ABC Earns 5.0 Overnight For Belmont Stakes, Off From '08 Race

ABC's telecast of the Belmont Stakes race segment on Saturday from 5:30-7:00pm ET earned a 5.0 overnight Nielsen rating, down from an 8.2 rating for last year's race, which featured Big Brown's attempt at the Triple Crown. The races in '07 and '06, both of which did not feature a possible Triple Crown winner, earned a 3.2 and 3.5 overnight rating, respectively. For the total telecast from 5:00-7:00pm, ABC earned a 4.3 rating, down from a 9.5 rating last year (THE DAILY). The race did not feature Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, and ABC’s Randy Moss said, "We would have loved to have Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont, for ratings if for no other reason. But it was absolutely the right decision not to run her today” (“Belmont Stakes Pre-Race,” ABC, 6/6).

Writer Says ABC Borrowed Heavily From Its ESPN Ownership In Belmont Stakes Coverage

ATTENDANCE, HANDLE WAY DOWN: Belmont Park drew an attendance of 52,861 for the race, down 44% from 94,476 for last year's race. Total all-sources wagering handle for the Belmont Stakes card fell 10.2% to $89.7M, down from $99.9M last year, while total on-track handle declined 27.2% to $9.6M from $13.2M last year (THOROUGHBREDTIMES.com, 6/6).

BEST THEY COULD HOPE FOR: In Louisville, Eric Crawford wrote this year's Triple Crown, without a Triple Crown contender, could not have "gotten better national play than it did." Mine That Bird jockey Calvin Borel, who was bidding to win all three Triple Crown races this year, was "on national late-night TV, ratings were good and the sport was spared the tragedy it has seen in recent years." But the problem for horse racing "remains its future." Crawford: "As I looked around Belmont on Saturday I was struck that it was easier to buy a part of racing history than to buy a piece of its present." The "busiest souvenir stand" at Belmont Park was a "little stand outside the paddock dedicated to Secretariat." Without a "superhorse, the sport needs to find ways to reach out." Churchill Downs is "doing that with night racing, even if it is overcharging for admission," and the idea "should be to do more for fans, not ask for more" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 6/7).

HORSE SENSE? N.Y. Times reporter Joe Drape suggested there should be more time in between the Triple Crown races. Drape: "You got to do the mile and ¼ the first Saturday in May. I think the Derby stays where it is. … You put the Preakness in June, maybe Memorial Day. You put it in California. You run your mile and 3/16 there and then you swing back here (to N.Y.) for the Belmont 4th of July weekend, the mile-and-a-half” (“Mike Francesa,” YES, 6/5).

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