2019 Hambletonian Broadcast Live on CBS Sports Network
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - CBS Sports Network will present a 90-minute telecast of the $1 million Hambletonian, live from The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., Aug. 3, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. [EDT] The Hambletonian is the first and most prestigious leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.
The broadcast will re-air Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8:30 a.m.
CBS Sports Network has been the broadcast home of the Hambletonian since 2012, and will showcase the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, and provide coverage of the $280,000 John Cashman Memorial Trot.
“The Hambletonian is the premier harness racing event in North America,” said Hambletonian Society president John Campbell, the organization that owns and administers 136 of racing's most important events. “The Hambletonian has been televised for 40 years and with the support of our broadcast partners, The Meadowlands, and the U.S. Trotting Association that is going to continue.”
The on-air team for the Hambletonian is a stellar trio of award-winning harness racing veterans.
Gary Seibel, a former host of racing coverage on ESPN, NBC, CBS and TVG, will anchor the coverage. A member of harness racing's Communicators Hall of Fame, Seibel will be appearing on his 26th straight Hambletonian broadcast, including a 13-year run on CBS and a 5-year stint with NBC. Seibel is a veteran horse racing broadcaster, who has been widely recognized as one of network television's premier harness racing authorities for nearly three decades. Seibel will begin his seventh season as track announcer and TV simulcast host at Cal Expo racetrack in Sacramento, California.
Dave Brower, one of harness racing's sharpest handicappers, will co-anchor. Brower, a staple of The Meadowlands airwaves, recently returned to "Racing from the Meadowlands" television program on SNY, and is an alumnus of Fox Sports New York, MSG Networks and TVG's "Drive Time". He is the author of the bestseller Harnessing Winners: The Complete Guide to Handicapping Harness Races.
Canada’s Greg Blanchard will provide pre-and-post race interviews, along with information from the backstretch throughout the day. The Director of Racing at Ontario-based Western Fair, Blanchard has previously worked for Woodbine Entertainment Group in Toronto as a television commentator, hosting both network and simulcast broadcasts for both Standardbred and thoroughbred breeds and also served as Manager of Media Communications for the Standardbred division.
Emmy Award winner Mike Trager and the Trager Group have been executive producers of the Hambletonian broadcasts for the past 25 years. The award winning team will be led by producer David Bruner and director David Newman, both Hambletonian and harness racing broadcast veterans.
Meadowlands announcer Ken Warkentin will provide his racing expertise and race call.
The Hambletonian show will re-air Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8:30 a.m.
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is available across the country in more than 99 million homes nationwide. CBS Sports Network televises nearly 600 live events and over 3,000 hours of live programming every year including live college football, college basketball, and more from the MW, AAC, Big East, C-USA, A-10, Army, Navy, and the Patriot League. CBSSN is also the home to Professional Bull Riding and Big3 Basketball. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
