NYRA is "expanding its relationship with Fox Sports to broadcast more than 20 hours of races from Belmont Park and Aqueduct and has signed Claiborne Farm as the presenting sponsor," according to Liz Mullen of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. NYRA last year "aired nearly the entire Saratoga meet, about 80 hours of live summertime racing under the name 'Saratoga Live." The new deal means Fox Sports 2 will "broadcast about 100 hours of horse racing this year." NYRA President & CEO Christopher Kay said that horse breeding company Claiborne Farm is the "first sponsor to join the programming, but NYRA is in talks to bring on a few more companies as partners." The new coverage "starts April 8 with the races before the Wood Memorial, a major prep race at Aqueduct for horses pointed to the Kentucky Derby." The new deals are "part of a plan to revitalize NYRA, which has rebounded after posting an operating loss" of nearly $13M in '13 (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/13 issue). DAILY RACING FORM's David Grening noted most of the Aqueduct and Belmont shows "will be on Saturdays -- with the exception of Memorial Day -- and range from 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours in duration." The April 8 show will "include the Grade 1 Carter but not the Grade 2 Wood Memorial because that race will be shown on NBC." Fox Sports anchor Greg Wolf will be "added to the broadcast team, joining NYRA analysts Andy Serling, Richard Migliore, and Maggie Wolfendale." Gabby Gaudet and Tom Amoss "will be part of the broadcast team at Saratoga" (DRF.com, 3/13).
