Breeders' Cup TV Schedule 2012: Complete Viewing Info for This Weekend's Races

NBC and NBC Sports Network plans extensive coverage of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The two networks will air more than nine hours of coverage split between Friday and Saturday's race schedules.  

The highlight of the broadcast schedule will be the first ever prime-time airing of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on NBC starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships will get underway on Friday, November 2nd from Santa Anita Park with coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET.

The NBC broadcast team is led by host Tom Hammond, with two Hall-of-Fame jockeys as analysts. They are Gary Stevens, who has won eight Breeders’ Cup races and Jerry Bailey, who has 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, including five wins in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Randy Moss will lead the contributing analysts and handicappers team which will include Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier.

NBC’s team will be completed with host/reporter Laffit Pincay III with field reporters Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Jay Privman.and Nick Luck.

Larry Collmus, will call the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Ladies’ Classic with track announcer Trevor Denman calling the remaining races over the two days of events.  

All of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships races will be produced by Rob Hyland, the producer of NBC’s Triple Crown and directed by Jeff Simon.    

There is a Breeders' Cup Championship app for I-Pad's and I-Phones. 

Friday November 2nd NBC Sports Network will air all six races starting at 4 p.m.

Race No. 1: The Juvenile Sprint - is the newest of the Breeders’ Cup races, the Juvenile Sprint is for 2-year-old horses running three quarters of a mile around one turn. The race features horses who have demonstrated a special talent for running short distances early in their careers.

Race No. 2: The Marathon- the longest of all Breeders’ Cup races. It is a 1 ¾ miles test of endurance around three turns on the main track for horses 3-years-old and older.

Race No. 3: The Juvenile Fillies Turf - the best 2-year-old female turf horses from North America and overseas for a one mile test on the grass course.

Race No. 4: The Juvenile Fillies - is restricted to 2-year-old females. It is run at 1 1/16 miles, a little more than the circumference of the racetrack. In nearly all cases over the years, the winner of the Juvenile Fillies has been named the Champion of all 2-year-old females.

Race No. 5: The Filly and Mare Turf - the world’s best female grass horses compete in this 1 ¼ mile race on the Santa Anita Turf Course for a $2 million purse.  

Race No. 6: The Ladies’ Classic - the best female dirt horses for a championship showdown at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Saturday, November 3rd exclusive coverage on NBC Sports Network starting at 3:30 p.m. ET features eight live races. NBC will air the final race of the day The Breeders' Cup Classic in primetime at 8 p.m. ET

Race No. 1. The Juvenile Turf - is run at one mile on the grass course, the Juvenile Turf, restricted to male 2-year-olds, is often a forecast for the top Kentucky Derby horses.

Race No. 2: The Filly & Mare Sprint - is run around one turn at seven furlongs (about 1,500 yards) for the fastest females, 3-years-old and older.

Race No. 3: The Dirt Mile - is a race for 3-year-olds and older and is run around two turns of the main track at Santa Anita Park.

Race No. 4: The Turf Sprint - is a fast and furious charge across the downhill turf course and into the homestretch at Santa Anita Park. Run at approximately 1,400 yards (6.5 furlongs) for horses 3-years of age and older, this race combines both speed and agility for the international competitors.

Race No. 5: The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is the richest 2-year-old race in North America with a purse of $2 million dollars. The 1 1/16 mile race, restricted to male 2-year-olds, is often a preview of the stars of the Triple Crown races for the following year.

Race No. 6: The Breeders’ Cup Turf - is run at 1 ½ miles on the grass course, for horses 3-years-old and older. The race attracts the top grass talent from Europe and North America to compete for a $3 million purse.

Race No. 7: The Xpressbet Sprint - the world’s fastest Thoroughbreds compete in the Sprint, sometimes achieving speeds nearing 40 m.p.h. in the stretch. This race is contested at three- quarters of a mile for male and female horses, 3-years-old and older.

Race No. 8: The Mile – is the world’s best grass milers running in this race around two turns of the Santa Anita turf course for horses 3-years-old and older.

Race No. 9: The Breeders’ Cup Classic - is run at 1 1/4 miles, draws the top international thoroughbreds year after year. With its $5 million purse, the Classic is the richest race in all of North America. It is open to horse’s 3-years-old and older and is limited to 14 starters. Six of this year’s starters will gain automatic entries into the race by qualifying through Breeders’ Cup Challenge series. For the first time in history the race will aired nationally in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.