Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens will make his debut as a TVG racing analyst on Saturday on the network's live coverage of the Fair Grounds' Risen Star Stakes (gr. III), an early season Derby prep race. Stevens knows plenty about the race. He won the Risen Star last year aboard the Patrick Biancone-trained Scipion.Stevens will be joined in the TVG studio in Los Angeles by Ken Rudulph and Frank Lyons on "Trackside Live:! Fair Grounds," airing from 4 to 6 p.m. ET. There are four stakes worth $1 million on the Fair Grounds card at its meet at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La. In addition to the Risen Star Stakes, also on tap are the Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III), the Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) and the Duncan F. Kenner Breeders' Cup. Each race has a purse of $250,000 added.
"As we said when we announced that Gary was joining TVG, his main role is to give our viewers the perspective of a hall of fame jockey, with all the insights gained during his illustrious career," said Tony Allevato, TVG senior vice president and executive producer. "We look forward to Gary's debut on Saturday.""I've been waiting for Saturday for a while and am really excited about my first day at TVG," said Stevens. "It'll be great to comment on the Risen Star, which is a stepping stone on the path to the Triple Crown."
