Night School, the racing industry’s national online fan education program since 2011, takes a closer look – literally – at “Visual Handicapping” in this evening’s Week 24 lesson. The 90-minute live chat breaks from the gate at 8:30 p.m. ET and will include real-time visual analysis of live racing as it unfolds.

Horse Player NOW’s Jeremy Plonk and Brian W. Spencer, who also serves as paddock analyst at Fair Grounds, co-host the lesson. The instructors will give insight as to what they look for in the paddock, post parade and warm-ups, providing tips for both on-track viewers and those watching on a simulcast or television feed. Visual clues associated with tonight’s live racing at Mountaineer Park will be provided in real time, as well as video highlights from Night School’s full-length visual handicapping video hosted by Caton Bredar.

The live racing aspect of Night School is new to this season’s “Summer Semester,” which continues a 12-week run through the end of August. Night School’s radio simulcasts will return after Labor Day for the 14-week Fall Semester.

The free Night School program is offered online each Tuesday, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET and runs 40 consecutive weeks through Dec. 2. More than 40 websites in the Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse and Standardbred industries simultaneously offer the Night School lessons. Title sponsors for 2014 include charter members National Thoroughbred Racing Association and American Quarter Horse Association, as well as Keeneland Select, The Stronach Group, Twinspires, BRIS, Bet America, Mountaineer Park and Woobine Entertainment.

The 2014 Night School season is broken into three semesters. The Spring Semester ran 14 weeks, from March 4 until Belmont Stakes Week on June 3. A corresponding Fall Semester will be offered Sept. 2 through Dec. 2. Both the Spring and Fall semesters will feature a minimum of 11 SiriusXM simulcasts, in addition to select, major racing event live handicapping chats between the fans and experts. Night School is free and voluntary with no registration necessary. Simply visit any of the Night School syndicate websites weekly at 8:30 pm ET to take in the live lesson, or access the archives at any of those same sites at your leisure. The program does offer a voluntary registration both live or in the archives. Attendees who register in at least half (20) of the season’s lessons are eligible to win prizes that include merchandise, NHC Tour memberships, handicapping contests, free handicapping products, etc.

The Night School weekly teaching menu expands once again this week as the traditional Night School Friday Night Live chats from Remington Park make their season debut, Thoroughbred-style, with Friday’s opening day card from Oklahoma City. The Friday chats kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and continue throughout the card, adding to the season’s current Woodbine Wednesdays live racing chats that begin weekly at 6:15 p.m. ET.

Night School Links

Horse Player NOW info page: http://horseplayernow.com/night-school

Week 24 BRIS past performances for live teaching lessons: http://horseplayernow.com/nightpps

Summer Semester Topics & Program Info: http://horseplayernow.com/images/SEASON%204%20NIGHT%20SCHOOL%20RELEASE2.pdf

Video overview of the 2014 season with Caton Bredar and Jeremy Plonk: http://youtu.be/m5CP4LwmFZY