Headlines: April 30
– ESPN will televise Breeders’ Cup starting in 2006 (ESPN) … “We’re fans of horse racing,” said ESPN vice president Mark Shapiro. “We carry over 130 hours of horse racing. The Breeders’ Cup is an evolutionary step, a monster product, seven hours of Super-Bowl-like racing moving to ESPN” (NYT) … Steven Crist is optimistic that the move from NBC is a good one: “[There] are a lot of silver linings to the small cloud of losing the waning prestige of being carried by a broadcast network. A longer, better, and more aggressively promoted Breeders’ Cup will be of more lasting value than the brief frisson of seeing a 10-second promo on “Joey” during Breeders’ Cup week.” (DRF — sub. req.)
– Funny Cide makes his 2005 debut on Sunday. Upset with the 127-pound weight assignment, trainer Barclay Tagg has scratched Funny Cide from the King’s Point Handicap. (DRF)
– Jockey Pat Day will miss the Derby this year for the first time in 22 years. Day had hip surgery on March 30 and won’t return to riding until mid-May. (CJ)
– A short history of Belmont’s first 100 years. (ND)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com
