AMERICAN PHAROAH'S VICTORY IN HASKELL INVITATIONAL ON NBC IS MOST-WATCHED SUMMER RACE IN 13 YEARS

Viewership Peaked at 3.1 Million as Triple Crown Winner Crossed Finish Line with 2 1/4-Length Victory

"Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In - Presented by Lane's End Farm" Coverage Continues This Saturday, August 8 at 5 PM ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. - August 4, 2015 - Fans turned out at the track and tuned to NBC in big numbers Sunday for American Pharoah's run-away victory in the William Hill Haskell Invitational.

Viewership for the NBC telecast peaked at 3.1 million viewers between 5:45-6:06 p.m. ET, as American Pharoah - the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years - ran to an easy 2 1/4-length victory.

NBC's full telecast (5:00-6:06 p.m. ET), averaged 2.0 million viewers to rank as the most-watched horse racing telecast to take place between the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup in 13 years (9/29/02 on NBC; 2.9 million viewers for "The NTRA Road to the World Thoroughbred Championships," which featured Breeders' Cup prep races from four tracks). Sunday's viewership was up 102% from last year's Haskell on NBC.

In addition, viewers streamed more than 100,000 live minutes via NBC Sports Live Extra on Sunday - a 15-fold increase from last year's Haskell. Sunday's racing also drew a record 60,983 spectators to Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Quotable from American Pharoah's Haskell victory:

"A rousing return for a living legend." - NBC race caller Larry Collmus

"If we didn't televise his next race, I would make a point to watch American Pharoah run. That's how special he is to America." - NBC analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey

"American Pharoah not only has ability, he has charisma." - NBC host Tom Hammond

BREEDERS' CUP CHALLENGE SERIES COVERAGE CONTINUES SATURDAY ON NBC: This Saturday, August 8, NBC Sports Group's coverage of the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In - presented by Lane's End Farm" continues with live coverage of the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes and the 1.25 million Whitney at 5 p.m. ET on NBC.

Tom Hammond hosts live coverage from Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 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.