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Courtney, Eurton, Gaudet and Yu To Host Eclipse Awards

Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, Gabby Gaudet and Michelle Yu have been named as the hosts of the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards to be held Thursday evening, Feb. 10, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Courtney, Eurton and Gaudet began hosting the event together in 2020, while this will be Yu's first appearance as a host.

Courtney is in her sixth year as on-air talent at Gulfstream Park, while also working for the New York Racing Association as the host for 'America's Day at the Races' and Saratoga Live on FOX Sports.

Eurton is primarily a reporter with TVG, having joined the network in 2014, but also contributes to NBC Sports' coverage of the Triple Crown, Royal Ascot and the Breeders' Cup.

Now a TVG analyst, Gaudet, the daughter of trainers Linda and the late Eddie Gaudet, began her career as a paddock analyst for the Maryland Jockey Club in 2013 and has held similar positions at Arlington, Gulfstream and Keeneland. She also served on the NYRA broadcast team as a racing analyst and reporter and is a current member of the on-air talent at TVG. Gaudet joined the network in 2019.

Yu is a member of the Santa Anita simulcast team who broke into the business as a hotwalker before moving on to TV production. Her resume includes FOX, Breeders' Cup, HRTV, TVG and a variety of international programming.

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Courtney, Eurton, Gaudet, And Yu To Host Eclipse Awards On Feb. 10 At Santa Anita

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced today that preeminent broadcast talent Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, Gabby Gaudet and Michelle Yu will host the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards on Thursday, Feb. 10 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The Eclipse Awards, which honors the 2021 champions of Thoroughbred racing, will be held in California for the first time since 2012. Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced at Santa Anita and live on TVG, and other outlets, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2021 Horse of the Year.

Eclipse Awards tickets and information on the awards show, dinner and party is available at the NTRA website https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/.

Courtney, Eurton and Gaudet began hosting the Eclipse Awards ceremony together in 2020. Yu joins as a host for the first time.

Courtney is in her sixth year as a handicapper and paddock reporter for Gulfstream Park's simulcast feed. She also works with the New York Racing Association and is one of the hosts of the popular show America's Day at the Races, and a paddock reporter for Saratoga Live, both on FOX Sports. A native of Connecticut, Courtney began riding at the age of eight, training in the hunter-jumper and dressage disciplines.

In 2011, Courtney founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Racing for Home, Inc., which she runs with her mother, Sherrie. 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.

Eurton serves as a reporter and host for many of horse racing's largest events through her continuing work with TVG Network and NBC Sports, including the Triple Crown, Royal Ascot, and the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Eurton began her broadcasting career in 2014 with TVG Network, where she covers Thoroughbred racing across the U.S. and internationally.

Eurton, who made her NBC Sports debut in June 2017 on the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, worked her first Triple Crown for NBC Sports in 2018 and was a co-host for the network's coverage of Royal Ascot in 2019. She resides in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. She is the daughter of Peter Eurton, a former jockey and accomplished Thoroughbred trainer.

Gaudet grew up in a horse racing family as her parents, Linda and the late Eddie Gaudet, were trainers in the Mid-Atlantic region. She began her career as a racing analyst and paddock reporter for the Maryland Jockey Club in 2013 and from there went on to cover horse racing nationally at Arlington Park, the Breeders' Cup, and at Gulfstream Park. In 2016, she joined the New York Racing Association's broadcast team as a racing analyst and reporter.

In 2019, Gaudet joined TVG on a year-round basis as an analyst and reporter covering premier racing including the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet, Keeneland and Churchill Downs. In addition to being part of the Keeneland team in April as co-host of “Today at Keeneland” and as paddock commentator, Gaudet expanded her responsibilities with the track to include U.S. sales representation and recruitment. Gaudet is married to trainer Norm Casse. Her sister, Lacey Gaudet, is also a trainer.

Yu is currently a member of the award-winning Santa Anita Park simulcast team. An avid horsewoman from a young age, Yu's first foray onto the backside was as a hotwalker before moving onto TV production. Eventually this landed her in front of the camera as an analyst and presenter. After nearly two decades in the industry, her resume includes FOX, Breeders' Cup, HRTV, TVG and various international shows. Yu is married to Santa Anita based trainer Ryan Hanson and they have two children, Olivia (5) and Spencer (3). Still involved in horses daily, Yu assists in yearling pretraining and is also an owner.

The Eclipse Awards are sponsored by Roberts Communications, Four Roses Bourbon, Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup, FanDuel Group, The Stronach Group and 1/ST Racing, Santa Anita Park, TVG, Dean Dorton, Stonestreet Farm, Keeneland, Racetrack Television Network, Jackson Family Wines, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Hallway Feeds and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

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.

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‘Let’s Talk’ Delves Into Jockeys’ Mental Health

Sponsored by 1/ST Racing

The TDN's 'Let's Talk'–a podcast series featuring TDN's Christina Bossinakis and TVG's on-air analyst Gabby Gaudet, offers candid discussion on personal, and sometimes difficult, topics that are often uncomfortable for many to speak about in an open forum.

The latest edition presents a trio of successful jockeys–Journeyman John Velazquez and retired Ramon Dominguez–both in the Hall of Fame–in addition to retired rider Richie Migliore, currently serving as a NYRA and FOX Sports on-air analyst.

Few will dispute the fact that jockeys are the iron warriors of horse racing. Physical danger is a very real part of the every day existence of a rider, as is the continual adversity they are forced to endure and adapt (and react) to.

“You really don't know what is going to happen,” admitted Dominguez. “It's different, perhaps for a jockey or it is magnified compared to other athletes, mostly because the athletes prepare and train for a specific game or perhaps for a season. Jockeys have a never-ending season–year-round racing. Even if you have a great business, doing well and had an amazing day, you have to turn the page. Because tomorrow, you can fall into a slump and things change. That [concern] is always in the back of your mind.”

Having faced more than his share of adversity, Migliore retired from the saddle in 2010, and Dominguez followed suit three years later after also facing a career-ending injury. Velazquez, who continues to compete at the highest level at age 51, also faced serious injury at several junctures in his career, however found himself among those fortunate to return to the saddle, time and again.

“For every jockey, for every athlete, there's a last ride, there's a last at bat, there's a last play,” said Migliore. “And if you're fortunate, you get to choose when that last ride is like Chris McCarron, Jerry Bailey and Pat Day. They accomplished amazing things and they made a decision that it was time to step away. The vast majority of riders don't get that opportunity. So, I tell young riders there will be a last ride and, hopefully, you get to choose last. But that's why you owe it to yourself to make the most out of the time you are able to ride.”

While the physical stress and adversity that riders face are well documented, the emotional difficulties that jockeys often face can be as prevalent, although not as easily observed by the masses.

“Unlike Ramon who was in the midst of his prime, I was in the back nine, the twilight of my career,” added Migliore. “Physically, I wasn't what I once was. Mentally, I could still see a race well, still had a great judge and feel of horses, but I certainly wasn't in what I would call my prime. Even though it was, admittedly, towards the end, I was 44 when the accident happened, and it still sent me into a deep, dark place. I went into a deep depression. Not originally when I first got out of the hospital, but when I was home. I didn't feel good, and I didn't care. I didn't care about horse racing or riding. Three or four months later when I started to feel better, and the reality was 'you're never going to do that again,' I really got depressed.”

It is widely understood that the challenges facing riders can be great, however, unity in racing can be equally strong, a bond reinforced by the necessity of taking care of one's own.

“It's funny because I always felt I had support,” said Velazquez. “And you always have the doubters, though. But I always focus on the people who want to give me the opportunity and forget about those, those people who doubted me from the get-go.”

And that support extends to the next generation of riders, which Velazquez admits is an important factor in keeping the playing field safe and equitable for the entire jockey colony.

“The more you teach those kids, the safer it is for you to ride,” he said. “You want to ride with the more knowledgeable rider rather than the kids that are more reckless. The ones who don't want to listen or to learn are the ones that make it scary to ride with. They want to learn the hard way. So, you have to show them the right way.”

To listen to the audio only version of 'Let's Talk,' click here. For the video version, click here.

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TVG Adds Jockey Cam, Rail Cam To Enhanced Coverage From Keeneland

TVG will bring racing fans closer to the action than ever before with Jockey Cam, enhanced audio from competitors and the debut of a new Rail Cam when America's horse racing network starts its coverage of every race, every day from the prestigious Keeneland Fall Meeting, the network announced today.

TVG will have blanket, wire-to-wire coverage of the meet including behind-the-scenes features, exclusive interviews from the Keeneland paddock, and expert analysis led by Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker, Simon Bray, Scott Hazelton, Caton Bredar and Gabby Gaudet.

The featured race on Opening Day is the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) which is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series race and qualifies the winner for the Juvenile Fillies (G1). The race has drawn a full field of twelve 2-year-old fillies and Juju's Map has been tabbed as the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Brad Cox. Florent Geroux will be aboard for Albaugh Family Stables.

The coverage of Keeneland's Fall Meet will run through Saturday, Oct. 30, and will include the $200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG on Oct. 9 alongside 16 additional graded stakes races, ten of which are part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series with winners earning automatic berths into the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.

Saturday's loaded card features five graded stakes races including the $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) which will earn the winner a spot in the starting gate in the Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile (G1). The race has drawn a contentious field of thirteen including the defending winner from 2020, Ivar (BRZ). Trained by Paulo Lobo, Joe Talamo will be aboard as the 5-year-old son of Agnes Gold (JPN) makes his second start of the year following a sixth-place finish in his seasonal debut.

“We are excited to bring these innovations and enhanced broadcast technology to our comprehensive coverage of Keeneland and its Fall Meet, always one of the most anticipated and prestigious on the racing calendar,” said Kevin Grigsby, TVG Executive Producer.

“Keeneland fans are among the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic in Thoroughbred racing, and they will truly appreciate TVG's enriched coverage of the Fall Meet,” Keeneland Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Christa Marrillia said. “These new features represent the latest chapter in Keeneland's strong partnership with TVG.”

TVG's Jockey Cam was a popular addition to its coverage of the Del Mar meet and its Rail Cam is designed to bring fans even closer to the action. At Keeneland, the robotic Rail Cam will travel down the stretch with the horses as they approach the finish line. TVG's coverage at the track will also feature handicapping analysis with integrated graphics and touch screen technology.

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