from Horse Player Now

Chicago, IL — Night School, the racing industry’s free national online fan education program, celebrates the best of the “Jersey Shore,” featuring a preview of the Hambletonian (Aug. 3) and a look at the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations and Yonkers Trot, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, this weekend.

Hoof Beats editor TJ Burkett will serve as a host and Meadowlands track announcer Ken Warkentin will be a special guest for the 90-minute chat on www.ustrotting.com, starting at 8:30 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday.

The $1.2 million Hambletonian is the second leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.

As an added bonus, the Night School Tour will make its first visit to a harness track this year at the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day to educate and mingle with fans onsite. Night School co-founder Joe Kristufek will be on hand with harness ace Tom Kelley as well as Night School’s Brian Nadeau and Dan Perdziak.

In addition, Night School hosts and panelists will dig into the upcoming Haskell Invitational, headlined by Preakness winner Oxbow, at Monmouth Park this Sunday (July 28). The $1 million Haskell is a key 3-year-old Thoroughbred race on the summer calendar. The Night School Tour will also visit the Jersey Shore and Monmouth Park on race day.

Tuesday’s 90-minute live Night School chat will feature a video walk down memory lane with ESPN’s “Hammerin” Hank Goldberg, a New Jersey native. Hosting the program and interacting with the fans in the live chat and Q&A will be Night School co-founders Jeremy Plonk and Joe Kristufek.

Also, joining Warkentin as a special guest will be fellow New Jersey track announcer Larry Collmus from Monmouth Park.

Complimentary advance past performances will be provided in the chat for the Hambletonian (USTA) and Haskell (BRIS). The USTA also will offer past performances for Saturday’s Yonkers Trot and the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations.

The Hambletonian returns to a heat format in 2013, so there are no eliminations for this weekend. T.J. Burkett’s overview of some of Saturday’s key harness stakes will also be provided in a Tuesday update of the study materials (link provided below).

Fans can take part in the class free by visiting any one of the 40-plus websites that provides the Night School lessons each week. For those who cannot attend live, the Night School archives always are available free, immediately following the session and beyond. Videos used in all lessons also can be seen at www.youtube.com/horseplayernow.

Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the United States Trotting Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland and Churchill Downs, Inc.

Night School is 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 p.m. (EDT) by 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. Free past performances are available, courtesy of BRIS.

For the Haskell, the Night School Tour will be hosted by Night School co-founder Jeremy Plonk, Caton Bredar, Tim Brannan and Nadeau.

For an updated Night School Tour schedule, click on this link.

This week’s study materials are available here.

Jeremy Plonk and Joe Kristufek preview this week’s lesson on video.

Pod 3 lesson schedule is available here.