Why Can't NBC or ESPN Do This?

A friend asked me if I had seen the YouTube video replay of the Queen's Plate yet, and when I said no, he told me I needed to see the great camera work in the second half of the video. Sure enough he was right. I have seen a plethora of different camera angles covering horse racing over the years, and especially of late. Television networks have done some good things recently, such as the overhead view that allows he viewer to really track a horse's trip, but overall they just don't seem to make great use of all the wonderful technology at their fingertips. Usually they try to do much, and switch from angle to angle too often, confusing me, and I'm sure millions of others. Or they fail in getting the type of up close and personal shots that make you feel like you are right in the middle of the action. I'm here to tell NBC and ESPN that they need to take a look at the simple work done by Woodbine Entertainment Group in yesterday's wonderful win by Inglorious in the Queen's Plate. Check out the video of Canada's signature race here (the alternate view starts at approximately 3:50 into the video.)

I loved the way WEG just focused on the leaders from this cool angle the entire race. Even though I knew Inglorious was about to inhale the field, I found it exhilarating to see her ascend on the leaders from the view of the moving camera. I felt both in the middle of action, and never confused of what was happening. I could feel her triumph in the final strides to the wire and then gallop out. Now compare that great view of the race, achieved with one camera on a truck, versus the hodgepodge of cameras used in last fall's Breeders' Cup Mile.

Goldikova rolls home in very similar fashion to Inglorious, but I don't know, maybe I just like to keep things simple. All the different shots only succeeded in blurring the eyes. What do you think, should the coverage of the Queen's Plate by Woodbine Entertainment Group set a new standard in how we watch horse races? Should NBC and ESPN just try to keep it simple? I, for one, think so.