Wow check out the ratings
 

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38818

Up 12% for the telecast.

I'm sure part of it was due to Barbaro but how much would you say? The Queen added a flare of, er, something. I figure whatever you thought about the coverage, good or bad, they'll try to do the same thing next year.

Thanks, you are probably right about why but better ratings are great.

By the way, I didn't notice where the Queen finished.

They said she didn't even make a bet

Fractious in gate, no speed, no factor

That's definately a positive. Especially based on the BC ratings not being too well (I understand the cable aspect of that), so this is a step in the right direction. Pleas ejust give us a T.C. winner and let S.S. run through the B.C. Am I being too delusional?

Lol that's why they're gonna turn her around and send her to Pimlico... in 2015. She'll be like 105, but like Perfect Drift she's always capable of a strong 2nd.

Yep, I'm willing to draw a line through it.

and huge handle as well....excellent news. figured we were headed for a good day when i saw how many weathered the ...well, weather on friday!

Oh totally, she might've not liked the Churchill surface either. The Euros seem to like the Turf better. She's gonna be more like a Showing Up I think.

as for the telecast...maybe i'm wrong, but i just tire each year of some 'tearjerk' story being included. it's like they go out of their way to find some human interest story. i'd rather they show a couple minutes on each horse, key races, show the jock and trainer.....it's supposed to be entertaining, not a soap opera.


but i could be wrong....

jock should go to the whip earlier, show her who's boss!

Sometimes alittle whip aint so bad!!! ;)

:eek:

The thought of royalty at Pimlico is quite funny.
Good news about the ratings. Lets hope the trend continues.

Well now... that just depends on WHO is doing the whipping. :cool:

i agree completely. however...

the kentucky derby is a distraction for most americans. less intersting than american idol and the latest story about paris or brittany.

the network plays to their audience. or just under their audience because like menken said, no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the american public.

this is a broader audience than any other race in america. so they aim lower.

despite the passion you might infer from this board, with it's self selected membership, most people hardly registered that there was a horse race saturday.

that a network would be jumping up and down, waving it's arms in the air, trying to get a story that might interest joe or jane six pack is only to be expected. they want a bigger audience.

i'm fairly cynical about the likelyhood of a handicapper-centric broadcast appealing to a nation looking for distractions.

She was looking for the bookie ring.

I'm sure she had some money with the coolmore guy

The good thing about the Queen making an appearance is that is shows people that horse racing just isnt for gambling losers. The Queen can even enjoy racing so why cant the avg joe. I think it was awesome.

what would the ratings be without hank goldberg?

I'd actually re-phrase that to say what are the ratings like after Hammerin Hank makes his predictions?"

Because every prediction he makes turns to gold lol.