By T. D. Thornton
In an attempt to tell some of the sport's best behind-the-scenes stories in the lead-up to racing's pinnacle championship race, Breeders' Cup Ltd. has started compiling video footage for season two of “ALL IN: The Road to the Classic,” a six-part documentary series that will air on both network television and on various digital platforms.
As part of the preparation for the series, which is being shot and edited by celebrity chef and racehorse owner Bobby Flay's Rock Shrimp Productions, Breeders' Cup officials are putting out a request for owners and trainers of GI Classic contenders to help by making themselves available for pre- and post-race interviews that go a bit beyond the usual “quick hit” footage that accompanies the major graded stakes leading up to the Nov. 2 championship.
“We follow horses, owners, trainers–anyone connected who is on the road to the Classic,” said Peter Rotondo, the vice president for media and entertainment at the Breeders' Cup. “Basically we try to showcase parts of the game that people can't see on our live broadcasts because we don't have enough time. We try to go behind the scenes, much like the way the National Hockey League does with its 'Quest for the Stanley Cup' series.”
The production team will be at all of the NBC or NBCSN televised “Win and You're In” races that pertain to the Classic category.
“ALL IN” debuted on the Facebook Watch platform last year, and a similar digital rollout is being planned for this year's airings of the half-hour segments. In a new twist for this season, the series will also be televised in Europe, and the first four “ALL IN” episodes will also be shown in the U.S. by NBCSN.
“The bottom line is, we're trying to let potential Classic participants know that we're shooting, and if they do hear from us, we're putting out a plea for them to cooperate,” Rotondo said. “We want to show off all the characters here, and we just need a little time and patience from owners and trainers to help us tell the story. Because without their participation, we can't be successful.
“A typical request would be on a Friday morning before the race, we come to the barn, do some behind-the-scenes stuff, and maybe grab an owner or trainer for a half-hour interview,” Rotondo continued. “Then on race day, we maybe mic them up for the race itself, schedule a couple of quick interviews beforehand and afterward, and also watch the race with them.
“And for the winners of these Classic division races, we might want to follow the owners a bit afterward away from the track to get a glimpse of what they do in their 'real lives'–what they do for a living, what their life at home is like, whether they're a billionaire or a bunch of smaller-scale guys involved in a syndicate.”
Rotondo said early response from participants has been helpful.
“Once participants know what were aiming for, they want to see us tell these good stories,” Rotondo said. “And with the Breeders' Cup funding it, we assure participants that it's going to be super-positive while still showing the drama behind the scenes and all the cool moments that happen along the way to the Classic.”
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