WVA Derby preempted by Barry Bonds
 

The importance, or lack of, has once again been shown by ESPN's moving the telecast of the WVA Derby to ESPN classic. Although this program is really just a commercial for Mountaineer, it still holds interest for racing fans. To move it to show Bond's homerun chase is deplorable.

I wouldn't go as far calling it 'deplorable,' but it is disappointing.

Deplorable is a pretty big stretch...unfortunate is a good word. Baseball and it's records hold a much higher cache than a GIII race at Mountaineer in August. If this was the Breeders Cup or Triple Crown, it would not happen (I would hope).

I understand that Bonds holds more interest than some friggin pip squeak girls softball game but it still SUCKS.

It would be interesting if a horse racing fan bought ESPN. It'd go bankrupt in a year. :D

Ummm. . . Bonds is playing at 10:05pm EST tonight. . .

Looks like a troll posted this. Taking advantage of us horse folks because we don't care or even know when or where he is.

It's not on...espnhd (ch 73 on Directv) was to have racing @4:00, it's still listed on my dvr scheduler, but no longer in the program guide.
When I checked this am T-bred was still showing on the guide for 4:00 on espn and espnHD.
However as of a few minutes ago program guide says WTA tennis. Racing doesn't show up on classic or anywhere. It's nascar racing or tennis and world's strongest man.
Yet the espn guide shows t-bred on classic. I'm aggravated and confused.
I didn't check though, maybe they moved it to ABC.
Let's all call them, anyone have a number, all I find is e-mail.
Whoops, just found this to ESPN insider...1-888-549-ESPN

The Mountaineer card is a day card today. The W. Va. Derby is scheduled for 5:43 e.s.t.

My TV Guide never shows it on the schedule for ESPN however we do get the TVG feed on Sports South for a couple hours and The Hambletonian is on NBC at 3:30.

I still despise Bonds so if it's okay I'll blame him for this and global warming while I'm at it.

I think there was also some confusion as to the time of the race. . . I think ESPN had their coverage scheduled from 4-5 but the race doesn't go off until 5:45. . .

To clarify posting
 

Brisnet's web page gives the reason for the preemption as Bond's homerun persuit. ESPN's tv listings shows Hall of fame inductions. The fact remains the race should be shown.

It really would. A lot of these people just don't get it. They think that the Claiming Crown should be be shown over the World Series. Horse racing matters to US. Not to the rest of the public. And our US is much less than the US that are interested in baseball. It's really that simple. Hell, even the racing papers have called the WV Derby a matchup of the second tier 3yos.

perhaps it was moved because they got the time wrong, or something else came up....maybe felt the race wasn't worth dedicating 1/2 hour program time towards....

now, i can understand baseball taking precedence, and cutting away for barry at bat (which doesn't appear to be the case this time however) but i don't like when something such as little league bumps racing down. or when basketball takes twenty minutes to run 30 seconds off the clock. then there's NOT cutting away from post GAME to get to the race, but they often cut away from racing before you can see the full order of finish, or payoffs...

So if that's the case just watch it on your computer live.At least i can hear Peter Berrys:D call instead of Dave Johnson or whomever ESPN got to call the race.

From BH, yesterday...

Aug. 4 Racing Coverage Shifts to ESPN Classic
by Blood-Horse Staff

From the National Thoroughbred Racing Association

Due to late programming changes resulting from Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the all-time home run record, ESPN will not televise the Aug. 4 “NTRA Summer Racing - Powered by Dodge” program featuring the Darley Test Stakes (gr. I) from Saratoga and the West Virginia Derby (gr. III) from Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort.

Instead, the telecast will air live from 5-6 p.m. EDT on ESPN Classic. Both races will also be shown live via cut-ins on ESPNEWS. The full 60-minute program will also be re-aired Aug. 5 on ESPN2 from 5-6 a.m. and again from 10-11 p.m. EDT.

Welcome to the forum. :)

Just saw on another thread that Peter Berry will be calling the race on ESPN.gREAT TO HEAR THAT.

It's all on the Directv program guide properly now. For those with HD it will be rebroadcast on ESPN2HD Sunday am. It is on classic at 4 CDT, live.
I'm on central time so that's why I said 4:00 pm.
And yes I get pre-empting for world series and such and it seems the tennis is a semi-final, but I'm with Danzig on the little league. How bout volleyball, and sorry to the golfers but that makes me crazy too.
I like racing on ESPN finally get to watch in HD.

a split screen would be nice as well.


i'm just glad i live in the time of hrtv and tvg--they might suck ass at times, but it beats what we used to have by a mile! so, not quite so beholden to espn.