Weekend broadcast of America's Day at the Races to continue on FS1

by Keith McCalmont

G1 $600K Apple Blossom and G3 Count Fleet bolster 10.5 hours of coverage

Free Equibase past performances available for all races that are part of broadcast

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will feature a pair of graded stakes races from Oaklawn Park on Saturday's live broadcast on FS1.

The acclaimed national telecast presenting coverage and analysis of the best racing from around the country will air on FS1/FS2 on Saturday and Sunday for a combined 10.5 hours of national television coverage from Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

(All times Eastern)

Saturday, April 18

1:30 - 7 p.m. (FS1)

Sunday, April 19

1:30-2:30 p.m. (FS2)

2:30 - 6:30 p.m. (FS1)

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel which boasts more than 30,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, Talking Horses episodes, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. Hosted by Greg Wolf and Laffit Pincay III, this weekend's broadcast team includes Gary Stevens, Michelle Yu, Tom Amoss and Jonathon Kinchen.

With racing at Aqueduct Racetrack currently suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Saturday's broadcast will be highlighted by the Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile route for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up; along with the Grade 3, $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward.

The Apple Blossom will feature the Amoss-trained Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Serengeti Empress headlining a field of 14. The 4-year-old Alternation bay rose to prominence with a romping 19 ½-length score in the 2018 Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs as a juvenile. She enjoyed a memorable sophomore season winning the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in addition to her Oaks triumph. Last out, Serengeti Empress went gate-to-wire under returning rider Joe Talamo in the Grade 2 Azeri on March 14 at Oaklawn. 

Serengeti Empress will face steep competition in the form of Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing, who will make her seasonal debut under Florent Geroux following a sixth-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The versatile daughter of Malibu Moon won four-of-six starts last season including a victory in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course.

Leading the charge in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, which drew a field of 11, is the popular 7-year-old Whitmore. Trained by Ron Moquett, the Pleasantly Perfect gelding boasts a perfect in-the-money record at Oaklawn of 13-8-4-1 with purse earnings in excess of $1.4 million. Whitmore, a 13-time winner, captured the 2018 Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga and last out won the Hot Springs on March 7 at Oaklawn, while garnering a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Top contenders in the six-furlong sprint include Hidden Scroll, Hog Creek Hustle and Wendell Fong

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Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

About NYRA Bets

Introduced in August 2016, NYRA Bets is a leading online wagering platform, available nationwide online, on your phone and at kiosks at NYRA tracks. As a legal, United States-based, regulated and licensed provider of horse race wagering, NYRA Bets gives fans the opportunity to wager on more than 250 race tracks worldwide from anywhere at any time. You can download the NYRA Bets app for iOS and Android.

For more information, visit www.nyrabets.com.