Lexington, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2025) – The Nationwide Thoroughbred Racing Affiliation, Each day Racing Kind, and the Nationwide Turf Writers and Broadcasters at the moment introduced the winners of the 2024 Media Eclipse Awards in six classes.
The 2024 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows:
Dwell Tv Programming – NBC Sports activities, “The 150th Kentucky Derby” – Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer, Might 4, 2024
Characteristic Tv Programming – NBC Sports activities, “The Unimaginable Dream,” – Rachel Goodman, Producer, Might 4, 2024
Writing – Characteristic/Commentary – Chris McGrath, Thoroughbred Each day Information – “Lunching with Legends at Lil’s,” March 26, 2024
Writing – Information/Enterprise – Sean Clancy, The Saratoga Particular – “Two for the Present,” Aug. 28, 2024
Images – Scott Serio, “Night time Rider – Skippylongstocking wins the Charles City Basic,” Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, Oct. 2024
Multimedia – Sue Finley, Thoroughbred Each day Information, “After Saving Two Horses from a Kill Pen, Stewart Goals to do Extra to Finish Slaughter,” July 15, 2024
Media Eclipse Award winners shall be offered their trophies on the 54th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards Ceremony and Dinner at The Breakers Palm Seashore in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Dwell Tv Programming – NBC Sports activities
NBC Sports activities has received its fifth consecutive Dwell Racing Programming Eclipse Award for its protection of the 150th Kentucky Derby offered by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Might 4, 2024. Final 12 months’s particular anniversary protection of America’s most well-known horse race rose to an unforgettable crescendo with the three-horse photograph end of race winner Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Without end Younger.
NBC deployed a wide-range of manufacturing enhancements to seize the spectacle of the famed run for the roses together with a brand new set location overlooking the newly constructed paddock at Churchill Downs, which featured SkyCam protection from the paddock; a “Phantom Digicam,” offering tremendous slo-mo replays and reactions; a dwell drone and two dwell jockey cam methods utilized amongst 54 complete cameras; two Nucleus cameras – one on every end line – that supplied followers with a singular tremendous slo-mo take a look at any photograph finishes; a digital camera centered on race caller Larry Collmus; and a Bat Digicam – which is able to flew alongside the horses as they raced down the backstretch.
“NBC Sports activities is thrilled to simply accept the Eclipse Award for Dwell Tv Programming for our protection of the 150th Kentucky Derby,” mentioned Senior Producer of the Kentucky Derby protection, Lindsay Schanzer. “It’s not typically in tv (or something!) that you may say you have been part of the one hundred and fiftieth version of one thing, however we have been privileged to play broadcast host to the unimaginable milestone occasion placed on by Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in Might. Whereas we attempt yearly to seize the spectacle and long-standing traditions that make up the run for the roses, this 12 months we had a particular alternative to showcase these components and the way they’ve withstood the take a look at of time for a century and a half. And on prime of the unimaginable historic significance of the day, we have been handled to one of many nice finishes within the historical past of the race. I’m so pleased with our workforce and the way we coated the three-way photograph end that was in the end awarded to Mystik Dan, and may solely hope we’ll be blessed with as thrilling a end 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 affiliate producer, Jeff Burriesci was affiliate director, Jack Felling was coordinating function producer, and Ron Vacarro, VP of Editorial. Sam Flood is Govt Producer and President, NBC Sports activities Manufacturing.
The commentators have been: 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; options host Rebecca Lowe; insights analyst Steve Kornacki; trend and life-style correspondents Dylan Dreyer and Zanna Roberts Rassi, and Tim Layden, who wrote and narrated an essay on his perspective of the 150th Derby.
Honorable point out within the Dwell Tv Programming class went to FOX Sports activities for the 156th Belmont Stakes, which aired on June 8, 2024, and was produced by Invoice Richards.
Judges within the Dwell Tv Programming have been Kristine Kugler, Horse Racing Producer, ESPN. Dave Johnson, observe announcer, tv analyst, and race caller for ABC Sports activities, 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 activities.
Tv Options – NBC Sports activities
NBC Sports activities has received the Tv – Options class for “The Unimaginable Dream,” a profile on the inconceivable and brave lifetime of Larry Demeritte, coach of West Saratoga, who he saddled within the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The function, which aired on NBC on Might 4, 2024, was produced by Rachel Goodman.
Demeritte was recognized with A number of Myeloma Blood Most cancers seven years in the past, starting his third bout with the illness since 1996. On chemotherapy every month, at 74, final 12 months Demeritte turned the second Black coach since 1951 to be saddling a horse within the Kentucky Derby. He was getting ready Larry Veruchi’s West Saratoga, a 3-year-old son of Exaggerator, who had received the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, and completed second within the Jeff Ruby Steaks in his ultimate Derby prep. Raised in Nassau within the Bahamas, the place he turned a profitable coach in a racing household, Demeritte watched the Derby on tv yearly, and was impressed in1976 to return to the U.S., and prepare horses in Kentucky, and a few day dreamed of saddling a horse of his personal within the run for the roses.
Narrated by Mike Tirico, Demeritte relates his story to NBC within the quiet of the Churchill Downs backstretch. “Typically I get up with aches in my bones,” Demeritte admitted, “however why lay in mattress and really feel sorry for your self when you may see a horse gallop across the observe. You don’t get a rush from wherever else.” The function included footage and photographs of Demeritte’s days within the Bahamas, and an interview with proprietor Veruchi, who instructed Demeritte to purchase him a Derby horse for beneath $20,000. He purchased West Saratoga for $11,000. “I purchase Champagne horses with a beer price range,” Demeritte revealed with a large grin. (West Saratoga completed 12th in final 12 months’s Derby.)
“Larry Demeritte’s unshakeable joyful spirit has stayed with me for the reason that day I met him,” mentioned Goodman. “To see the way in which persons are drawn to him and the unimaginable group he has nurtured in his barn is to witness the perfect in horse racing. Regardless of being dealt a few of life’s most tough challenges, his ardour, perseverance, and religion by no means wavered and to see him obtain his lifelong dream of competing within the Kentucky Derby was a second that I’ll cherish ceaselessly. All of us at NBC Sports activities really feel extremely lucky to have had the chance to share that story.”
Along with Goodman, the Coordinating Producer of “The Unimaginable Dream” was Jack Felling; Editor, Kevin Carcich; Cinema Photographer, Taylor Morrison; and Discipline Producer, Max Rahamin. Sam Flood was Govt Producer and Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer.
The successful entry may be considered right here.
Judges within the Tv Options class have been Liz Bronstein, tv showrunner and govt producer, and creator of the Animal Planet 2008-09 sequence “Jockeys”; Jeannine Edwards, a number of award-winning reporter, and analyst for ESPN from 1995-2018; and Chris Svendsen, CBS Sports activities producer and director.
Characteristic/Commentary Writing – Chris McGrath
Chris McGrath, from Oxford, England, has developed an excellent ardour for American racing and for its outstanding personalities. Final 12 months, he introduced it residence 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 final March in Thoroughbred Each day Information, is the primary Eclipse Award for McGrath.
Having made a number of journeys to the U.S. through the years, McGrath visited Hancock at Stone Farm, and obtained right into a dialog about weekly luncheons at Lil’s Espresso Home in Paris, Kentucky with Ellis, a pioneering racing radio broadcaster and the renown Copelan, a pacesetter and innovator within the veterinary group for greater than 65 years. Hancock and McGrath got here to the luncheon one afternoon. Complete ages among the many three racing males on the time of publication of the luncheon was 189, with Copelan the chief at 97.
Whereas letting the trio on the desk do the speaking, McGrath pulls the reader right into a stable gold historical past of racing tales going again greater than 100 years, with the trio swapping tales on connections to Man o’ Conflict, Nasrullah, Quotation, Forli, and Sunday Silence, to call a number of racing icons. Amongst them was younger Copelan telling the time one late afternoon at Darby Dan Farm when he rode a pony inside a paddock and spooked two yearlings to leap the fence, and the horses winding up in Massive Darby Creek; after which having to fish them each out with the usage of flashlights. Or Ellis relaying a story on Man o’ Conflict’s early days when a clocker sought his groom one morning at Saratoga.
“What’s the identify of that large crimson colt?”
“Man o’ Conflict.”
“Who’s he by?”
“By himself, principally.”
Hancock and Copelan went backwards and forwards 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 remainder of the fellows at TDN for offering such an excellent platform to share these fantastic experiences,” mentioned McGrath. “I’ve been on their workforce since 2018 and, whereas my desk stays nearer to Newmarket, my coronary heart has in the meantime been received by the horses of America and the individuals who elevate and race them.”
Born in Cambridge, McGrath wrote for outstanding English mainstream day by day newspapers, together with The Instances, The Unbiased, Sporting Life, and the Racing Submit. He’s most pleased with a social historical past of the Thoroughbred, Mr. Darley’s Arabian, shortlisted for William Hill Sports activities Guide of the Yr in 2016.
The successful entry may be learn right here.
Honorable Point out within the Characteristic/Commentary class went to: Three-time Media Eclipse Award winner Natalie Voss for “‘By no means Felt So Calm’: After Divine Intervention, Trevor McCarthy Taking Break From The Saddle,” which was revealed on Nov. 10, 2024, within the Paulick Report.
Judges within the Characteristic Commentary Class have been Amanda Duckworth, an impartial worldwide communications guide and journalist with a concentrate on Thoroughbred racing; Tom LaMarra, Director of Communications and Backstretch Providers for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Affiliation, and Amy Owens, Communications Affiliate at Keeneland.
Information/Enterprise Writing – Sean Clancy
Sean Clancy earned this third Eclipse Award, and his second consecutive honor, for writing with “Two for the Present” a stirring recap of the DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course final August, punctuated by the dramatic end of Fierceness holding off the fast-closing filly Thorpedo Anna on the wire.
The article appeared in The Saratoga Particular, as did his 2023 Information/Enterprise Eclipse award winner, “The Worst Check,” on the tragic accident of Maple Leaf Mel within the Check Stakes. Clancy received his first Eclipse Award in 2009 in Information/Commentary writing in The BloodHorse for “Life’s Work,” about his recollections of the late Corridor of Fame Coach Sidney Watters Jr.
“I’m honored to win a 3rd Eclipse Award and a second for The Saratoga Particular. The Particular celebrates its 25th anniversary this 12 months, what a method to kick that off. This award is a credit score to everybody who has helped in these 25 years – advertisers, readers, writers, interns, family and friends. It’s been a journey. Similar to final 12 months, my first name was to my brother, Joe. My second name was to Tom Legislation. Nice writers, nice buddies.”
Clancy from Middleburg, Virginia, is the co-editor and writer of The Saratoga Particular alongside together with his brother, Joe, which they co-founded in 2001.
In overlaying his 23rd Travers, Clancy enveloped the drama of one of the anticipated editions of the Mid-Summer time Derby, headed by Thorpedo Anna making an attempt to develop into the primary filly to win the Travers since 1915, going through prime colts in Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone and the 2023 Juvenile Champion Fierceness.
“Each now and again, a race lives as much as its hype. Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna made positive the 2024 Travers did that,” mentioned Clancy. “Due to Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, Kenny McPeek and Brian Hernandez Jr. for sharing their experiences with us. They spoke for 2 robust horses who introduced their finest to the 2024 Travers. Thoroughbred racing at its zenith.”
Or as Clancy succinctly wrote: Fierceness received the race. Thorpedo Anna made the race.
The successful entry may be learn right here.
Honorable point out within the Information/Enterprise class went to: Bryce Miller for “In a racing first, Del Mar is feeding backstretch staff. It’s about group – and connection,” which appeared within the San Diego Union Tribune on Sept. 12, 2024.
Judges within the Information/Enterprise class have been Reid Cherner former sports activities, racing author and columnist for USA As we speak; Dan Liebman, former editor of The BloodHorse and The State-Journal in Frankfort, Ky.; and Rob Longley, sports activities author and columnist for the Toronto Solar.
Images – Scott Serio
For Scott Serio, Founder and Chief Photographer of Eclipse Sportswire, successful his second Eclipse Award for Images for “Night time Rider – Skippylongstocking Wins The Charles City Basic,” was as harrowing because it was rewarding.
Whereas getting ready to position his distant cameras on the within rail close to the end line within the late afternoon for the Aug. 23 Charles City Basic Stakes at Hollywood On line casino Charles City Races in West Virginia Serio ran into the cushion on the rail and unleashed a swarm of bees, which stung him 5 occasions within the left arm. “I’m on the bottom in ache and the Nationwide Anthem begins, with two of my buddies standing over me,” recalled the Cecil County, Md., resident.
Rushed in an ambulance to native Jefferson Medical Heart, Serio acquired an injection in his proper arm. Undaunted, he felt nicely sufficient to take an Uber experience again to the observe. Along with his left arm motionless, Serio operated his distant digital camera, a Sony A9 with an adapter utilizing a Nikon 16mm Fisheye Lens, to seize Daniel Alonso’s 5-year-old Skippylongstocking simply after crossing the wire to win the Charles City Basic.
Serio’s picture, which appeared within the October 2024 challenge of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, captured Skippylongstocking illuminated beneath the observe lights with all 4 toes off the bottom beneath jockey Jose Ortiz. The background is fashioned by a line of followers in darkness stationed alongside the skin rail gazing on the winner.
Serio, who first went to Charles City in 1982, has lengthy felt a romantic attraction to nighttime racing on the small observe. “It has a singular lighting setup on the end line that creates an nearly studio-quality impact, near cinematic, when a horse runs in the suitable spot a number of toes previous the end line.” He additionally known as it a “ labor of affection to point out nice racing may be as dramatic at a spot like Charles City as it’s at cathedrals of racing like Saratoga, Churchill and Santa Anita.”
Serio additionally paid tribute to historic Maryland photographers of his youth, like (Eclipse Award winner) Skip Ball and Cappy Jackson in Maryland Horse Journal. “It’s extremely rewarding to earn this award for a picture revealed in that authentic publication’s present iteration, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred,” mentioned Serio. “Wanting again to the incomparable Mike Marten (the late two-time Eclipse Award winner) educating me learn how to do remotes again in 1988 on the Preakness, successful this award with an under-the-rail shot brings my journey in racing images full circle.”
Serio received his first Eclipse for a morning exercise picture at Keeneland Race Course previous to the 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which appeared within the Cecil Guardian. That is the sixth Eclipse trophy received by an Eclipse Sportswire photographer since 2011.
The successful photograph is on the prime of this information article.
Honorable point out within the Images class went to three-time Eclipse Award winner Michael Clevenger for his photo-finish picture of the Kentucky Derby, which appeared first on the Louisville Courier-Journal web site on Might 4, 2024.
Judges within the class have been: Mark Abraham, freelance photographer and at present deputy director of the US Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery; Rob Carr, Getty Pictures/Chief Photographer, Sport; and Mike Kane, veteran Thoroughbred author and photographer.
Multimedia – Sue Finley
Sue Finley produced a multimedia piece titled “Saving Two Horses from a Kill Pen, Stewart Goals to do Extra to Finish Slaughter,” an interview combining video and textual content with shortly rising proprietor/breeder John Stewart. The entry, posted final July, explored the problem of saving horses from kill pens and furthering business efforts to stop horse slaughter. The video portion of the piece was edited by Anthony and Alia LaRocca at BridleVision.
Final spring, Finley, Writer and CEO of Thoroughbred Each day Information, observed a social media feed posted by Stewart about his buy of racehorses My Lil’ Dude and Drive For Enjoyable from a kill pen in Louisiana, and was going to deliver them to Resolute Farm to dwell out their lives. Stewart believed that these horses might function a catalyst for the business to begin speaking concerning the slaughter downside, together with putting the principle duty on the breeder and the unique proprietor of the horse.
“This is a matter I’ve been enthusiastic about for a very long time,” mentioned Finley, who served for 12 years on the board of the Thoroughbred Retirement Basis. “The slaughter challenge is one which troubles me deeply. I believed this story might assist the business to have a much-needed dialog about slaughter.”
Finley stories that greater than 20,000 American horses yearly are nonetheless transported for slaughter, “an unknowable variety of them Thoroughbred racehorses, who’re slaughtered for human consumption in international international locations.”
She known as Stewart after seeing his publish, and whereas the horses weren’t on the farm but, she was welcome to return out and interview him after they arrived. She interviewed Stewart through the Fasig-Tipton July sale, and whereas there they realized that he had not solely saved these two, however that he had additionally rescued a Saddlebred and a mini who had additionally been saved from a kill pen. All of the rescues have been collectively in a ravishing barn with a workers devoted to nursing them again to well being. “It was very inspiring,” she added.
“I wish to thank our gifted producers, Anthony and Alia LaRocca at BridleVision, for his or her stunning work on this piece, and Katie Petrunyak, who served as a second digital camera on the story. However actually, this award belongs to John Stewart for not solely rescuing these two horses, however for frightening a dialog within the business about the necessity to resolve the very actual downside that we have now with slaughter.”
Finley, who has been with TDN since 1993, resides in Honest Haven, N.J.
The successful entry may be learn and considered right here.
Honorable point out within the Multimedia class went to Katie Petrunyak, for “Jeramie Fennell Finds Redemption on Horseback,” which was revealed on October 18, 2024, in Thoroughbred Each day Information.
Judges within the Multimedia class have been Mike Brunker, former racing author for the Las Vegas Overview-Journal; John Engelhardt, 35 years as a producer in TV/radio/podcasts, and present host of The Common Man on winningponies.com; and Joe Withee, Director of Broadcast Publicity, Emerald Downs.
About The Eclipse Awards
The Eclipse Awards are named after the nice 18th-century racehorse and basis sire Eclipse, who started racing at age 5 and was undefeated in 18 begins, together with eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, together with three Epsom Derbies. The Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and people whose excellent achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion of their respective classes. These awards are voted by NTRA, Each day Racing Kind, and the Nationwide Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB). Eclipse Awards are additionally given to acknowledge members of the media for excellent protection of Thoroughbred racing.
About Resolute Racing
Resolute Racing is dedicated to the best requirements of excellence and transparency within the horse racing business. Pushed by a ardour for the game and the welfare of each horse, we prioritize moral practices and accountability throughout our operations. Based by John Stewart, Resolute Racing is devoted to making sure that each racehorse has a safe future, fostering a tradition of duty amongst house owners, trainers, and all members. With a concentrate on integrity and respect for the animals, we goal to set a brand new commonplace within the racing world, the place success is measured not solely by wins however by the long-term care and well-being of our thoroughbreds.
About The Breakers Palm Seashore
Initially in-built 1896, The Breakers stays one in every of America’s legendary resort locations. Famend for its seaside glamour and world-class service, the 538-room, Italian Renaissance-style resort resides on 140 acres of oceanfront property within the coronary heart of Palm Seashore. With unapologetic luxurious, Resort facilities function a personal seaside, 4 oceanfront swimming pools, 5 whirlpool spas, 25 luxurious seaside bungalows and a wide range of watersports; a brand new luxurious spa; indoor-outdoor Ocean Health heart; 36 holes of championship golf, together with the Ocean Course and The Breakers Rees Jones Course; 10 Har-Tru tennis courts; a Household Leisure Heart; an array of on-site boutiques; and 9 acclaimed eating places, with settings starting from informal beachfront to stylishly refined.
