HorseRacing TV will kick off its regular coverage of the 70th season of racing from Santa Anita Park with a one-hour preview show that premieres on Dec. 24 and airs continuously throughout Christmas Day.The 2006-07 Santa Anita season starts on its traditional day, Dec. 26. The initial airing of the preview show will commence at the conclusion of Philadelphia Park's live race card at approximately 4 p.m. ET. Repeats Sunday begin at 8 a.m. ET. Produced by Michael Canale, a veteran horse racing producer who joined the HRTV team in mid-November, the in-depth preview show will include contributions from HRTV's on-air hosts and analysts, including Laffit Pincay III, Jeff Siegel, Jon White, Peter Lurie, and many others.
"Santa Anita's opening day is one of the most highly anticipated events on the national racing calendar," said Amy J. Zimmerman, HRTV's executive producer. "It marks the start of a new racing year. We are pleased to present this show in this format, as it gives the viewer the chance to watch it in its entirety whenever their schedule allows."Analysts will take a look ahead at some of the 85-day meeting's top grade I stakes races, including the Santa Anita Handicap (March 3), the Santa Anita Oaks (March 11), and the annual key Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep race, the Santa Anita Derby (April 7). They will also take an in-depth look at the $250,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I), a seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds that is the traditional opening day feature at Santa Anita.