The American Dream Derby
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Press Release:

GSN ANNOUNCES “THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY” 

THE FIRST-EVER REALITY SERIES CENTERING ON THE HIGH STAKES COMPETITIVE WORLD OF THOROUGHBRED RACING 

Multi-episode Unscripted Series Will Give Six Lucky Racing Fans the Chance to Own, Train and Race a Thoroughbred for Fame and Fortune 

Series Culminates with Live GSN Broadcast of Six Horse Race Finale

( Santa Monica , CA ) – GSN, the network for games, announced today the creation of THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY, the first reality series set in the world of professional thoroughbred racing, combining a behind-the-scenes look into buying, training and racing horses with a live broadcast of the first-ever AMERICAN DREAM DERBY horse racing event. 

In making the announcement, GSN President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Cronin said: “Horse racing has always been a part of America’s culture, but with the recent popularity of ‘Seabiscuit’ and the tremendous success of reality programs allowing contestants to ‘live the dream’, the time is right for this series. THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY will make ordinary fans into owners, taking them through all the high powered deal-making, glamour and intense competition that happens behind-the-scenes in this ‘sport of kings.’” 

THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY will feature six horse racing fanatics who, but for the show, would have never had the resources (money, connections or expertise) to realize this dream. 

The simple premise of the show will be to follow the six lucky contestants as they are broken up into two groups of three with each group being guided by one of the top trainers in the sport today. The trainers will help each of the six contestants through the process of selecting and buying horses in claiming races, hiring jockeys and training for the ultimate race. 

GSN will stake each contestant as they buy their own thoroughbred for up to $25,000. (Coincidentally, last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Funny Cide, was originally purchased in 2001 for $22,000.) After purchasing their thoroughbred, they will be charged with hiring a jockey and training their horse at one of the top stables in America in preparation for the big event. 

GSN viewers will be able to follow the training and competition on-air in the weekly episodes and online at GSN.com. Each of the six horses will compete in several races against other thoroughbreds to establish their track records leading up to the final live race event, THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY, which will feature all six horses competing against each other for the first time. 

For the final race, viewers in states where it is legal will be able to place their bets online. Fans will also be able to wager in person at the track that runs THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY and at other select tracks and off-track betting sites across the country. The final race will be the culmination of the six weekly one-hour episodes and an online analysis of the background and performance of competing horses, trainers, jockeys and contestant owners. 

In this winner-take-all endgame, the one lucky champion will be awarded all six horses, a contract with their trainer, and a quarter of a million dollars in cash to fund their racing stable. THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY represents the ultimate dream for racing fans and a true life-changing experience. 

Stories covered in the seven-part series include the contestant search which begins May 1, 2004 at GSN.com where racing fans can download an application to become a contestant/owner. In person video-taped auditions will occur this summer at select race tracks across the country. 

In addition to the contestant selection, episodes will cover the choosing of trainers, horses and jockeys and the actual training process. As the contestant owners get closer to race day, and the pressure increases, all of the rivalries, bickering and jockeying for position will be captured on camera. 

“The winning contestant of THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY series will go from being an obscure fan to being the owner of a hot new stable of thoroughbreds with one of the best trainers in the country as their advisor. It’s the chance of a lifetime,” reflected Cronin. 

THE AMERICAN DREAM DERBY series will begin production this summer and will air in early 2005. This reality series aligns with GSN’s recent programming expansion to broaden its genre to include game/competition shows of all kinds. The network recently launched its first original casino series WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK, and will follow up with a new tournament this summer, CELEBRITY BLACKJACK. Also in production for summer are EXTREME DODGEBALL, with GSN’s own league of extreme teams and challenges, and NATIONAL LAMPOON’S GREEK GAMES, which will feature sorority and fraternity competitions in comedic games for medals, glory and grand prize trips to Greece . 

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing.  The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries, video game programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN features 84 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN’s televised games via GSN.com. Reaching 54 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers.  The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN’s press website at corp.gsn.com.