In its first year of televising the Breeders' Cup World Championships, ESPN will air seven hours of coverage from Churchill Downs in Louisville. The Breeders' Cup coverage begins Nov. 4 at noon and continues to 7 p.m., and will be telecast in high definition.
The Breeders' Cup coverage caps a combined 138 hours of horse racing on ESPN and ABC, which includes the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and nine and a half hours on ESPN and ESPN2 during "Breeders' Cup Week."
The Breeders' Cup will be featured on most of ESPN's multi-media platforms, including: ESPN Radio, ESPN.Com, ESPN Motion, ESPN 360, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, Mobile ESPN and ESPN International.
"The Breeders Cup is a great international sports event that will now receive the full ESPN immersive treatment," said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. "Like Monday Night Football, the NBA, and NASCAR, we will use our many platforms to cover and promote horse racing's biggest day."
"We are very excited and very much looking forward to our first Breeders' Cup World Championships on ESPN," said Greg Avioli, Breeders' Cup president. "Racing fans will see unmatched levels of innovation, story-telling, and production values that will bring the races to life like never before."
Chris Fowler will host the telecast and will work with analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss. Kenny Mayne will also serve as a host and work with handicapper Hank Goldberg. Jeannine Edwards, Joe Tessitore, Nick Luck, and Patti Cooksey will be reporters, and Trevor Denman will call the races.
Features on the Breeders' Cup telecast on ESPN will include: -History and significance of the Breeders' Cup
-Sheikh Mohammed, owner of Bernardini, a leading contender for Horse of the Year and other Breeders' Cup contenders.
-Lava Man, the 5-year-old gelding and a top contender for the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I).
-Kiaran McLaughlin, who is successfully battling Multiple Sclerosis while training such leading Breeders' Cup contenders as Invasor and Henny Hughes.
-How horses fly on planes.
-A day in the life of jockeys at the track.
The television schedule for Breeders' Cup week (day, station, time, show):
Nov. 1, ESPN2, 2-2:30 p.m., Today at the Breeders' Cup
Nov. 2, ESPN2, 2-3 p.m., Wire to Wire at the Breeders' Cup
Nov. 3, ESPN2, 5-6 p.m., Breeders' Cup Selection Show
Nov. 4, ESPN, 12-5:45 p.m., Breeders' Cup World Championships*,
Nov. 4, ESPN, 5:45-7 p.m.,SportsCenter at the Breeders' Cup*
* The ABC affiliate in Louisville, WHAS, will be simulcasting the Breeders' Cup starting at 12:00 p.m. ET.