President Tom Law recaps NTWAB's 2020 Breeders' Cup meeting, including discussion of members' pool reporting efforts, announcement of new members, a gift to a worthy cause, Eclipse Award voting, next year's annual awards dinner and membership review.

Good day, and belated Happy Thanksgiving wishes to you all.

Thanks to those who turned out, technical difficulties and all, for the NTWAB meeting Wednesday, Nov. 4, prior to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

The meeting was our organization’s second via conference call in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, following the traditional Derby Week meeting held this year in September. We tackled a number of agenda items during the meeting, including discussion of the pool reporting process and access for the NTWAB teams at the Derby, Preakness and Breeders’ Cup, the 2020 and 2021 Annual Awards/Dinner and start of the next membership review. Please see the minutes from the meeting, shown below, for more details.

Please welcome new members (in alphabetical order) Nathan Campbell (Gaming USA/horseracing.net – Associate), Paul Halloran (ST Publishing/The Saratoga Special – Regular Writer), Mark Midland (Horse Racing Nation – Associate), Ken Rudolph (TVG – Regular Broadcaster), Brad Stephens (Horse Racing Nation – Regular Writer) and Milt Toby (BloodHorse – Associate) into the NTWAB.

We also announced during Breeders' Cup week that even though we decided to cancel the 2020 Annual Awards Dinner, the NTWAB would continue tradition and make a significant one-time donation to an industry affiliated or related organization/cause. The NTWAB donated $5,000 to the Lexington, Ky.-based Legacy Equine Academy, Inc. A press release announcing the donation went out the Wednesday prior to the Breeders' Cup.

The Eclipse Awards voting process will begin soon. NTWAB Secretary Jessie Oswald will provide the NTRA with our updated membership roster this week. All Regular members in good standing (dues paid for 2020) will receive an Eclipse Award ballot. If you haven’t paid your dues yet you should have received multiple notifications by now. Please make sure your dues are paid; otherwise you risk being dropped from the roster and will need to re-apply for membership.

Part of the Eclipse Awards process also involves my and Greg Hall’s participation on the Eclipse Awards Steering Committee, which does a number of things including suggestions, nominations and selections of Special Eclipse Award and Eclipse Award of Merit winners.

While there is no hard-fast rule regarding those two honors, the Special Award typically goes to an organization for achievements or noteworthy accomplishments in a given year, or short period of time, while the Eclipse Award of Merit is often a career achievement/longtime excellence acknowledgement. Please bear in mind these awards are for the greater North American racing industry.

The NTWAB board is in the midst of the suggestion and discussion phase for the Special/Merit Awards, and I’d like to hear from you if there are any individuals and/or organizations you feel deserve consideration. Please send along any suggestions, along with some reasons why, to tom@thisishorseracing.com.

The Special Award hasn’t been presented since 2014 with recipient Old Friends Farm, which followed 2013 recipient Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Longtime Del Mar executive Joe Harper received the 2018 Eclipse Award of Merit following other recent winners Andy Beyer and Steven Crist (2016), Leonard Lavin (2015) and Tom Durkin (2014).

The NTRA has a complete list of past Eclipse Award winners here.

Thanks in advance and best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season.

Tom Law
NTWAB President
November 30, 2020

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NTWAB Meeting Minutes
Breeders’ Cup Week 2020
Wednesday, Nov. 4 – 12:00 p.m. ET
Conducted by conference call

Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 12:15 p.m.

Roll call of members present, including officers: In attendance: Tom Law, Greg Hall, Jessie Oswald, Dick Downey, Richard Gross, Paul Rolfes, Ed McNamarra, Caton Bredar, Bob Ehalt, Beth Harris, Alex Orr, Mike Farrell, Marty McGee, Jay Privman, Alicia Hughes, Jennie Rees, Jay Hovdey, Ron Flatter, Tim Wilkin, Julie June Stewart, Byron King, Loren Hebel-Osborne, Natalie Voss, Nicole Russo.

Update on Breeders’ Cup pool reporting, media access, etc.: Tom Law provided an update on the Breeders’ Cup Media Pool reporting - Content is uploaded in DropBox daily and includes audio, video and written notes. Access link to daily DropBox folder was emailed to NTWAB members and other members of the media by Secretary. Pool reporters are Tim Wilkin, Jennie Rees, Alicia Hughes, Nicole Russo and Frank Angst. Would like to send pool reporters thank you gift from NTWAB.

New Member Applications: review and discussion of new member applications advanced by board to full membership vote, see chart below. Discussion of full versus associate membership to be granted to Mark Midland with majority of members in attendance voting to offer him Associate membership.

2020 Annual Awards: Given that we will not make any charitable donations at our Annual Awards Dinner in honor of recipients, NTWAB board suggested at Derby meeting a significant one-time donation to industry affiliated or related organization/cause. Press release went out 11/4 announcing $5,000 donation to the Lexington, Ky.-based Legacy Equine Academy Inc.

NTWAB Annual Dinner: Plan for 2021 in Del Mar underway by Loren Hebel-Osborne with intent to hold dinner at the Brigantine.

Membership Review: Tom Law will recruit volunteers to help with membership review in lieu of bylaw changes – membership review. Tom is working on it and hopes to have it done by end of year, prior to Eclipse voting.

Other Business: None

Adjournment at 1:02 p.m.

New Members, Sponsors, Letters Received, Affiliation, Contact Info, Status
Mark Midland   Ron Flatter/Tom Pedulla   Flatter/Pedulla   Horse Racing Nation   Associate Writer
Brad Stephens   Ron Flatter/Tom Pedulla   Flatter/Pedulla   Horse Racing Nation   Full Writer
Nathan Campbell   Natalie Voss/Donna Brothers   Voss/Brothers   Gaming USA (horseracing.net/us)   Associate Writer
Paul Halloran   Tom Law/Joe Clancy   Law/Clancy   ST Publishing, Saratoga Special  Full Writer
Milton Toby   Frank Angst/Natalie Voss   Angst/Voss   BloodHorse   Associate Writer
Ken Rudolph   Jay Hovdey/Caton Bredar   Hovdey/Bredar   TVG   Full Broadcaster