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View Full Version : 3PM Twilight Post for Breeders Cup Friday!


BombsAway Bob
12-12-2007, 01:53 AM
The Breeders Cup has decided not to take on the NFL by scheduling Sunday BREEDERS CUP Races. With Santa Anita hosting the event this year, a big opportunity exists: WHY NOT TRY a TWILIGHT POST on FRIDAY? California's racing has proven success with later posttimes and younger crowds. Imagine if The Breeders Cup offers the same "Free Admission for College Students" that they did at Monmouth Park!
A Racecard starting @ 3PM/PT would put most of THE NEW BREEDERS CUP Races on PRIME-TIME TV on the East Coast!
It's a WIN/WIN Situation for all parties. It gives ESPN a chance for decent TV Ratings. It gives The Breeders Cup a chance to showcase TOP SHELF WORLD-CLASS RACING to a potential new audience (one that works days & hasn't been exposed to this great sport!).
In addition, Friday's card would be a great advertising opportunity for ESPN to push Saturday's "Original Seven" Breeders Cup Races, especially "THE BIG ONE..THE $6,000,000 CLASSIC!" Casinos & Tracks nationally can offer 2-day packages with Fri/Sat hotel stayovers!
Most major sports are daytime events. But, when Championships are ultimately decided, The Super Bowl is a 6:30pm/ET start; The World Series, 8:15pm/ET.
For Thoroughbred Racing to be treated like a "MAJOR LEAGUE Sport" amongst today's media & mainstream audiences once again, schedule it like one!

pic6vic
12-12-2007, 08:52 AM
Santa Anita does not have lights

DJofSD
12-12-2007, 09:14 AM
Did the board miss it?

Earlier this week, BC Ltd. announce more races are being added to the roster. One of which is a 6 furlong grass sprint.

Both days will now have a full card of races with the traditional races kept on the Saturday.

jma
12-12-2007, 09:30 AM
The Breeders Cup doesn't have good TV ratings, especially on Friday. And Santa Anita doesn't have lights. The only races that draw big ratings are the Derby and the Preakness or Belmont when there is still a shot at a horse winning the Triple Crown, which is why we've seen the Derby starting later and later and closer to prime time. With the Breeders Cup not even getting a 2 rating and the Friday races lower than that, I can't see it going prime time. I guess you never know though.

njcurveball
12-12-2007, 09:45 AM
With the writers strike continuing, NBC and other networks would be smart to put some horse racing on to fill the slots, rather than reruns.

How bout a triple crown show? Give stakes recaps, interview trainers, jocks, owners "in studio", etc.

I cannot believe racing isn't knocking down the TV executives door for this probably "once in a lifetime" chance.

If they are content to have shows like the Bachelor where the finale is that the guy doesn't want any of the women, it is fertile ground for someone in racing who has big ideas and a ton of "product" to give them. :ThmbUp:

boomman
12-12-2007, 12:46 PM
Santa Anita does not have lights

I have seen that they are going to 6 Breeder's Cup Races on Friday, which is now a good thing as I was opposed to carding just 3 Breeders Cup events the day before "the big one" as they did this year, and felt (as I know many others did) that all 11 events would have made for a great showcase on Saturday. I don't disagree that going "heads up" with The NFL on Sunday is probably not a good idea. But what makes the most sense is to run as late in the afternoon on Friday as they possibly can, especially with next year's Breeders Cup being ran in The Pacific Time Zone, so with Daylight savings time gone, throw in a few early stakes or allowance races for the folks that want to come out early, lets say 12:30 PM and start the Breeders Cup races promptly at 2:30PM. Even with each race going every half hour, you could still have the races completed by 5:00PM and that gives you about a half hour bumper for any delays that could be incurred without hitting darkness;)

Boomer

BombsAway Bob
12-12-2007, 02:21 PM
Santa Anita does not have lights
Temporary portable lighting has been used by some college football teams &, I believe, the Chicago Cubs for a while. The cost of lighting should not be the stumbling block to exposing racing to a new crowd.
I know for a fact that Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun in my neck of the woods would market an evening Breeders Cup racing event to the max, as it would certainly draw better than an early afternoon card!

jma
12-12-2007, 03:01 PM
With the writers strike continuing, NBC and other networks would be smart to put some horse racing on to fill the slots, rather than reruns.

How bout a triple crown show? Give stakes recaps, interview trainers, jocks, owners "in studio", etc.

I cannot believe racing isn't knocking down the TV executives door for this probably "once in a lifetime" chance.

If they are content to have shows like the Bachelor where the finale is that the guy doesn't want any of the women, it is fertile ground for someone in racing who has big ideas and a ton of "product" to give them. :ThmbUp:

You are right that the writers' strike could change things, but you're a lot more likely to see NBA, MLB, and even ulimate fighting on in prime time, as they all get higher ratings than racing. If you're talking about horse racing (whatever that means) buying the time, that would be more likely in the summer, since ratings are lower then and a network might live with a 1.5 rating for a night if you paid them.

rrbauer
12-12-2007, 03:10 PM
The Breeders Cup doesn't have good TV ratings, especially on Friday. And Santa Anita doesn't have lights. The only races that draw big ratings are the Derby and the Preakness or Belmont when there is still a shot at a horse winning the Triple Crown, which is why we've seen the Derby starting later and later and closer to prime time. With the Breeders Cup not even getting a 2 rating and the Friday races lower than that, I can't see it going prime time. I guess you never know though.


They ran once on Friday in crummy weather. Hardly a watershed (pun intended) event. The Derby has been run about 5:40 Eastern for as long as I can remember (and even before that). That's hardly prime time. The Derby has had general interest among the general population for years but, it's a single event. To most people, four hours of horse racing is pretty boring stuff, I don't care when you show it or where you have it.