Each week a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes on the nation's top contenders for the 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. Cody's Wish maintains his No.
Author: News
Britney Eurton, Acacia Clement, Nick Luck To Co-Host 53rd Eclipse Awards
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Wednesday that Britney Eurton, Acacia Courtney Clement, and Nick Luck will co-host the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards, which will be held on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024 at The Breakers Palm Beach. Caton Bredar will be again serving as the Ceremony Announcer.
“We are very excited for this wide range of talent to host this year's Eclipse Awards and for FanDuel TV to bring it live to households across the country,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “The Eclipse Awards is a special event to celebrate the best in racing and I'm confident this year at the Breakers will be as memorable as last year.”
The Eclipse Awards will honor the 2023 human and equine champions of Thoroughbred racing. Named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, the awards will be presented in 17 categories and will be announced live on FanDuel TV, Racetrack Television Network (RTN), and streamed on multiple outlets.
Ticket sales for the black-tie Eclipse Awards will begin on Monday, November 20, 2023. To stay up to date on the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards and for more information, visit https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-
Britney Eurton serves as a host and reporter for Thoroughbred racing's largest events through her work with FanDuel TV and NBC Sports, including the Triple Crown, Royal Ascot, and the Breeders' Cup World Championships. She returns to the Eclipse Awards having co-hosted the past four years. Eurton began her broadcasting career in 2014 and made her NBC Sports debut in 2017 on the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. She covered her first Triple Crown for NBC Sports in 2018 and has co-hosted the network's coverage of Royal Ascot in both 2019 and 2022. Eurton, a graduate of the University of Southern California, is the daughter of Peter Eurton, a former jockey and accomplished Thoroughbred trainer.
Acacia Courtney Clement is a TV host, analyst, and reporter for the New York Racing Association. She is a host of the popular show America's Day at the Races as well as a paddock reporter for Saratoga Live, both on FOX Sports. She also hosts the sales and pedigree podcast “In the Ring with Acacia Clement” on the In the Money Media platform. A native of Connecticut, Acacia began riding at the age of 8, training in the hunter-jumper and dressage disciplines. In 2011, she founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Racing for Home, Inc., which she runs with her mother, Sherrie Courtney. Accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Racing for Home is dedicated to retraining and re-homing Off-Track Thoroughbreds for new careers after the track. Acacia is married to Miguel Clement, assistant trainer to his father, Christophe Clement.
Nick Luck has been broadcasting and writing on horse racing since 2002. Well known to US audiences for his work on NBC, he has been an integral part of its EMMY-nominated Triple Crown coverage and has hosted Royal Ascot since the network's debut at the event in 2017. For ESPN and NBC, Nick has appeared as reporter/analyst on eighteen consecutive Breeders' Cups. He hosted the Eclipse Awards in 2018 at Gulfstream Park and fronted three seasons of the popular chat show “Cocktails and Conversation” with NBC colleague and co-host Britney Eurton. At home in the UK, Nick is best known as the host of Racing TV's key events and his weekly magazine show “Luck on Sunday.” He is the voice of Olympic equestrian coverage for the BBC, and hosts an award-winning daily podcast. Nick is a Director of Aintree Racecourse, sits on the Racing Welfare and Thoroughbred Breeders' Association committees, is a trustee of the National Horse Racing Museum, and is Chair of the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Awards. He has been named Racing Broadcaster of the Year nine times by the Horserace Writers' Association, including last year, when he was also Reporter of the Year.
About the Eclipse Awards
Produced by the NTRA, The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies. Eclipse Awards voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), Daily Racing Form, National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) member racing officials and Equibase field personnel.
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Fourth Annual CARMAthon Online Aftercare Fundraiser Set For Aug. 26 At Del Mar
CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) proudly announces the return of its highly anticipated annual online fundraiser, CARMAthon, taking place live on FanDuel TV and TVG on Saturday, August 26th from Del Mar. Building on the remarkable success of previous years, CARMAthon aims to raise $150,000 to support retired racehorses and fund essential aftercare programs.
CARMAthon has become a beloved tradition within the racing industry, capturing the hearts of equine enthusiasts and showcasing the remarkable journeys of retired Thoroughbreds as they thrive in their second careers. With the support of FanDuel TV and TVG, CARMAthon will leverage its extensive reach to raise awareness about Thoroughbred aftercare and emphasize the importance of providing retirement options for these athletes. FanDuel TV and TVG's dedicated team of on-air commentators will champion the cause throughout the day, spotlighting the impact of aftercare programs on the racing community.
“Once again, FanDuel TV and the FanDuel Group are proud to partner with the California Retirement Management Account, to be contributors, and to be the broadcast home for this very worthy cause,” Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of FanDuel TV Kevin Grigsby said. “Everyone on our team – our hosts and analysts and all the people behind the camera – appreciates the importance of caring for our equine athletes when their racing careers are over, and the amazing work CARMA and its affiliates do. We are thrilled that we can help.”
CARMAthon's success relies on the generosity and compassion of the racing industry and equine enthusiasts. Funds will directly benefit CARMA's grant program, which supports over 20 thoroughbred aftercare charities and drives initiatives aligned with the organization's mission.
Lucinda Lovitt, CARMA's Executive Director, expressed her excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to bring CARMAthon back for its fourth year. The unwavering support we have received from the racing community has been truly remarkable. Together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of retired racehorses and ensure they receive the care they deserve in their well-earned retirement.”
CARMA extends a warm invitation to everyone who shares a passion for retired racehorses to join the cause. By making a donation to CARMAthon and spreading the word on social media using the hashtag #CARMAthon, individuals can contribute to the welfare and future of these magnificent animals.
Donations for CARMAthon can be made on the CARMA website starting Monday, August 7th, and will continue through Saturday, August 26th. For more information about CARMA and its initiatives, please visit CARMA4horses.org or contact Lucinda Lovitt at (626) 574-6622 or lucinda@carma4horses.org.
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‘Big Money’ Mike Smith Voted Jockey Of The Week After Haskell Triumph
“I just knew there was a lot of upside to this horse and room to get better,” said Hall of Famer Mike Smith.
Based on that belief, Smith flew from Del Mar, where he had a successful opening day on Friday, to Monmouth Park to pilot Geaux Rocket Ride in the Grade 1 Haskell on Saturday.
The panel of racing experts honored Smith as Jockey of the Week for July 17 through July 23. The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella called on Smith to ride Geaux Rocket Ride for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell. Breaking from the rail in the field of eight, which included Kentucky Derby hero Mage and the highly regarded Arabian Knight, Smith guided his mount to the three path and into a stalking trip going into the first turn.
With Smith giving his mount the cue leaving the backstretch, Geaux Rocket Ride was in pursuit of Arabian Knight as Mage continued to draw closer while racing wide. The trio raced in union entering the home stretch. Both Geaux Rocket Ride and Mage inched ahead, but Geaux Rocket Ride found another gear and pulled away to post a 1 3/4-lengths win over Mage while Arabian Knight held on for third. Off at 12-1, Geaux Rocket Ride paid $27.40 and completed the nine furlongs in 1:49.52.
Smith collected his record fourth Haskell and Mandella his second.
“This horse is super intelligent,” Smith said. “When you have a horse that has a brilliant mind, you just work together. It's so much easier. It's like slicing butter with a hot knife. He just moves when you tell him to move. He does everything he's supposed to do.”
“This was the deepest Haskell field I've seen in a long time,” Smith said. “For him to perform, that is credit to Mr. Mandella and his whole crew. Of course, Geaux Rocket Ride deserves all the credit, too.”
The Haskell is a “Win and You're In” test for the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November.
For Jockey of the Week honors, Smith outpolled Javier Castellano who won the G1 United Nations, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won 14 races including five in one day and two graded stakes, Flavien Prat who won the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, and Joel Rosario with four stakes wins including three graded.
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