America’s Best Racing, NSA join forces for coverage of Middleburg Spring Races
The groundbreaking livestream broadcast on April 22 has the potential to introduce thousands of thoroughbred racing fans to steeplechasing.
by Tod Marks
America’s Best Racing, a fan-development and awareness-building platform launched by The Jockey Club to increase the profile and visibility of horse racing, has partnered with the National Steeplechase Association to broadcast the Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park in Virginia later this month.
The two-hour livestream, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. when the field heads to the post for the first of eight races worth $250,000, will be hosted by ABR’s Dan Tordjman, NSA personality Megan Connolly, and Briana Mott from Stable Duel, another NSA partner this spring that allows fans to compete for cash prizes by picking winners during the spring jump racing season. Longtime NSA supporter Brown Advisory is sponsoring the event. The live broadcast will also feature guests who will discuss steeplechasing, the Virginia Hunt Country lifestyle, the local Piedmont Heritage area, and more. You can access America’s Best Racing by clicking here.
The idea for the broadcast came from a synergistic meeting between ABR’s Tordjman, manager of business development and sponsorships, and Connolly.
“I wanted to see how the NSA could partner with ABR to showcase steeplechasing to a broader racing audience,” she said. “As ABR is the marketing arm of the Jockey Club, this is exactly what they do; engage with racing fans, create robust content and show the fun side of racing. They have gone to Far Hills in the past and see steeplechasing as another product to expose their followers to.”
And the potential to expose jump racing to the wider racing audience is significant. America’s Best Racing has nearly 500,000 online followers, and those who tune in will get to witness the sport at its best. Middleburg is a showcase for Eclipse Award-caliber talent, and the featured Grade II $100,000 Temple Gwathmey hurdle stakes is often a stepping stone for horses aiming for the Grade I Iroquois stakes in Nashville several weeks later.
“We are extremely excited to partner with the National Steeplechase Association on this first-of-its-kind livestream from the Middleburg Spring Races,” Tordjman added. “At America’s Best Racing, we’re committed to promoting the best racing, heightening the buzz around big events and sharing the stories that spark fandom. Given the history at Middleburg and the scene at Glenwood Park every spring, there couldn’t be a more appropriate moment for ABR to jump into the steeplechase world.”
About America’s Best Racing: Through expert content, human and equine interest features, award-winning video content, livestream, second-screen productions, and wide-reaching programs, America’s Best Racing introduces the love of horse racing to the next generation of fans, turning them into lifelong fans of the sport and lifestyle. For more information about “A Stake in Stardom” and the Road to the Triple Crown visit americasbestracing.net. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net as well as on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.