Night School, the racing industry’s national online fan education program, polishes its apple and returns to class Tuesday for its third season. The opening night topic, which gets under way at 8:30 p.m. ET, will be “Introduction to Night School” and will highlight the upcoming season and discuss the importance of fan education. Special guests taking questions from fans during the live chat include Maggie Wolfendale and Andy Serling of the New York Racing Association, as well as Hoofbeats Magazine editor T.J. Burkett.
Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Inc., and the United States Trotting Association.
Night School is hosted by its co-creators Joe Kristufek and Jeremy Plonk of Horse Player NOW, and they will be joined by original cast members Caton Bredar and Jill Byrne for another season. This week’s session includes live, interactive chat as well as video appearances by trainers Dale Romans and Michelle Nihei, jockey Francisco Torres and jockey agents Ron Anderson and Penny Ffitch-Heyes.
The 90-minute classes will be offered every Tuesday for 40 consecutive weeks through Dec. 3. Topics change weekly, and fans are eligible for prizes and rewards for registering. Registration is optional and free. There is never a charge for taking part in Night School.
This week’s Night School will be followed at 10:00 p.m. ET by the season debut of the “After Night School Special,” featuring live racing from Mountaineer Park. The segment will cover the evening’s final race in real time with free, live-streaming video. Fans wishing to take part in the Mountaineer action simply need to remain in the Night School chat after class.
The Night School lessons continue each week with the all-new “Night School Friday Night Live” from Remington Park, featuring expert analysis and live chat for an entire card of action with complimentary live streaming video. The Friday live chats—co-hosted by track announcer Dale Day, morning line maker Jerry Shottenkirk and Horse Player NOW’s Jeremy Plonk—begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and extend through the evening’s final race.
This week’s Night School preview video by Joe Kristufek and Jeremy Plonk: http://youtu.be/nTrlHgVc7KA
This week’s study materials, courtesy of Horse Player NOW: