Steve Kornacki | beautiful pictures
A mains television political analyst for more than a decade now, Steve Kornacki has become a superstar for his coverage of his election, especially in the night and week that followed the general election. 2020. But Kornacki is also an avid jockey and disabled person, and last year became part of NBC’s industry-leading national race coverage. Tuesday, he sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley at the TDN Writers Room Presented by Keeneland as Green Team Guest of the Week to discuss his racing roots, how he survived Election Week 2020, who he’s keeping an eye on for this year’s GI Kentucky Derby and more.
“How do I play [the horses]? Probably reckless and aggressive,” Kornacki said. “But I just enjoy the challenge. I liken it to trying to put together a puzzle with thousands of pieces. If you can get the mix just right, there’s this sense of satisfaction, a real hustle that comes with that. So I’m always chasing that kind of rush. We did three finals [Derby] the prep races, Wood, the Blue Grass and the Santa Anita Derby, on NBC a few weeks ago and they asked me – I think they were trying to relieve me of my confusion – if I wanted to pick them up on the air . I said, ‘Sure, I’ll go ahead and take some pictures,’ and I chose 0 to 3, but I knew it was a distinct possibility. And there’s a part of me, when I go by some price tag, that says maybe I should go for a safer option like Mo Donegal in the Wood. But that’s how I approach it. I’ve always been more interested in 8-1 than 2-1″.
When asked about his approach to his acclaimed constituency and how it compares to his new gig analysis race, Kornacki said, “The comparison will be is that in the lead-up to the election and running for any of the races we’re covering, you’re looking for potential angles that can provide some insight and context. For example, in 2020, we are very aware that polls systematically failed in 2016. They underestimated. [Donald] Trump supports. They overestimated Democratic support. So in the month before the election, we always try to adjust the poll average and say, ‘If the same error that applies in 2020 applies in 2016, these are the current numbers. in.’ Suddenly you’ve gone from [Joe] Biden blows away these razor-thin Biden profits, and it turns out that’s exactly what happened on Election Night. That’s why it’s extended into Election Week. That’s the kind of context we’re trying to provide. Now I’m looking at this Kentucky Derby and asking myself, what can I contribute on race day and in the near term? Which prep races have the best records [with Derby runners], which horses have the best ultimate longhair run time, Beyer Speed Figures? I think the big thing about the Derby is here [qualifying] the point in time, at or near the top of the packet at all times, is very large and completely different from before. So I look for those angles, whether it’s politics or horse racing.”
Elsewhere in the show, also sponsored by Coolmorethe Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, Purebred West Point and Legacy BloodstockBianca and Finley discussed what the closure of the Pompano Park mining track can aid in racing, exciting new and evolving technology used to detect potential problems before they happen and a big weekend is coming for the old ponies and horses. Click here to watch podcasts; Click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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This story was posted in Top News and tagged Kentucky Derby, MSNBC, NBC, Pompano Park, Steve Kornacki, TDN Podcasts, TDN . Writers’ Office.
