By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

For NBC the Kentucky Derby it was the best of time and it was the worst of times. They did a wonderful job covering the impressive win of Big Brown and caught flack for their coverage or lack thereof in the story of death of Eight Belles.

Such was not the case Saturday at the Preakness where once again the network proved that they were indeed on top of their game on thoroughbred racing coverage.

At 4:30p.m. NBC producer Sam Flood and host Bob Costas addressed the issues of “The State of Horseracing in America.” It was Costas at his best hosting a round table discussion first on the death of Eight Belles and then on the many issues that face the industry as a whole. Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, NBC's horse racing analyst Gary Stevens, Churchill Downs veterinarian Larry Bramlage, Alex Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA and veteran New York Times columnist William Rhoden had a spirited debate on the issues and while they did not solve any problems they certainly advanced the discussion.

At 5p.m. the race coverage began and every possible angle of Big Brown was covered by Costas, Tom Hammond, and two-time Preakness winner Stevens.  Meanwhile contributing analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; reporter Kenny Rice and on-track reporter Donna Barton-Brothers covered the horses every move.

Stevens showed his wonderful knowledge by describing prior to the race what track Big Brown would have to travel to win the race. He pointed out that Big Brown had to avoid the problems of being caught in the tight first turn at Pimilico and then hang around either third or forth place while traveling down the backstretch and then turn it on as Big Brown rounded the post and headed for home.

That was exact the course that jockey Kent Desormeaux took to winning the 133^rd Preakness.

Director David Michaels (Al’s brother) did a great job of covering the pre race activities and made Old Hill Top hill look like a million dollars.

Then once the race began again Michaels did not miss a single shot of Big Browns impressive Preakness victory. I also loved the replay of the race from the blimp it really shows all the moves that Big Brown on the road to his way to the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

When I asked Flood about NBC now handing the Triple Crown coverage over to ABC who will carry the Belmont in three weeks he said “I won’t lie I wished that we had all three races. But in the end we want to do what is best for the sport and we about how we have taken this great story about Big Brown two thirds of the way home. Now we will all watch and see if history is made at Belmont.”

For one day in May we can thank NBC for making Pimlico look like a real jewel in racings Triple Crown. Let’s hope that it is here for many years to come and we are not watching The Preakness from Delaware, Florida or California a couple of years from now.