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Media Eclipse Awards Announced

Lexington, Ky. (January 8, 2025) ―The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters today announced the winners of the 2024 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories.

The 2024 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows:


Live Television Programming – NBC Sports, “The 150th Kentucky Derby” – Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer, May 4, 2024


Feature Television Programming – NBC Sports, “The Impossible Dream,” – Rachel Goodman, Producer, May 4, 2024


Writing – Feature/Commentary – Chris McGrath, Thoroughbred Daily News – “Lunching with Legends at Lil’s,” March 26, 2024


Writing – News/Enterprise – Sean Clancy, The Saratoga Special – “Two for the Show,” Aug. 28, 2024


Photography – Scott Serio, “Night Rider – Skippylongstocking wins the Charles Town Classic,” Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, October 2024


Multimedia – Sue Finley, Thoroughbred Daily News, “After Saving Two Horses from a Kill Pen, Stewart Aims to do More to End Slaughter,” July 15, 2024


Media Eclipse Award winners will be presented their trophies at the 54th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards Ceremony and Dinner at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Thursday, January 23.

 

Live Television Programming – NBC Sports


NBC Sports has won its fifth consecutive Live Racing Programming Eclipse Award for its coverage of the 150th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 4, 2024. Last year’s special anniversary coverage of America’s most famous horse race rose to an unforgettable crescendo with the three-horse photo finish of race winner Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Forever Young (JPN).


NBC deployed a wide-range of production enhancements to capture the spectacle of the famed Run for the Roses including a new set location overlooking the newly constructed paddock at Churchill Downs, which featured SkyCam coverage from the paddock; a “Phantom Camera,” providing super slo-mo replays and reactions; a live drone and two live jockey cam systems utilized among 54 total cameras; two Nucleus cameras – one on each finish line – that provided fans with a unique super slo-mo look at any photo finishes; a camera focused on race caller Larry Collmus; and a Bat Camera – which will flew alongside the horses as they raced down the backstretch.


“NBC Sports is thrilled to accept the Eclipse Award for Live Television Programming for our coverage of the 150th Kentucky Derby,” said Senior Producer of the Kentucky Derby coverage, Lindsay Schanzer. “It’s not often in television (or anything!) that you can say you were a part of the 150th edition of something, but we were privileged to play broadcast host to the incredible milestone event put on by Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in May. While we try every year to capture the spectacle and long-standing traditions that make up the Run for the Roses, this year we had a special opportunity to showcase those elements and how they have withstood the test of time for a century and a half. And on top of the incredible historical significance of the day, we were treated to one of the great finishes in the history of the race. I am so proud of our team and how we covered the three-way photo finish that was ultimately awarded to Mystik Dan, and can only hope we’ll be blessed with as exciting a finish for Derby 151!”


The 150th Kentucky Derby was produced by Schanzer and Billy Matthews, and directed by Kaare Numme and Tim Nelson. Amy Zimmerman was senior associate producer, Jeff Burriesci was associate director, Jack Felling was coordinating feature producer, and Ron Vacarro, VP of Editorial. Sam Flood is Executive Producer and President, NBC Sports Production.


The commentators were: Host Mike Tirico; analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss; handicappers Eddie Olczyk and Matt Bernier; host/reporter Ahmed Fareed; reporters Britney Eurton, Donna Brothers, Kenny Rice, and Nick Luck; race caller Larry Collmus; features host Rebecca Lowe; insights analyst Steve Kornacki; fashion and lifestyle correspondents Dylan Dreyer and Zanna Roberts Rassi, and Tim Layden, who wrote and narrated an essay on his perspective of the 150th “Run for the Roses.”


Honorable mention in the Live Television Programming category went to FOX Sports for the 156th Belmont Stakes, which aired on June 8, 2024, and was produced by Bill Richards.


Judges in the Live Television Programming were Kristine Kugler, Horse Racing Producer, ESPN. Dave Johnson, track announcer, television analyst, and race caller for ABC Sports, and now co-host of Down The Stretch on SiriusXM; and Patty Wolfe, Multimedia Eclipse Award winner and three-time Emmy winner at ABC Sports.



Television Features – NBC Sports


NBC Sports has won the Television – Features category for “The Impossible Dream,” a profile on the improbable and courageous life of Larry Demeritte, trainer of West Saratoga, who he saddled in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The feature, which aired on NBC on May 4, 2024, was produced by Rachel Goodman.


Demeritte was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Blood Cancer seven years ago, beginning his third bout with the disease since 1996. On chemotherapy each month, at 74, last year Demeritte became the second Black trainer since 1951 to be saddling a horse in the Kentucky Derby. He was preparing Larry Veruchi’s West Saratoga, a 3-year-old son of Exaggerator, who had won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, and finished second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2) in his final Derby prep. Raised in Nassau in the Bahamas, where he became a successful trainer in a racing family, Demeritte watched the Derby on television every year, and was inspired in1976 to come to the U.S., and train horses in Kentucky, and some day dreamed of saddling a horse of his own in the Run for the Roses.


Narrated by Mike Tirico, Demeritte relates his story to NBC in the quiet of the Churchill Downs backstretch. “Sometimes I wake up with aches in my bones,” Demeritte admitted, “but why lay in bed and feel sorry for yourself when you can see a horse gallop around the track. You don’t get a rush from anywhere else.” The feature included footage and photos of Demeritte’s days in the Bahamas, and an interview with owner Veruchi, who instructed Demeritte to buy him a Derby horse for under $20,000. He bought West Saratoga for $11,000. “I buy Champagne horses with a beer budget,” Demeritte revealed with a wide grin. (West Saratoga finished 12th in last year’s Derby.)


“Larry Demeritte’s unshakeable joyful spirit has stayed with me since the day I met him,” said Goodman. “To see the way people are drawn to him and the incredible community he has nurtured in his barn is to witness the very best in horse racing. Despite being dealt some of life’s most difficult challenges, his passion, perseverance, and faith never wavered and to see him achieve his lifelong dream of competing in the Kentucky Derby was a moment that I will cherish forever. All of us at NBC Sports feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to share that story.”


In addition to Goodman, the Coordinating Producer of “The Impossible Dream” was Jack Felling; Editor, Kevin Carcich; Cinema Photographer, Taylor Morrison; and Field Producer, Max Rahamin. Sam Flood was Executive Producer and Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer.


The winning entry can be viewed here.


Judges in the Television Features category were Liz Bronstein, television showrunner and executive producer, and creator of the Animal Planet 2008-09 series “Jockeys”; Jeannine Edwards, multiple award-winning reporter, and analyst for ESPN from 1995-2018; and Chris Svendsen, CBS Sports producer and director.



Feature/Commentary Writing – Chris McGrath


Chris McGrath, from Oxford, England, has developed a great passion for American racing and for its remarkable personalities. Last year, he brought it home with “Lunching With Legends at Lil’s,” a lunchtime gathering with venerable racing stalwarts Ercel Ellis Jr., Arthur Hancock III and veterinarian Dr. Robert Copelan. The article, which appeared last March in Thoroughbred Daily News, is the first Eclipse Award for McGrath.


Having made several trips to the U.S. over the years, McGrath visited Hancock at Stone Farm, and got into a conversation about weekly luncheons at Lil’s Coffee House in Paris, Kentucky with Ellis, a pioneering racing radio broadcaster and the renown Copelan, a leader and innovator in the veterinary community for more than 65 years. Hancock and McGrath came to the luncheon one afternoon. Total ages among the three racing men at the time of publication of the luncheon was 189, with Copelan the leader at 97.


While letting the trio at the table do the talking, McGrath pulls the reader into a solid gold history of racing tales going back more than 100 years, with the trio swapping stories on connections to Man o’ War, Nasrullah, Citation, Forli (ARG), and Sunday Silence, to name a few racing icons. Among them was young Copelan telling the time one late afternoon at Darby Dan Farm when he rode a pony inside a paddock and spooked two yearlings to jump the fence, and the horses winding up in Big Darby Creek; and then having to fish them both out with the use of flashlights. Or Ellis relaying a tale on Man o’ War’s early days when a clocker sought his groom one morning at Saratoga.


“What’s the name of that big red colt?”

“Man o’ War.”

“Who’s he by?”

“By himself, mostly.”


Hancock and Copelan went back and forth on memorable moments and passionate outbursts about Arthur’s father, Arthur “Bull” Hancock, Jr., the scion of Claiborne Farm.


The luncheon adjourned after about one hour of revelry.


“I’m enormously grateful to Sue Finley, Gary King and the rest of the guys at TDN for providing such a great platform to share these wonderful experiences,” said McGrath. “I have been on their team since 2018 and, while my desk remains closer to Newmarket, my heart has meanwhile been won by the horses of America and the people who raise and race them.”


Born in Cambridge, McGrath wrote for prominent English mainstream daily newspapers, including The Times, The Independent, Sporting Life, and the Racing Post. He is most proud of a social history of the Thoroughbred, Mr. Darley’s Arabian, shortlisted for William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2016.


The winning entry can be viewed here.


Honorable Mention in the Feature/Commentary category went to: Three-time Media Eclipse Award winner Natalie Voss for “‘Never Felt So Calm’: After Divine Intervention, Trevor McCarthy Taking Break From The Saddle,” which was published on Nov. 10, 2024, in the Paulick Report.


Judges in the Feature Commentary Category were Amanda Duckworth, an independent international communications consultant and journalist with a focus on Thoroughbred racing; Tom LaMarra, Director of Communications and Backstretch Services for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and Amy Owens, Communications Associate at Keeneland.


News/Enterprise Writing – Sean Clancy


Sean Clancy earned this third Eclipse Award, and his second consecutive honor, for writing with “Two for the Show” a stirring recap of the DraftKings Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course last August, punctuated by the dramatic finish of Fierceness holding off the fast-closing filly Thorpedo Anna at the wire.


The article appeared in The Saratoga Special, as did his 2023 News/Enterprise Eclipse award winner, “The Worst Test,” on the tragic accident of Maple Leaf Mel in the Test Stakes (G1). Clancy won his first Eclipse Award in 2009 in News/Commentary writing in The BloodHorse for “Life’s Work,” about his recollections of the late Hall of Fame Trainer Sidney Watters Jr.


“I’m honored to win a third Eclipse Award and a second for The Saratoga Special. The Special celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, what a way to kick that off. This award is a credit to everyone who has helped in those 25 years – advertisers, readers, writers, interns, friends and family. It’s been a journey. Just like last year, my first call was to my brother, Joe. My second call was to Tom Law. Great writers, great friends.”


Clancy from Middleburg, Virginia, is the co-editor and publisher of The Saratoga Special along with his brother, Joe, which they co-founded in 2001. He is also a member of NTWAB.


In covering his 23rd Travers, Clancy enveloped the drama of one of the most anticipated editions of the Mid-Summer Derby, headed by Thorpedo Anna trying to become the first filly to win the Travers since 1915, facing top colts in Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch, Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone and the 2023 Juvenile Champion Fierceness.


“Every once in a while, a race lives up to its hype. Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna made sure the 2024 Travers did that,” said Clancy. “Thanks to Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, Kenny McPeek and Brian Hernandez for sharing their experiences with us. They spoke for two tough horses who brought their best to the 2024 Travers. Thoroughbred racing at its zenith.”


Or as Clancy succinctly wrote: Fierceness won the race. Thorpedo Anna made the race.


The winning entry can be viewed here.


Honorable mention in the News/Enterprise category went to: Bryce Miller for “In a racing first, Del Mar is feeding backstretch workers. It’s about community – and connection,” which appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune on Sept. 12, 2024.


Judges in the News/Enterprise category were Reid Cherner former sports, racing writer and columnist for USA Today; Dan Leibman, former editor of The BloodHorse and The State-Journal in Frankfort, Ky.; and Rob Longley, sports writer and columnist for the Toronto Sun.



Photography – Scott Serio


For Scott Serio, Founder and Chief Photographer of Eclipse Sportswire, winning his second Eclipse Award for Photography for “Night Rider – Skippylongstocking Wins The Charles Town Classic,” was as harrowing as it was rewarding.


While preparing to place his remote cameras on the inside rail near the finish line in the late afternoon for the Aug. 23 Charles Town Classic (G2) at Hollywood Casino Charles Town Races in West Virginia Serio bumped into the cushion on the rail and unleashed a swarm of bees, which stung him five times in the left arm. “I’m on the ground in pain and the National Anthem starts, with two of my friends standing over me,” recalled the Cecil County, Maryland resident.


Rushed in an ambulance to local Jefferson Medical Center, Serio received an injection in his right arm. Undaunted, he felt well enough to take an Uber ride back to the track. With his left arm immobile, Serio operated his remote camera, a Sony A9 with an adapter using a Nikon 16mm Fisheye Lens, to capture Daniel Alonso’s 5-year-old Skippylongstocking just after crossing the wire to win the Charles Town Classic.


Serio’s image, which appeared in the October 2024 issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, captured Skipplylongstocking illuminated under the track lights with all four feet off the ground under jockey Jose Ortiz. The background is formed by a line of fans in darkness stationed along the outside rail gazing at the winner.


Serio, who first went to Charles Town in 1982, has long felt a romantic attraction to night racing at the small track. “It has a unique lighting setup at the finish line that creates an almost studio-quality effect, close to cinematic, when a horse runs in the right spot a few feet past the finish line.” He also called it a “ labor of love to show great racing can be as dramatic at a place like Charles Town as it is at cathedrals of racing like Saratoga, Churchill and Santa Anita.”


Serio also paid tribute to historic Maryland photographers of his youth, like (Eclipse Award winner) Skip Ball and Cappy Jackson in Maryland Horse Magazine. “It is incredibly rewarding to earn this award for an image published in that original publication’s current iteration, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred,” said Serio. “Looking back to the incomparable Mike Marten ( the late two-time Eclipse Award winner) teaching me how to do remotes back in 1988 at the Preakness, winning this award with an under-the-rail shot brings my journey in racing photography full circle.”


Serio won his first Eclipse for a morning workout image at Keeneland Race Course prior to the 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which appeared in the Cecil Guardian. This is the sixth Eclipse trophy won by an Eclipse Sportswire photographer since 2011.


The winning photo can be viewed here.


Honorable mention in the Photography category went to three-time Eclipse Award winner Michael Clevenger for his photo-finish image of the Kentucky Derby, which appeared first on the Louisville Courier Journal website on May 4, 2024.


Judges in the category were: Mark Abraham, freelance photographer and currently deputy director of the United States Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery; Rob Carr, Getty Images/Chief Photographer, Sport; and Mike Kane, veteran Thoroughbred writer and photographer.



Multimedia – Sue Finley


Sue Finley produced a multimedia piece titled “Saving Two Horses from a Kill Pen, Stewart Aims to do More to End Slaughter,” an interview combining video and text with quickly emerging owner/breeder John Stewart. The entry, posted last July, explored the issue of saving horses from kill pens and furthering industry efforts to prevent horse slaughter. The video portion of the piece was edited by Anthony and Alia LaRocca at BridleVision.


Last spring, Finley, Publisher and CEO of Thoroughbred Daily News, noticed a social media feed posted by Stewart about his purchase of racehorses My Lil’ Dude and Drive For Fun from a kill pen in Louisiana, and was going to bring them to Resolute Farm to live out their lives. Stewart believed that these horses could serve as a catalyst for the industry to start talking about the slaughter problem, including placing the main responsibility on the breeder and the original owner of the horse.


“This is an issue I have been passionate about for a long time,” said Finley, who served for 12 years on the board of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “The slaughter issue is one that troubles me deeply. I thought this story could help the industry to have a much-needed conversation about slaughter.”

Finley reports that more than 20,000 American horses every year are still transported for slaughter, “an unknowable number of them Thoroughbred racehorses, who are slaughtered for human consumption in foreign countries.”


She called Stewart after seeing his post, and while the horses weren’t at the farm yet, she was welcome to come out and interview him when they arrived. She interviewed Stewart during the Fasig-Tipton July sale, and while there they learned that he had not only saved these two, but that he had also rescued a Saddlebred and a mini who had also been saved from a kill pen. All the rescues were together in a beautiful barn with a staff dedicated to nursing them back to health. “It was very inspiring,” she added.


“I would like to thank our talented producers, Anthony and Alia LaRocca at BridleVision, for their beautiful work on this piece, and Katie Petrunyak, who served as a second camera on the story. But really, this award belongs to John Stewart for not only rescuing these two horses, but for provoking a conversation in the industry about the need to solve the very real problem that we have with slaughter.”


Finley, who has been with TDN since 1993, resides in Fair Haven, New Jersey.


The winning entry can be accessed here.


Honorable mention in the Multimedia category went to Katie Petrunyak, for “Jeramie Fennell Finds Redemption on Horseback,” which was published on October 18, 2024, in Thoroughbred Daily News.


Judges in the Multimedia category were Mike Brunker, former racing writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal; John Engelhardt, 35 years as a producer in TV/radio/podcasts, and current host of The Regular Guy on winningponies.com; and Joe Withee, Director of Broadcast Publicity, Emerald Downs.


--NTRA release


January 5, 2025
The 2024 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, in alphabetical order.
By Natalie Voss January 2, 2025
The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters are pleased to announce the organization will support a record five internships at various horse racing media outlets in 2025.
December 18, 2024
Tim Layden, a member of National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, and former NTWAB members Ed Schuyler, Jr. and the late Edwin Pope have been selected to the National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor.
November 22, 2024
Outlets are encouraged to apply by Dec. 16.
November 8, 2024
Lexington, KY, November 8, 2024: The Eclipse Awards for Media are presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. Rules governing the Media Eclipse Awards are established by representatives of the three presenting organizations. MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARD CATEGORIES Writing - News/Enterprise Writing - Feature/Commentary Photography Television - Live Racing Programming Television - Features Audio/Multimedia Internet DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS Entries must be RECEIVED by 5:00 p.m. (ET), Friday, November 15, 2024. Entries received after that time will not be accepted. Entries for the Writing, Photography, and Audio/Multimedia Internet, and Television awards will be accepted through the Eclipse Awards Submissions Portal. Instructions are in the link below: https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ ENTRY FEE None RULES Entries should display outstanding achievement in the coverage of North American Thoroughbred racing and must have been primarily published or aired for the first time between November 20, 2023, and November 14, 2024. All submissions are limited only to works pertaining to the Thoroughbred breed , and no other equine breed. Submissions on subjects, topics, and individuals that took place exclusively outside of North America will not be accepted. Print and Internet submissions (news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, and photography) must have been published in a paid-circulation, independent publication OR on the Internet at a website that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation, independent publication, recognized broadcast news organization (e.g., The BloodHorse Interactive, the Boston Globe Online, MSNBC) or on an independent, non-industry supported website. Internet submissions that originate from blogs or social media platforms are not eligible for the competition, unless previously authorized. Television entries must have aired on a commercial, subscription or public television station. Audio/Multimedia entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been broadcast on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization. Fiction or entries that constitute a commercial application (e.g., advertisements, publicity or promotions) are not eligible in any category. Submissions from recognized Thoroughbred industry outlets will be accepted as long as those submissions appear in a recognized paid circulation publication, website, television, or multimedia outlet. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. Submissions by industry outlets are subject to review by the Eclipse Award Steering Committee prior to official entry into the competition in all categories. LETTERS OF ENTRY Entries must originate with the author (print submissions) or producer (audio/multi-media Internet and television submissions). All entries must include a cover letter, and uploaded in the Submissions Portal from the author (for print submissions), photographer (for photography submissions), or producer (for audio/multimedia Internet and television), stating his/her wish to enter his/her materials; publication/broadcast information (outlined below); and contact information (name, address, telephone, fax, cell phone and e-mail, as applicable). Please indicate the category of each submission in your cover letter. If you are submitting in two distinct categories please include two separate cover letters. The cover letter in the two writing categories, photography and audio/multimedia must be written in a stand-alone Word Document and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. Please include the date that the media organization published the article, in the cases of the writing and photography awards, or the air date of a multi-media/internet submission. DO NOT include information in your cover letter extolling the virtues of your story and the “impact” on the public at large, or the time and effort devoted to writing or producing the entry. The judges will not see your letter, and it will have no bearing on the outcome of the competition. Editors may submit print materials on behalf of authors, provided such submissions include the cover letter described above. All other third-party submissions will be rejected. In the writing categories, submissions by editors on behalf of multiple writers from a publication on a feature subject, special section, or a compendium of stories on breaking news will be rejected. Authors and producers must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. The presenting organizations reserve the right to determine the eligibility of all entries and to disqualify an entry at any time, including after the determination of an award, at its sole discretion. The presenting organizations reserve the right not to bestow an award in a particular category, based on the quantity or (as determined by a panel of judges) the quality of submissions. Questions concerning eligibility should be directed to the address for entries, listed below. By submitting an entry for consideration, the entrant represents and warrants that submission is a factual and accurate depiction of the subject it concerns. LIMITS ON ENTRIES Two per entrant, per category (with an exception for a multi-part series in the writing categories). Entrants in the writing categories are limited to submissions by the individual author, or by the author’s editor, with permission from the author. Upon submission, you will receive an automatic reply from NTRA to notify you that your entry or entries have been received. The NTRA will contact you directly if there are any rules or issues with your submission. It is the obligation of the individual to follow up if he or she did not receive an automatic reply in the writing, multi-media, and photography categories. MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARDS CATEGORIES 1) News/Enterprise and Feature/Commentary Writing There are two categories of competition for Writing awards: 1) News/Enterprise – Submission guidelines for works in this category are the following: timely, hard news articles and expository pieces involving concentrated background research, investigative reporting, or news analysis. 2) Feature/Commentary – Submission guidelines for works in this category are columns, opinion pieces, essays, viewpoints, and biographical profiles. Submissions from industry outlets that are published by a recognized publication will be eligible for the competition in an unedited version in either category. However, standard press releases will not be accepted. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. Please note that competition in the Writing categories is limited to three (3) authors in the byline for single articles or for articles submitted as a multi-part series. -No Q&A submissions will be accepted in either category. Multi-Part Series Rules Within each category of writing, authors may submit a multi-part series of related articles that: A) Have been pre-arranged by the editors and stated in the published work that the articles constitute a specified series; with the same subject matter (e.g., racing surfaces, medication) examined or profiled in each article of the series. Articles submitted under the title “occasional series” will not be accepted. Collections of articles under the title “The Year in Horse Racing” will not be accepted. B) Authors submitting a multi-part series may not submit an additional piece in the same category. They may, however, enter another category, subject to the rules outlined above. Submission in either the News/Enterprise or Feature/Commentary category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category. Books – Excerpts from published books, whether complete narratives or in anthology form, will not be accepted. Authors must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. I. COVER LETTER Please upload a cover letter in the Submissions Portal stating the name, date, and publication of your submission and the category you have selected. Please also send a web link of your article as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition. II. SUBMISSIONS TO THE JUDGES · Authors must submit ONE copy of each submission in common Microsoft Word format. No Zip files will be accepted. DO NOT PLACE A WEB LINK IN YOUR MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT TO THE JUDGES. · Submissions must appear as the article was worded in the PUBLISHED form. · At the top of your submission, you must include the date and time that the article was first published. · All Headlines, Sub-Headlines, Bylines, and Hyperlinks MUST BE REMOVED from the submission. · No publication names are permitted on the submission. · You MUST REMOVE THE NAME OF YOUR PUBLICATION EACH TIME IT APPEARS IN YOUR SUBMISSION, and insert the words “name of publication removed;” e.g. “According to a recent study by the Anywhere USA Times…” must be changed to “According to a recent study by (Name of Publication Removed)…” · Photos, graphs, charts, hyperlinks, or other graphic elements appearing within the article(s) must be deleted. · The author must indicate for which writing category the work is being submitted (e.g., “News Enterprise” or “Feature Commentary” in the cover letter). Submissions Portal Link https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ 2) Photography Photography entries are limited to images for events that took place in North America. Submission must have been published in a paid-circulation publication OR on the Internet at a website that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication, recognized broadcast news organization (e.g., The BloodHorse, the Boston Globe Online, MSNBC) or on an independent news outlet. Photographs from recognized industry outlets that have been published on paid-circulation publications or recognized broadcast news organizations will be accepted. Internet submissions that originate from blogs or social media platforms are not eligible for the competition, unless previously authorized. Submissions from recognized Thoroughbred industry outlets will be accepted as long as those submissions appear in a recognized paid circulation publication, website, television, or multimedia outlet . Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website will not be accepted. I. COVER LETTER Please upload a cover letter through the Submissions Portal in an attachment stating the name, date, and publication of your photography submission. Please also send a web link of your photograph as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition. NOTE: The cover letter is to be sent as a single stand/alone attachment and not an open document in the email part of the submission. II. SUBMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photographers must submit in jpeg format one image of each photo, with NO identifying marks (e.g., photographer’s name). The submission must be accompanied by a single “Web print” in the cover letter of the published photo showing date, publication title, and photographer’s name. Note: No Zip Files will be accepted. Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, creativity, composition, and magnitude of the moment. Please note that cropping of the original photo by the editor in the picture’s final published form will be accepted. However, photographs that include color enhancement, “Photoshopping” or deliberate alteration of the image will not be allowed in the competition. Submission Portal https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ 3) Television – Live Racing Programming and Features Television entries (features or live racing programming) from a recognized over-the-air, cable, or satellite outlet are to be submitted in via the weblink to the portal listed below. Your link must be accompanied by a letter detailing the name of the entrant, the date each program aired, and the name of the station or network on which it aired. Commercials must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. However, opening billboards returning from a commercial break will be accepted. An industry outlet may submit an entry as long as that submission has aired on a recognized television outlet. Submissions related to industry promotional projects or from breeding farms will not be accepted into the competition. There are two television award categories: 1. Live Racing Programming entries must be from a live racing program of Thoroughbred horse racing. Programs with the subject matter primarily devoted to morning workouts will not be included. 2. Feature entries may be submitted as either single, stand-alone pieces, a documentary, a historical piece, a news report, or as part of a live-racing program. Entries in the Features category are limited to 120 minutes. “Medley” tapes containing more than two features of any duration, will not be accepted. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT AS WEB LINKS and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ Please be sure your entry is not password protected and that your link will open directly to your submission. 4) Audio/Multimedia Internet Audio/Multimedia Internet entries is one category combining audio (radio, podcasts) with multi-media. It is not two separate categories. All entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization. Entries airing exclusively on YouTube will not be accepted. Submissions from industry outlets that are published by a recognized publication will be eligible for the competition in an unedited version in either category. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. All entries in this category must be limited to 60 minutes. Entries for live radio broadcasts may submit a compilation of the best work over the course of one program. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT AS WEB LINKS and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ The Audio/Multimedia Internet category may consist of audio only (e.g., a radio or Internet-based broadcast) OR a multi-media, Internet-based submission, whose components include audio. No more than two (2) individual radio or Internet-based audio broadcasts per person may be submitted. “Medley” tapes containing more than three radio shows or Webcasts of any duration, will not be accepted. The Multimedia Internet entries must have one integrated theme and be presented in a Webcast centering on a news event, subject, or feature. To be eligible, the Webcast must include at least two forms of media, one of which must be original audio. The complementary form(s) of media may be video, photographs, graphics, and/or print (e.g., a story or stories). Please note that if the entry includes video, the video must be produced as original content. The entry, in its entirety, must be retrievable from one Internet frame, with links to components of the package being considered part of the frame, provided they link back to pages within the originating Web site and not to other, external Websites. Entries that first appeared over the air or on cable television prior to appearing on the internet will not be accepted. Submission in the Multimedia Internet category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the News/Enterprise or Feature/Commentary categories. Multimedia Internet submissions must be accompanied by a letter from the editor or equivalent senior official of the website, attesting that the package is the work of the author(s) or organization that submitted it and that it appeared on the website on the date(s) in question. Authors/Producers must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. Audio/Multimedia Internet entries must be submitted as a single URL Web address. Commercial breaks for radio entries must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. However, an opening “billboard” with sponsor mentions will be permitted. Submissions of Webcasts and Radio Programs must be accompanied by: 1) A letter from the Web producer or equivalent senior official of the Website attesting that the work is that of the author who submitted it and including the date the program was Webcast and the name of the website on which it aired. 2) Program title and air date of the production or webcast. 3) The name of the network, radio station, or web outlet *** NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS Winners will be notified by the NTRA no later than Thursday, January 2, 2025. --Eclipse Awards release
By Dick Downey November 1, 2024
Photos by Skip Dickstein. Award Winners: Team Kenny McPeek, Backside Learning Center, Sean Clancy, Laffit Pincay III, Tom Law, John Cherwa
By Byron King October 25, 2024
My fellow National Turf Writers and Broadcasters – I’m excited to see many of you at our 64th annual NTWAB Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 30 and in the days to follow at our Oct. 31 general membership meeting at Del Mar or during the two-day event there on Nov. 1-2. We have a sell-out crowd of 150 attendees for our Wednesday dinner at The Brigantine as we honor Team Kenny McPeek, the Backside Learning Center, Sean Clancy and Laffit Pincay III. Thank you to our membership for your support, and those who have given their time into making this dinner a success. The awards dinner will be just down the street from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on the outside patio at The Brigantine Del Mar, 3263 Camino Del Mar. We’ll begin with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30, with awards presentations to follow. The Breeders’ Cup Writing Awards will also be presented during the evening. Business/cocktail attire. Valet parking is available at The Brigantine, but due to our capacity crowd, the restaurant suggests Uber or Lyft rides to best accommodate guests. For those not at Del Mar on Thursday, I hope you can join us for our membership meeting at 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET) via Zoom. Here is the link . The meeting will include an update on happenings for our organization over the past year and will provide an opportunity for us to review applicants to our organization. We’ll have a follow-up from the awards dinner and also address any other items of business. The board is committed to serving the needs of our membership, and we welcome your perspective for the closing months of 2024 and as we head into 2025. If you’d like specific issues to be added to the agenda, please let me or NTWAB Secretary Jennifer Kelly know. For those on-site, the meeting will take place in the auxiliary press box. A complete agenda will be sent next week. Here is a rundown of beneficial media resources available for Breeders’ Cup coverage: · The Oct. 23 Breeders’ Cup pre-entry teleconference: https://www.breederscup.com/notes · Pre-entry past performances: https://www.equibase.com/content/bc/2024preentries.cfm · Breeders’ Cup statistics: https://stats.breederscup.com/ · Breeders’ Cup media center: https://breederscup.com/media-center · Breeders’ Cup trainer bios: https://www.equibase.com/content/BC/probabletrainers.cfm · Breeders’ Cup owner bios: https://www.equibase.com/content/BC/probableowners.cfm · Breeders’ Cup jockey bios: https://www.equibase.com/content/BC/probablejockeys.cfm · Breeders’ Cup contender profiles: https://breederscup.com/horses/pre-entries/classic · Horsemen’s guide: https://members.breederscup.com/documents/championships/HIG.PDF · Breeders’ Cup saddle towels: https://www.breederscup.com/towels Kind regards, Byron King President, NTWAB Oct. 25, 2024
October 9, 2024
Lexington, KY, October 9, 2024: The Eclipse Awards for Media are presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. Rules governing the Media Eclipse Awards are established by representatives of the three presenting organizations. MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARD CATEGORIES Writing - News/Enterprise Writing - Feature/Commentary Photography Television - Live Racing Programming Television - Features Audio/Multimedia Internet DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS Entries must be RECEIVED by 5:00 p.m. (ET), Friday, November 15, 2024. Entries received after that time will not be accepted. Entries for the Writing, Photography, and Audio/Multimedia Internet, and Television awards will be accepted through the Eclipse Awards Submissions Portal. Instructions are in the link below: https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ ENTRY FEE None RULES Entries should display outstanding achievement in the coverage of North American Thoroughbred racing and must have been primarily published or aired for the first time between November 20, 2023, and November 14, 2024. All submissions are limited only to works pertaining to the Thoroughbred breed , and no other equine breed. Submissions on subjects, topics, and individuals that took place exclusively outside of North America will not be accepted. Print and Internet submissions (news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, and photography) must have been published in a paid-circulation, independent publication OR on the Internet at a website that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation, independent publication, recognized broadcast news organization (e.g., The BloodHorse Interactive, the Boston Globe Online, MSNBC) or on an independent, non-industry supported website. Internet submissions that originate from blogs or social media platforms are not eligible for the competition, unless previously authorized. Television entries must have aired on a commercial, subscription or public television station. Audio/Multimedia entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been broadcast on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization. Fiction or entries that constitute a commercial application (e.g., advertisements, publicity or promotions) are not eligible in any category. Submissions from recognized Thoroughbred industry outlets will be accepted as long as those submissions appear in a recognized paid circulation publication, website, television, or multimedia outlet. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. Submissions by industry outlets are subject to review by the Eclipse Award Steering Committee prior to official entry into the competition in all categories. LETTERS OF ENTRY Entries must originate with the author (print submissions) or producer (audio/multi-media Internet and television submissions). All entries must include a cover letter, and uploaded in the Submissions Portal from the author (for print submissions), photographer (for photography submissions), or producer (for audio/multimedia Internet and television), stating his/her wish to enter his/her materials; publication/broadcast information (outlined below); and contact information (name, address, telephone, fax, cell phone and e-mail, as applicable). Please indicate the category of each submission in your cover letter. If you are submitting in two distinct categories please include two separate cover letters. The cover letter in the two writing categories, photography and audio/multimedia must be written in a stand-alone Word Document and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. Please include the date that the media organization published the article, in the cases of the writing and photography awards, or the air date of a multi-media/internet submission. DO NOT include information in your cover letter extolling the virtues of your story and the “impact” on the public at large, or the time and effort devoted to writing or producing the entry. The judges will not see your letter, and it will have no bearing on the outcome of the competition. Editors may submit print materials on behalf of authors, provided such submissions include the cover letter described above. All other third-party submissions will be rejected. In the writing categories, submissions by editors on behalf of multiple writers from a publication on a feature subject, special section, or a compendium of stories on breaking news will be rejected. Authors and producers must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. The presenting organizations reserve the right to determine the eligibility of all entries and to disqualify an entry at any time, including after the determination of an award, at its sole discretion. The presenting organizations reserve the right not to bestow an award in a particular category, based on the quantity or (as determined by a panel of judges) the quality of submissions. Questions concerning eligibility should be directed to the address for entries, listed below. By submitting an entry for consideration, the entrant represents and warrants that submission is a factual and accurate depiction of the subject it concerns. LIMITS ON ENTRIES Two per entrant, per category (with an exception for a multi-part series in the writing categories). Entrants in the writing categories are limited to submissions by the individual author, or by the author’s editor, with permission from the author. Upon submission, you will receive an automatic reply from NTRA to notify you that your entry or entries have been received. The NTRA will contact you directly if there are any rules or issues with your submission. It is the obligation of the individual to follow up if he or she did not receive an automatic reply in the writing, multi-media, and photography categories. MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARDS CATEGORIES 1) News/Enterprise and Feature/Commentary Writing There are two categories of competition for Writing awards: 1) News/Enterprise – Submission guidelines for works in this category are the following: timely, hard news articles and expository pieces involving concentrated background research, investigative reporting, or news analysis. 2) Feature/Commentary – Submission guidelines for works in this category are columns, opinion pieces, essays, viewpoints, and biographical profiles. Submissions from industry outlets that are published by a recognized publication will be eligible for the competition in an unedited version in either category. However, standard press releases will not be accepted. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. Please note that competition in the Writing categories is limited to three (3) authors in the byline for single articles or for articles submitted as a multi-part series. -No Q&A submissions will be accepted in either category. Multi-Part Series Rules Within each category of writing, authors may submit a multi-part series of related articles that: A) Have been pre-arranged by the editors and stated in the published work that the articles constitute a specified series; with the same subject matter (e.g., racing surfaces, medication) examined or profiled in each article of the series. Articles submitted under the title “occasional series” will not be accepted. Collections of articles under the title “The Year in Horse Racing” will not be accepted. B) Authors submitting a multi-part series may not submit an additional piece in the same category. They may, however, enter another category, subject to the rules outlined above. Submission in either the News/Enterprise or Feature/Commentary category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category. Books – Excerpts from published books, whether complete narratives or in anthology form, will not be accepted. Authors must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. I. COVER LETTER Please upload a cover letter in the Submissions Portal stating the name, date, and publication of your submission and the category you have selected. Please also send a web link of your article as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition. II. SUBMISSIONS TO THE JUDGES · Authors must submit ONE copy of each submission in common Microsoft Word format. No Zip files will be accepted. DO NOT PLACE A WEB LINK IN YOUR MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT TO THE JUDGES. · Submissions must appear as the article was worded in the PUBLISHED form. · At the top of your submission, you must include the date and time that the article was first published. · All Headlines, Sub-Headlines, Bylines, and Hyperlinks MUST BE REMOVED from the submission. · No publication names are permitted on the submission. · You MUST REMOVE THE NAME OF YOUR PUBLICATION EACH TIME IT APPEARS IN YOUR SUBMISSION, and insert the words “name of publication removed;” e.g. “According to a recent study by the Anywhere USA Times…” must be changed to “According to a recent study by (Name of Publication Removed)…” · Photos, graphs, charts, hyperlinks, or other graphic elements appearing within the article(s) must be deleted. · The author must indicate for which writing category the work is being submitted (e.g., “News Enterprise” or “Feature Commentary” in the cover letter). Submissions Portal Link https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ 2) Photography Photography entries are limited to images for events that took place in North America. Submission must have been published in a paid-circulation publication OR on the Internet at a website that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication, recognized broadcast news organization (e.g., The BloodHorse, the Boston Globe Online, MSNBC) or on an independent news outlet. Photographs from recognized industry outlets that have been published on paid-circulation publications or recognized broadcast news organizations will be accepted. Internet submissions that originate from blogs or social media platforms are not eligible for the competition, unless previously authorized. Submissions from recognized Thoroughbred industry outlets will be accepted as long as those submissions appear in a recognized paid circulation publication, website, television, or multimedia outlet . Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website will not be accepted. I. COVER LETTER Please upload a cover letter through the Submissions Portal in an attachment stating the name, date, and publication of your photography submission. Please also send a web link of your photograph as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition. NOTE: The cover letter is to be sent as a single stand/alone attachment and not an open document in the email part of the submission. II. SUBMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photographers must submit in jpeg format one image of each photo, with NO identifying marks (e.g., photographer’s name). The submission must be accompanied by a single “Web print” in the cover letter of the published photo showing date, publication title, and photographer’s name. Note: No Zip Files will be accepted. Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, creativity, composition, and magnitude of the moment. Please note that cropping of the original photo by the editor in the picture’s final published form will be accepted. However, photographs that include color enhancement, “Photoshopping” or deliberate alteration of the image will not be allowed in the competition. Submission Portal https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ 3) Television -- Live Racing Programming and Features Television entries (features or live racing programming) from a recognized over-the-air, cable, or satellite outlet are to be submitted in via the weblink to the portal listed below. Your link must be accompanied by a letter detailing the name of the entrant, the date each program aired, and the name of the station or network on which it aired. Commercials must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. However, opening billboards returning from a commercial break will be accepted. An industry outlet may submit an entry as long as that submission has aired on a recognized television outlet. Submissions related to industry promotional projects or from breeding farms will not be accepted into the competition. There are two television award categories: 1. Live Racing Programming entries must be from a live racing program of Thoroughbred horse racing. Programs with the subject matter primarily devoted to morning workouts will not be included. 2. Feature entries may be submitted as either single, stand-alone pieces, a documentary, a historical piece, a news report, or as part of a live-racing program. Entries in the Features category are limited to 120 minutes. “Medley” tapes containing more than two features of any duration, will not be accepted. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT AS WEB LINKS and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ Please be sure your entry is not password protected and that your link will open directly to your submission. 4) Audio/Multimedia Internet Audio/Multimedia Internet entries is one category combining audio (radio, podcasts) with multi-media. It is not two separate categories. All entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization. Entries airing exclusively on YouTube will not be accepted. Submissions from industry outlets that are published by a recognized publication will be eligible for the competition in an unedited version in either category. Submissions that appear solely on the industry outlet's website or video platform will not be accepted. All entries in this category must be limited to 60 minutes. Entries for live radio broadcasts may submit a compilation of the best work over the course of one program. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT AS WEB LINKS and uploaded to the Submissions Portal. https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-award-media-submission-portal/ The Audio/Multimedia Internet category may consist of audio only (e.g., a radio or Internet-based broadcast) OR a multi-media, Internet-based submission, whose components include audio. No more than two (2) individual radio or Internet-based audio broadcasts per person may be submitted. “Medley” tapes containing more than three radio shows or Webcasts of any duration, will not be accepted. The Multimedia Internet entries must have one integrated theme and be presented in a Webcast centering on a news event, subject, or feature. To be eligible, the Webcast must include at least two forms of media, one of which must be original audio. The complementary form(s) of media may be video, photographs, graphics, and/or print (e.g., a story or stories). Please note that if the entry includes video, the video must be produced as original content. The entry, in its entirety, must be retrievable from one Internet frame, with links to components of the package being considered part of the frame, provided they link back to pages within the originating Web site and not to other, external Websites. Entries that first appeared over the air or on cable television prior to appearing on the internet will not be accepted. Submission in the Multimedia Internet category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the News/Enterprise or Feature/Commentary categories. Multimedia Internet submissions must be accompanied by a letter from the editor or equivalent senior official of the website, attesting that the package is the work of the author(s) or organization that submitted it and that it appeared on the website on the date(s) in question. Authors/Producers must identify in their cover letters any sections of their submissions that have been previously published in their current form i.e., tracts of copy taken verbatim from articles or videos containing the exact same language or narration, which is being repurposed for the current entry. This information will be relayed to the judges. Audio/Multimedia Internet entries must be submitted as a single URL Web address. Commercial breaks for radio entries must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. However, an opening “billboard” with sponsor mentions will be permitted. Submissions of Webcasts and Radio Programs must be accompanied by: 1) A letter from the Web producer or equivalent senior official of the Website attesting that the work is that of the author who submitted it and including the date the program was Webcast and the name of the website on which it aired. 2) Program title and air date of the production or webcast. 3) The name of the network, radio station, or web outlet NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS Winners will be notified by the NTRA no later than Thursday, January 2, 2025. --NTRA release
By Byron King August 27, 2024
LOUISVILLE, KY (Aug. 27, 2024) Team Kenny McPeek – the many people involved in the unforgettable year for the trainer’s stable – will be honored along with the Backside Learning Center, turf writer Sean Clancy and broadcaster Laffit Pincay III during the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters’ 64th Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 30 in Del Mar, Calif. The NTWAB Annual Awards Dinner is the organization’s only fundraiser, and a portion of the proceeds of the event will fund Thoroughbred industry charities and internships for prospective racing journalists. The 2024 NTWAB Awards Dinner will be held at The Brigantine Del Mar, located just a mile away from Del Mar Racetrack, which will host the Breeders’ Cup Nov. 1-2. In honoring Team Kenny McPeek with the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing, the NTWAB recognizes the trainer and his staff, exercise rider Danny Ramsey, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., and the horses’ owners – whose collective efforts and promotion of the sport have created fans and cultivated excitement in horse racing. McPeek this year became just the third trainer in history to pull off what is known as the Oaks-Derby Double when Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. With Mystik Dan a follow-up second in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Thorpedo Anna capturing the Acorn Stakes (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga before running second against males in the Travers Stakes (G1), fans and media were the beneficiaries of engagement from Team Kenny McPeek. The Backside Learning Center, an independent non-profit organization, provides support and resources for the community of racetrack workers and their families at Churchill Downs and surrounding tracks and training facilities, making the BLC a fitting recipient of the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing. The BLC offers access to education and programs for youth and adults that support health and well-being; holistic support through comprehensive case management and human services; and a support system for family empowerment while emphasizing culture and community engagement. Clancy is the recipient of the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in turf writing. A champion steeplechase jockey who embarked on a journalism career after his riding days, Clancy, with his brother Joe, started Steeplechase Times in 1994 and The Saratoga Special in 2001. He is a two-time Eclipse Award winner. He won his first in 2009 in the News/Commentary category for “Life’s Work” in The Blood-Horse about the estate sale of the late Hall of Fame trainer Sidney Watters Jr. Last year, he was honored for his story “The Worst Test” about the fatal breakdown of Maple Leaf Mel in the Test Stakes (G1) that appeared in The Saratoga Special. Pincay, the son of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of the sport, is the recipient of the Jim McKay Award for broadcast excellence. Part of the HRTV team from 2002-15, he joined ESPN’s telecast of the 2007 Breeders’ Cup and later became a key part of coverage of the American Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup on NBC. Since 2019, he has worked as a host for the FOX/NYRA broadcasts seen daily during all of New York’s meetings, including Belmont and Saratoga, as well as coverage of Oaklawn Park’s biggest events like the Arkansas Derby (G1). Tickets for the NTWAB Awards Dinner can be purchased at the NTWAB website here . Tickets are $85 for NTWAB members and Breeders’ Cup credentialed media and $115 for non-members and guests. The NTWAB also offers tables of eight and 10 at a discount. Invitations will be mailed to NTWAB members, and non-members can request an invitation by contacting Jennifer Kelly at thesirbarton@gmail.com. The winners of two Breeders’ Cup writing awards will also be announced by Breeders’ Cup at the dinner. En Espanol .
August 24, 2024
The Breeders’ Cup Writing Awards honor excellence in coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. There are two awards that will celebrate outstanding writing: -The Joe Hirsch Award for Outstanding News Reporting -The Bill Leggett Award for Outstanding Feature Writing These awards are based on coverage of the 2023 (last year’s) Breeders’ Cup World Championships. To enter the competition for these awards, contestants may submit a maximum of one submission per category: a choice from 2023 in Outstanding News Reporting, and a choice from 2023 for Outstanding Feature Writing. Please note that two submissions in one category from the same year will not be accepted. Deadline for Entry is Friday, September 27, 2024 1. Joe Hirsch Award for Outstanding News Reporting This competition is open to those affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, or internet site. The submissions for the Joe Hirsch Award for Outstanding News Reporting are limited to a maximum of one submission. The submission must be a focused recap article of a 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships race. Your submitted article can be from a Breeders’ Cup race that took place on Friday, Nov. 3, or from a Breeders Cup race that took place on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Please include a timestamp web link to your article. (It is understood that an article submitted under deadline circumstances may not have been posted by editors in a timely manner.) 2. Bill Leggett Award for Outstanding Feature Writing The competition is open to those affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, or internet site. The submissions for the Bill Leggett Award for Outstanding Feature Writing are limited to a maximum of one article. Your submission must be focused on a feature aspect of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup: an advance story on a race, an individual profile, a column, or a business article. Please also include the publication date of your article. The winners of these awards will be announced at the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at The Brigantine Del Mar. Submission instructions are as follows: Two steps: 1) Cover Letter and 2) Clean Documents for Judging 1. Write an email cover letter to jim@breederscup.com a) Indicate the category for competition (News Reporting or Feature) b) Name of publication c) Headline of article d) Include a web link to the article in your cover letter. The link is not for judging purposes, just proof of published work. We need a clean Word document for judging. 2. Attach your Clean Documents of your submissions in Microsoft Word document or a similar format. Please do not submit an open document in an email. For a News Reporting submission, please place a timestamp at the top of the article. For Feature Reporting submissions, please place the date of publication. However, do not place your byline or the name of your publication in any of your clean documents that will be judged. Submission deadline is Friday, September 27, 2024. Thanks very much and Good Luck to all competitors. --Breeders' Cup release with limited added content
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