Wagering on the Japanese races through TVG will come via Emerald Downs, the Seattle track that is the U.S. wagering hub of JRA racing in this country. Emerald Downs holds the rights to the OTB business on JRA Racing.
TVG will present six live racing telecasts from Japan beginning Sept. 10 as part of an agreement between TVG and the Japan Racing Association (JRA) granting TVG exclusive Japanese racing telecast and advanced deposit wagering rights in the U.S. Racing will air from 10 p.m.-midnight PT.TVG's coverage from Japan will emanate from four different Japanese tracks (Hanshin, Nakayama, Kyoto and Tokyo) and will culminate with the Group I Japan Cup on Nov. 26. Featured during the Sept. 10 program will be the Japan group III, $736,000 Centaur Stakes. "We are excited to be bringing our viewers this exciting international racing product," said Tony Allevato, TVG Senior Vice President and Executive Producer. "We believe they will really enjoy Japanese racing which features full fields and some of the greatest horses in the world. They also will notice breeding lines that include stallions that were born and raced in the U.S."