NBC Airs Breeders' Cup Challenge Series This Weekend

Led by 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and Metropolitan Handicap winner Honor Code, an outstanding field of 10 horses has been entered for the $1.2 million Whitney at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., broadcast live on NBC at 5 p.m. ET as a part of the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In - Presented by Lane's End Farm."

The Whitney, run at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up, will award the winner an automatic berth into the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Saturday's show is the fifth of 10 telecasts under the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Win and You're In Series - Presented by Lane's End" banner of automatic qualifying races leading into the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Oct. 30-Oct. 31, which will be televised live on NBCSN and NBC from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Saturday's show will also include live coverage of the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

Tom Hammond hosts live coverage from Saratoga, joined by analysts Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey and five-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner, reporters Donna Brothers and Kenny Rice, analysts/handicappers Eddie Olczyk and Bob Neumeier. Daily Racing Form's Matt Bernier will also serve as handicapper.

Last year's Belmont Stakes winner, Robert Evans' Tonalist, is the 4-1 second choice for trainer Christophe Clement. The 4-year-old son of Tapit, who upset California Chrome's Triple Crown bid by winning last year's Belmont, also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup and finished 2014 with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park. This year, Tonalist returned with a solid win in the Westchester and a tough runner-up finish in the Met Mile.

Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm's 5-year-old Honor Code was the winner of the Met Mile on Belmont Stakes day and the victory earned him a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth into the Dirt Mile. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Honor Code, the 3-1 morning line favorite, will attempt to win his first two-turn race in the Whitney. He will be ridden by Javier Castellano.

The field also includes two stars from trainer Jimmy Jerkens in last year's Travers Stakes winner V. E. Day, and the Travers' runner up Wicked Strong. V.E. Day was third, beaten 3 ½ lengths, in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy to open 2015 off a six-month layoff. Wicked Strong won last year's Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

As an added element to the racing action, fans can also get into the excitement of the Whitney, which offers them the chance to correctly select the exact order of finish of the race and win a trip the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The game is free to enter and play, and fans can register and submit their picks for each race online at: http://www.milliondollarfinish.com/. The fantasy player with the highest score for each designated race will win a once-in-a-lifetime VIP trip for two to the sold-out 2015 Breeders' Cup. Along with the 10 chances to win during the Challenge Series, fans can enter for a shot at the ultimate prize of $1 million during the Breeders' Cup World Championships by predicting the correct order for the top 10 finishers in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, which will air on Saturday, October 31 on NBC.

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