsteeplechase.com
