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104.5 The Team ESPN Radio to broadcast races live from Saratoga Race Course

by Pat McKenna, Mark Bardack

Live racing coverage, presented by NYRA Bets, to be aired on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during 2020 summer meet

ESPN 104.5 The Team, the Capital Region's radio home for sports, will feature live, full card coverage of all the exciting action from Saratoga Race Course each weekend during the 2020 season.

Live coverage of thoroughbred racing from Saratoga will begin each Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and include every race through final post broadcast on 104.5 FM and streamed worldwide at 1045theteam.com or by downloading the free 104.5 The Team App (in the event of Yankees Baseball broadcasts, racing coverage will be available via 1045theteam.com and on the 104.5 The Team App).

Presented by NYRA Bets, NYSCOPBA and Bud Light, the weekend broadcasts will simulcast a portion of Saratoga Live, the award-winning horse racing telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports. The audio simulcast will feature expert commentary and analysis from the paddock to post time of each race from Greg Wolf, Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Acacia Courtney, and Jonathon Kinchen.

On Fridays, the station will also air the live race calls by NYRA track announcer John Imbriale during the Levack and Goz show which will originate from Saratoga beginning at 3 p.m.

"We are excited to expand the opportunity for racing fans in the Capital Region to enjoy the audio simulcast of Saratoga Live this summer through our partnership with the local ESPN Radio affiliate," said NYRA Bets President and Chief Revenue Officer Tony Allevato. "Fans in the Capital Region will now have a trifecta of options to enjoy exciting thoroughbred action from Saratoga by watching on FOX Sports, streaming on NYRA Bets.com or listening on ESPN Radio."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with NYRA and NYRA Bets to broadcast the 2020 Saratoga Meet," said Townsquare Media Market President and Chief Revenue Officer Kevin Rich. "Our live coverage will provide fans all of the thrills and excitement of the track, just as if they were there."

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus with promo code ESPN. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

The 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will begin on Thursday, July 16 and run through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Following the four-day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. The summer meet will conclude on Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

Under current New York state guidelines, Saratoga Race Course will open without spectators in attendance. The 40-day meet will be highlighted by the 151st renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday, August 8 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney on Saturday, August 1.

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

About the New York Racing Association

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) holds the exclusive franchise to conduct thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State's thoroughbred industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual statewide economic impact.

Accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance, NYRA is a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, a group of the nation's leading racing organizations working collaboratively to advance safety reforms across the sport.

Over the course of 217 days of live racing in 2019, NYRA generated more than $2.1 billion in all-sources wagering handle with paid attendance exceeding 1.5 million.

For more information, visit NYRA.com.

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 NYRABets.com.