Santa Anita TV to Play Leading Role Without FanDuel TV

On-air hosts and analysts Michelle Yu, Zoe Cadman, Jessica Pyfer and Millie Ball will head simulcast coverage from Santa Anita Park for the autumn meet as its track programming takes on an even more critical role as the longtime home of horse racing on television, FanDuel TV, winds down operations after more than 27 years. The 19-day Autumn Meet at Santa Anita features top Thoroughbred racing every Friday through Sunday until closing day on Sunday, Nov. 1. In addition to on FanDuel TV, horseplayers can follow all the racing action via the Santa Anita simulcast show on 1ST.TV, Calracing.com, Racetrack Television Network, and all the various horse racing online wagering platforms including 1stbet.com and Xpressbet.com. This marks the fourth consecutive year the team has provided extensive commentary and analysis during Santa Anita Park's Autumn Meet. "Fans can expect something not dissimilar from FanDuel TV. Interviews with trainers, jockeys and owners, plus insight and analysis for every race every race day," Cadman said. Cadman is a former jockey who primarily rode at Arlington Park and Hawthorne Park in Illinois. In 2001, she made history there when she became the first female rider to win a riding title on that circuit by claiming the jockey's crown at Hawthorne. Yu also brings decades of Thoroughbred experience to Santa Anita's airwaves. Born in nearby Walnut, Ca., she began riding horses at age three and played polo while attending the University of Louisville. Her extensive broadcast credits include stints at Fox Sports, NBC Sports, HRTV and TVG. Ball has been part of the Santa Anita broadcast team since 2003, which includes 11 years with HRTV, prior to its sale to TVG (now FanDuel). A native of the United Kingdom, Ball is a former steeplechase jockey who has also worked as an exercise rider for some of the sport's top trainers, including Hall of Famers Bobby Frankel, Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella. She is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Tim Yakteen. Pyfer is a former jockey in her own right who in 2021 became just the third female to ever win the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding apprentice jockey. She joined the Santa Anita simulcast team in the fall of 2023 following her retirement from the saddle. Pyfer is the daughter of Santa Anita-based trainer Phil D'Amato and recently married jockey Ricky Gonzalez. "Viewers can expect to see four women that live, breathe and sleep horse racing," said Pyfer, a native of Denver, Co., and daughter of longtime Santa Anita-based trainer Phil D'Amato.