by Jeff Lowe
ESPN Classic will air three races from Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park and two races from Keeneland Race Course on Saturday in a Breeders’ Cup Challenge telecast from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. EDT.
The Goodwood (G1) and Lady’s Secret (G1) Stakes from Oak Tree, meanwhile, also are scheduled to be simulcast live on ESPN and ESPN2, respectively, during College Football Scoreboard shows.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird is slated for the Goodwood, and the undefeated champion Zenyatta will bid for her 13th consecutive victory in the Lady’s Secret.
“With horses like Mine That Bird, who people are familiar with, and Zenyatta going for a record that is very special, this is something we’re very excited about presenting with ESPN,” Breeders’ Cup spokesman Jim Gluckson said. “It certainly is a nice lead-in to the Breeders’ Cup, and [cut-ins on the College Football Scoreboard shows] will give us a chance to reach a new audience.”
The Oak Tree Mile Stakes (G2) and Keeneland’s Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1) are the other races that will be part of the ESPN Classic telecast.
ESPN and its sister network, ABC, will carry the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on November 6 and 7 from Oak Tree.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer