They released the following statement Wednesday:

“While the California Horse Racing Board values safety and security in the stable area, it also recognizes the importance of a free and independent press. After considerable feedback, rather than requiring licenses or visitors passes for stable area media access, the CHRB will allow publicity departments to issue credentials for visitor access to the stable areas. The CHRB will hold the racetracks responsible for the conduct of credentialed media they authorize for stable area access.

“The CHRB needs to know who has been authorized by racetracks to enter stable areas, so publicity departments have agreed to provide the names of those individuals. The CHRB has made it clear that the lists will not be submitted for CHRB approval. The information will be used solely for the purpose of understanding who the tracks have authorized to be in the restricted area.”

The post CHRB Revises Media Policy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The 2021 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows:

Feature/Commentary Writing – Sandra McKee, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, “A Jockey's Life. Baltimore's Adams Set Riding Record in 1930”; June 2021.

News/Enterprise Writing – Eric Mitchell, Bloodhorse.com, “Tracks Join Rallying Cry to End Cargo Shipping”; Aug. 24, 2021.

Television – Live Racing Programming – NBC Sports, “The Breeders' Cup World Championships,” Nov. 6, 2021 on NBC; Billy Matthews and Lindsay Schanzer, Producers.

Television – Features – NBC Sports “Hot Rod Charlie,” April 30, 2021 on NBCSN; Sam Flood, Executive Producer; Rob Hyland, Coordinating Producer; Jack Felling, Coordinating Producer; David Picker, Senior Feature Producer and Annie Koeblitz, Producer.

Audio/Multi-Media Internet – Attheraces.com “Breeders' Cup Magical Moments,” Oct. 25, 2021; Matthew Taylor, Director of New Media and Innovation; Peter Fornatale, writer and interviewer and Naomi Tukker, interviewer.

Photography – Jeff Faughender, courier-journal.com (Louisville Courier-Journal); “Between the Shadows,” May 1, 2021.

Media Eclipse Award winners will be presented their trophies at the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony and Dinner at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on Thursday, Feb. 10. Eclipse Award ticket information is available at the NTRA website https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/.

Feature/Commentary Writing – Sandra McKee

On Sept. 12, 1930, 16-year-old apprentice rider Albert Adams set the world record for most consecutive wins by a jockey with nine when he guided Wandering Jim, who had won a race for him just two days before, to victory at Marlboro Race Track in Maryland. Writing in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, Sandra McKee brought Adams' story of a boy with great character, who battled against crooked stables that cost him his career, back into the spotlight in “A Jockey's Life. Baltimore's Adams Set Riding Record in 1930.” The article earned McKee, from Baltimore, her first Media Eclipse Award.

“I wanted to win this award for so long,” said McKee, who has been a contributing writer to the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred for the past eight years, following a 36-year career as a sports writer for the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Baltimore Sun. “Over the years, all the horse racing writers at The Sun wanted to win an Eclipse Award. And then I followed Tom Keyser on the beat. Tom won the Eclipse Award three times in four years. To say I was motivated is an understatement. And now, to be chosen 10 years after leaving The Sun, is unbelievable. I'm very excited to be in the company of all the talented people who have won this award. It is a great honor.”

The Adams legacy was kept alive by his descendants, especially Ed Adams, the great nephew of Albert Adams, who died in 1970. Ed Adams contacted Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and when Editor Joe Clancy heard of it, he offered the story to McKee.

“I got the pleasure of getting to know Albert Adams by getting out the biggest magnifying glass I could find to pore over old newspapers,” said McKee. “Ed Adams had a big thick notebook of clippings from the 1930s. Ed's cousin Judy Adams, remembers Albert clearly and recalled his descriptive recollections, his laugh and personality.”

As McKee recounts, Adams' winning streak was heralded among other great records in sports of the day. “It was a glorious moment, celebrated by local newspapers and various racing publications around the world. Adams was commemorated in Ripley's Believe It or Not. A sports headline compared him to New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig. Illustrated sports cartoons measured him against Indianapolis 500 champion Ralph DePalma, who competed in more than 1,500 auto races, and New York Giants ace pitcher Art Nehf, who won the deciding games of back-to-back World Series (1921 and 1922).”

However, as Albert Adams became more successful, and gained mounts from trainers at larger stables, he was ordered to hold back horses, which was clearly opposite of his “ride to win” philosophy. So much so that when he disobeyed instructions to lose on purpose, he was subjected to suspensions by those stables. “The groundings, basically for wanting to ride an honest race, had taken their toll. By the end of the 1934 season his riding career was over.”

Still Adams went on with his life. He continued to gallop horses and worked to find mounts for younger jockeys. In World War II, he served as an infantry sergeant in the 29th Division in the Pacific. Following the war, he worked in an automobile assembly plant for five years before taking a job with the Baltimore Sanitation Department. “On his days off, he still enjoyed going to the races and he rooted for the young jockeys who took aim at his nine-in-a-row record.”

Judges in the Feature/Commentary category were Bob Kieckhefer, racing writer for United Press International; Bill Kolberg, former assistant director of publicity at Santa Anita and Del Mar and published author on Thoroughbred racing; and Rob Longley, sports columnist, who first covered the Triple Crown in both Canada and the U.S. in 1996 and is currently baseball columnist for the Toronto Sun.

The winning article can be viewed here.

News/Enterprise – Eric Mitchell

In “Tracks Join Rallying Cry to End Cargo Shipping,” Eric Mitchell investigated the deplorable conditions of racehorses shipped by boat in steel container boxes from the United States to Puerto Rico, and the response of American racetracks to this much-criticized practice. The article was published on Aug. 24, 2021.

This is the first Media Eclipse Award for Mitchell, from Lexington, Kentucky, who is the BloodHorse bloodstock editor and a 21-year veteran at the publication.

“I'm obviously thrilled by this honor,” said Mitchell on winning an Eclipse Award. “More important, though, I hope this brings awareness to the issue. It is a topic I have written about for a couple of years, talking to a number of people in the U.S. and Puerto Rico who are keen to see more pressure and attention to make it stop.”

Mitchell became aware of this inhumane shipping practice in April 2019 when he got a call from Kim Heath of Ocala, Fla., about nine horses that had tragically died during one shipment from the Port of Jacksonville. He began following the issue and getting more information on the toll this journey takes on the horses, long after they have arrived in Puerto Rico. This year, Thoroughbred racing in Puerto Rico became more attractive due to substantial bonus incentives in its purse programs, which in turn drove more owners to claim inexpensive horses in the U.S. and ship them by cargo ship.

In this piece, Mitchell described the typically treacherous voyage lasting three days, as horses are first loaded in Jacksonville but remain in loaded and cramped conditions on a ship for hours before the journey even begins across the Caribbean Sea. “These horses then get trucked to the Port of Jacksonville, where they are loaded onto a TOTE Maritime ship, which does not leave the port until 3 a.m. Wednesday and will arrive around midnight on Thursday. The horses stay on the boat until mid-Friday morning because the longshoremen don't start unloading until 9 a.m.”

While many horses survive the trip, they often later suffer a variety of illnesses caused by dehydration, stress during shipping, and unsanitary conditions of the shipping container. Many develop pleural pneumonia or laminitis and are euthanized weeks after shipping in. The flood horses in Puerto Rico also overwhelmed the resources of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare.

A groundswell of support from horsemen and racing organizations coalesced last August led by Caesars Entertainment's Indiana Grand and 1/ST Racing (Stronach Group tracks), which pledged to ban horsemen from their tracks who shipped horses to Puerto Rico by container ship. The Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders Association also followed with denunciation of the practice.

Mitchell said many people helped him follow this story but particular recognition goes to Dr. Jose Garcia Blanco, a veterinarian and bloodstock agent who buys for the Confederación Hípica of Puerto Rico, the largest of the island's two Thoroughbred owners' organizations; Kelley Stobie, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare and Eduardo Maldonado, a leading Puerto Rican breeder and former executive director and president of the Puerto Rico Breeders Association.

The winning article can be accessed here.

Honorable mention in the News /Commentary category went to 2015 Media Eclipse Award winner Tim Sullivan for “Kentucky Derby Steward Finally Tells All About Stunning Maximum Security Disqualification,” which was published in the Louisville Courier-Journal on April 22, 2021.

Judges in the News/Enterprise category were: Tom LaMarra, Director of Communications and Backstretch Services for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. Amy Owens, Communications Associate at Keeneland; and David Papadopoulos, a senior editor at Bloomberg News.

Television – Live Racing Programming – NBC Sports

For the second consecutive year, NBC Sports has won the Eclipse Award for Live Television Programming for its broadcast of the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic on NBC and Peacock, rising to the finish of its live two-day coverage of the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships from picturesque Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California.

Continuing to provide its audience with technical innovations and multiple viewing opportunities, NBC Sports employed unique perspectives from the track with access to approximately 75 video sources, including multiple live jockey cams and jockey and trainer/owner mics; and jockey cams connecting to real-time data that allowed viewers to see graphic overlays on replays, including speed, current position, distance from the leader, and distance from the finish. For individual access to the horses, NBC Sports utilized Breeders' Cup Contender Cams, featuring 14 paddock ISO cameras and 10 front-side ISO roof cameras.

“It was a privilege to present the greatest two days in horse racing — the Breeders' Cup World Championships — all culminating in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” said Lindsay Schanzer, NBC Sports producer, Breeders' Cup. “As always, this production was a real team effort, and it is a tribute to the entire NBC Sports group, along with the incredible collaboration between our partners at both the Breeders' Cup and TVG, that we were able to give viewers the most comprehensive Championships coverage yet. We kicked things off with an entertaining open by world-renowned chef (and 2021 Breeders' Cup winner!) Bobby Flay, balanced highlighting the beautiful scene at Del Mar as well as the wide range of storylines in the final race of the Championships, and capped it all off with an unforgettable race won by best-in-class champion Knicks Go. We are so proud of the final product, and look forward to bringing many more Breeders' Cups to audiences for years to come.”

In addition to Schanzer, the production team was led by producer Billy Matthews and director Kaare Numme. Ron Vaccaro was the editorial producer.

The NBC Sports talent on the broadcast consisted of Ahmed Fareed, Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, Laffit Pincay III, Nick Luck, Eddie Olczyk, Matt Bernier, Steve Kornacki, Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Britney Eurton, Larry Collmus and Maria Taylor.

Judges in the Live Television Programming category were Liz Bronstein, television show runner and executive producer, and creator the Animal Planet 2008-9 series “Jockeys”; Jack Renaud, 33-year producer for CBS News, who began covering racing at local stations in Lexington and Louisville; and Toni Slotkin, Emmy Award-winning producer/associate director at ABC Sports and member of ABC's Eclipse Award-winning horse racing teams; consulting producer/special projects for MLB Network.

Television Feature – NBC Sports

In setting the scene for one of the more popular Kentucky Derby ownership stories of 2021, NBC Sports produced an Eclipse-Award winning Feature on Boat Racing LLC, five former Brown University football players who became part owners, (along with Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss and Gainesway Stable) of Derby contender Hot Rod Charlie.

NBC Sports chronicled the vitality and sheer joy of Patrick O'Neill, Alex Quoyeser, Daniel Giovacchini, Eric Armagost and Reiley Higgins hitting it big and getting to the coveted Run for the Roses with just their third sales purchase. The feature begins with the Boat Racing team sitting in Adirondack chairs on a lawn in Santa Monica, California, telling their story of staying connected after college graduation. Later, they join Partrick's uncles, Doug O'Neill, trainer of Hot Rod Charlie, and bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill, for early morning workouts at Santa Anita Park. The scene shifts next to the TwinSpires Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where the team goes wild with exultation when their beloved “Chuck” crosses the wire first in this key Derby prep race. The journey concludes with the team bounding up to the rail to watch Hot Rod Charlie workout on the Churchill Downs backstretch in eager anticipation of fulfilling Derby dreams, or as reporter Jac Collinsworth deadpanned: “Infusing youth into a sport typically fit for kings.”

“It was an honor to share the story of Hot Rod Charlie with our viewers,” said NBC Senior Feature Producer David Picker. “And what a story it was. In just a few short years, the Boat Racing guys went from college to the Kentucky Derby as owners. And they brought so much enthusiasm to the sport along the way. It's the kind of story we love to tell on racing's biggest day.”

In addition to Picker, the NBC production team included Sam Flood, Executive Producer; Rob Hyland, Coordinating Producer; Annie Koeblitz , Producer and narration from Collinsworth.

The winning entry can be viewed here.

Judges in the Television Features category were Dick Jerardi, who covered more than three decades of Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup races for Philadelphia Daily News; Kris Kugler, Horse Racing Coverage Producer, ESPN; and Lenny Shulman, Emmy Award-winning writer/producer; author, and senior correspondent for Bloodhorse.

Audio/Multimedia Internet – Attheraces.com and Peter Fornatale

In “Breeders' Cup Magical Moments,” Matthew Taylor of Attheraces.com, the website for U.K. racing broadcaster Attheraces and Sky Sports, and journalist, author and “In the Money” podcast host Peter Fornatale, present a multimedia display featuring recorded interviews with 17 racing personalities recalling their most memorable moments of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which has been run consecutively since 1984. The interviews were conducted by Peter Fornatale and Naomi Tukker. The presentation was also supported by text from the subjects and vivid colorful graphics, as well as race replays.

The stories were told from both an American and European perspective. Among the personalities interviewed were renowned racing journalist and author Andy Beyer; handicapper Jonathon Kinchen; Breeders' Cup winning jockeys Jerry Bailey, Frankie Dettori, Rosie Napranik, Lester Piggott, Mike Smith, Gary Stevens and John Velazquez; trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Aidan O'Brien; broadcasters Kevin Blake, Matt Chapman, Randy Moss and Nick Luck; and Jamaican cricket legend Michael Holding.

“It's a tremendous honor for us to win this award,” said Taylor, Director of New Media and Innovation for At The Races. “There has been a great interest in American racing in the U.K. during the pandemic, and there is no better way to promote American racing to a European audience than through the Breeders' Cup. The willingness of the participants we approached to be a part of this was extraordinary. No one raised their hands and said 'No.' They were all proud to talk about the Breeders' Cup as a part of their successful careers.”

“I'm blown away,” said Fornatale, who resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Eclipse Awards have been won by so many people and so many horses I've admired over the years. To be included among the recipients is just a tremendous honor. From the shed row to the saddle to the stands, we wanted to create a mosaic of great events and memories that captures what makes the Breeders' Cup so special. I am so proud to work with Matthew, one of my biggest supporters, and also with Naomi, who did a fantastic job with her interviews and was indispensable. This was a team project all the way.”

The winning entry can be viewed: here.

Judges in the Audio/Multi-Media Internet category were Glenn Crouter, former lead television anchor for Woodbine Live Network and sports and lifestyle announcer for Newstalk 1010 in Toronto; Bob Curran, longtime Vice President of Corporate Communications for The Jockey Club and graduate of the St. Bonaventure University journalism program; and Julie Sarno, freelance writer, former editorial staff member of The BloodHorse, staff member at The Meadowlands, staff member and Department Head at Del Mar.

Photography – Jeff Faughender

Faughender, from Louisville, Kentucky, has won his first Eclipse Award for a rooftop photograph capturing the entire 20-horse field from the 147th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, which was run on May 1, 2021. With the horses racing down the Churchill Downs stretch after the start of the Run for the Roses, Faughender captured the Derby field in between the shadows cast by the famed Twin Spires over the racetrack.

The photograph was published on the Louisville Courier-Journal website. Faughender has been with the Courier-Journal the past 22 years in various capacities, and has worked as a visual journalist since 2017.

“I'm really blown away by it,” Faughender said on winning the Eclipse Award. “I am thrilled beyond words. It's quite an accomplishment for me and the people who supported me at the Courier-Journal.”

Good fortune from bad luck seemed to smile on Faughender last year in taking the winning Eclipse Award photo. A few weeks before the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Faughender injured his knee playing tennis and asked for a photo assignment that wouldn't require too much walking. So he was assigned to cover the race from the roof of the racetrack with the focus on shooting the finish.

“I was delighted to get the rooftop assignment,” said Faughender. “I was focused on shooting the finish but also the start of the race. In setting up my shots, I turned to my left. I saw shadows of the spires over the racetrack, and I thought about getting the field in one view.”

Using his Canon 5D Mark IV camera with a Canon 200-400mm f/4 L lens, Faughender caught the Derby start at 6:59 p.m., with an extender, but turned it off to reframe the Twin Spires in shadow as the horses approached the wire for the first time. “I knew that there was a shot to get and I was hoping that the horses would stay together going to the first turn.

“It wasn't until I got back to the Media Center that I saw it on my computer and said, 'Yes, I got it.'”

The photo appeared that night on the Courier-Journal website. Faughender also put it on his Facebook page, where it was discovered by fellow Courier-Journal photographer and three-time Eclipse Award Photography winner Michael Clevenger, who praised Faughender's image and put it on his Facebook page.

“The picture got lots of attention after that, especially from veteran photographers, who had never seen a photo like that,” said Faughender. “Sometimes it takes just one shot.”

The winning photograph can be viewed here.

Honorable Mention in the Photography category went to five-time Eclipse Award winner Barbara Livingston of Daily Racing Form for her photo of France Go da Ina losing his rider Masaki Takano during a pre-Preakness workout on May 12, 2021. The image was posted on DRF.com.

Judges in the category were Mark Abraham, freelance photographer and currently deputy director of the United States Senate Press Photographers' Gallery; Rob Carr, staff sports photographer with Getty Images; and Mike Kane, veteran Thoroughbred journalist and photographer.

The post Sandra McKee, Eric Mitchell Earn First Media Eclipse Awards In 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Privman, 62, a resident of Carlsbad, Calif., covered his first race in 1980 — Spectacular Bid's victory in the Malibu Stakes — while in college at California State University, Northridge, and working part-time for The Los Angeles Daily News. Privman worked for The Daily News full-time from 1981 through 1991, then became West Coast editor for The Racing Times (1991 to 1992) and West Coast correspondent for The New York Times (1992 to 1998). He also was a correspondent for The Thoroughbred Record and The Thoroughbred Times (1983 to 1998) before joining Daily Racing Form in October 1998. 

Along with his distinguished print career, Privman served as a television reporter or handicapper for CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBCSN from 1998 through 2018 and host of “Thoroughbred Los Angeles,” a Saturday morning show on AM830 KLAA, from 2003 to present. He covered every Kentucky Derby from 1982 through 2019 (missing 2020 and 2021 because of covid and a health issue, respectively) and every Breeders' Cup from the inaugural in 1984 through 2021 (with the exception of 2020 because of the pandemic). 

Author of the books “Breeders' Cup: Thoroughbred Racing's Championship Day,” and “Del Mar at 75” and a contributing writer to the Daily Racing Form book “Champions,” Privman has earned numerous honors for his racing coverage. He is a six-time winner of the Red Smith Award (1989, 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2008) from Churchill Downs for the best Kentucky Derby story; a two-time winner of the David F. Woods Award (2002, 2013) from the Maryland Jockey Club for the best Preakness Stakes story; and a two-time winner of the Joe Hirsch Award (2010, 2016) from the New York Racing Association for the best Belmont Stakes story. 

Privman's Breeders' Cup awards include six Joe Hirsch Awards (2001, 2003, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2018) for news reporting and the Bill Leggett Award (2017) for feature writing. Other honors include the Old Hilltop Award from the Maryland Jockey Club (2005); Walter Haight Award, from the National Turf Writers Association (2005); induction into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (2011); and the Charles W. Engelhard Award, from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (2016). Privman has also been a reporter on eight Eclipse Award-winning broadcasts: three each with ESPN and NBC and one each with Sirius Radio and Fox Sports West 2. 

Haight (1899  ̶  1968), a native of Washington, D.C., joined The Washington Post in 1924, embarking on a prolific 44-year run with the paper. He started with The Post as a general assignment reporter and began covering thoroughbred racing for the paper in 1932. He reported on his first Kentucky Derby that year, beginning a streak of 37 consecutive years writing about the event. Haight was The Post's racing writer and editor for 36 years and held the honorary No. 1 seat in the Churchill Downs press box for his longevity covering the Run for the Roses. 

Known for his storytelling ability, Haight had a 2-year-old horse named after him in 1941 that provided him fodder for several entertaining columns. Haight was known to inject himself into his writing through first-person narratives, and in the book “Bred to Run,” he created a horse named Flat Tire that had whimsical conversations with the author. 

A charter member and president of the Maryland Racing Writers Association and a vice president of the National Turf Writers Association, Haight has a career excellence award named in his honor annually presented by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association. Upon his death in 1968, The BloodHorse said Haight “wrote with glee, for he saw the humor and the drama in the game” of racing. The publication described him as a “jolly man” who reveled in his role as “Aesop of the press box. Some of his funniest stories never made it into print. He could relate to the intricate machinations of past-posting a bookie, or the heart-breaking collapse of a four-horse parlay, with an admixture of merry pathos that kept listeners enthralled for hours.”

Mann (1925  ̶  2000), a New York City native, began his writing career in 1940 while in high school for the weekly Long Islander. He attended Columbia University for a year on the GI Bill and served with the Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 in the North Pacific during and immediately after World War II. In 1947, he returned to newspapers as a reporter and editor of two Long Island weeklies, then joined Newsday, first as a reporter, then as assistant city editor, then as sports editor.

Specializing in coverage of horse racing and baseball, Mann wrote for Newsday (1952 to 1962); The Detroit Free Press (1962 to 1963); The New York Herald-Tribune (1963 to 1965); Sports Illustrated (1965 to 1967); The Miami Herald (1968 to 1970); The Washington Daily News (1970 to 1971); The Washington Star (1971 to 1972); The Baltimore Evening Sun (1980 to 1990); and The Racing Times (1991 to 1992), among others. While sports editor at Newsday, Mann led the section's transition from having a local focus to one that covered sports nationwide. 

Mann won an Eclipse Award in 1987 and was honored with the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers Association in 1993. He also received the Maryland Jockey Club's Old Hilltop Award for lifetime achievement. Mann also authored the 1966 book, “The Decline and Fall of the New York Yankees.” Along with racing and baseball, Mann also covered professional football and did freelance work for Look, Life, People, and Penthouse magazines, among others. 

Known for his attention to detail, Mann also had a combative side that led him to tangle with his superiors and often change employers. 

“He did some outstanding stuff, but at some point, no matter how well he was doing, somebody would fool with his copy,” said Clem Florio of the Maryland Jockey Club upon Mann's death in 2000. “They just couldn't leave their hands off of his stuff. He cared about getting the facts straight and writing well. He said he'd been fired from the best.

“He was a very special kind of guy. He had a special insight into things — and he was a stickler for English. He'd say, 'If you're going to tell a story, tell it right. If you're going to write, write correctly.' He kept a bulletin board of faux pas, including his own.”

At Newsday, Mann was fired, but returned in the early 1960s — when he either quit or was fired again, according to Newsday sports columnist Steve Jacobson, who was first hired by Mann.

“He's the guy who dragged Newsday from local sports into the big leagues, Jacobson said. “He was brilliant.”

Previous selections to the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor are Steven Crist (2010), Charles Hatton (2010), Bill Nack (2010), Red Smith (2010), Dr. Russ Harris (2011), Joe Palmer (2011), Jay Hovdey (2012), Whitney Tower (2012), Andrew Beyer (2013), Kent Hollingsworth (2013), George F. T. Ryall (2013), Jim Murray (2014), Jennie Rees (2014), Raleigh Burroughs (2015), Steve Haskin (2015), Jim McKay (2016), Maryjean Wall (2016), Barney Nagler (2017), Michael Veitch (2017), Jack Whitaker (2017), Joe Burnham (2018), Tom Hammond (2018), Charlsie Cantey (2019), Billy Reed (2019), Pierre “Peb” Bellocq (2020), and William Leggett (2020). 

The National Museum of Racing's Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor was established in 2010 to recognize individuals whose careers have been dedicated to, or substantially involved in, writing about thoroughbred racing (non-fiction), and who distinguished themselves as journalists. The criteria has since been expanded to allow the consideration of other forms of media.

Often referred to as the dean of thoroughbred racing writers, Hirsch won both the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Writing and the Lord Derby Award in London from the Horserace Writers and Reporters Association of Great Britain. He also received the Eclipse Award of Merit (1993), the Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1983), The Jockey Club Medal (1989), and was designated as the honored guest at the 1994 Thoroughbred Club of America's testimonial dinner. The annual Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park is named in his honor. Hirsch, who died in 2009, was also a former chair of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Nominating Committee and the founder of the National Turf Writers Association.

The Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Committee is comprised of Edward L. Bowen (chairman), author of more than 20 books on thoroughbred racing; Bob Curran, retired Jockey Club vice president of corporate communications; Ken Grayson, National Museum of Racing trustee; Jane Goldstein, retired turf publicist; Steve Haskin, Secretariat.com and longtime BloodHorse columnist; G. D. Hieronymus, retired Keeneland director of broadcast services; Jay Hovdey, five-time Eclipse Award-winning writer; and Dan Smith, retired senior media coordinator of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.  

The post Jay Privman, Walter Haight, Jack Mann Named To Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Video of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities is available on the IFHA's website and social media platforms. Podcasts of the speakers are also available.

The keynote speech was given by incoming IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who was recently elected as the new head of the Federation following Louis Romanet's retirement. Following his speech, the Conference featured panels on digitalization and media; equine welfare; and climate change and sustainability. The Conference concluded with a tribute to Romanet, who is retiring after 27 years as Chairman and who was appointed to the honorary position of Chairman Emeritus effective Oct. 4, 2021.

“The 55th International Conference of the IFHA comes at a most significant time for our sport and the world,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We face major macro challenges arising from the pandemic and climate change. More than ever, we must work together and harness the wealth of talent and expertise within our membership to not only face these challenges, but ensure that our sport thrives in the short, medium, and long term.

“This Conference gives us the opportunity to look forward at some key parts of the IFHA's strategy for the future. We are fortunate to have world-class speakers sharing their insights regarding digitalization and media, equine welfare, climate change and sustainability.”

Guest speakers at this year's Conference included Michael Mulvihill, executive vice president, head of strategy and analytics at FOX Sports; Jamie Stier, chair of the IFHA Horse Welfare Committee and Racing Victoria's executive general manager, integrity services; Di Arbuthnot, the chief executive for Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR); and Allen Hershkowitz, a founding director and chairman of Sport and Sustainability International and environmental science advisor to the New York Yankees. Respected presenter Rishi Persad returned this year to serve as moderator.

The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organised and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organised by the IFHA at France Galop. In 2019, the Conference convened delegates from more than 50 different countries with a number of other racing executives and media members in attendance. Historically held the day after the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), the Conference transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 as the result of COVID-19.

About IFHA

The IFHA is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.

Major areas of the IFHA's activities include:

• Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)
• Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
• International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
• World Rankings
• The fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
• Harmonization of Racing Rules
• Certification of IFHA Reference Labs
• Promoting commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The post Racing’s Future In The Spotlight During Virtual IFHA Conference appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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   After graduating from the University of Virginia, my roommate, Alex Riethmiller, and I decided to embark on careers in Sports Business. While my first job was producing events for the NBA, Alex began a career in PR working for the newest franchise in the NFL, The Jacksonville Jaguars. From there, Alex went on to work with the Atlanta Hawks and then ran communications for the sports, news and entertainment brands of CBS Interactive.

   Currently, Alex is a VP in the NFL’s Communications department. Based out of the League’s offices and studios in Los Angeles, he oversees all communications for NFL Media, including NFL Network, NFL Digital and NFL Films. Additionally, Alex also handles the communications for the League’s Broadcasting and Media Strategy group as well as its Sponsorship and Consumer Products divisions.

CC: What is your favorite racing memory?

AR: I would have to say attending my first live racing experience, the 1999 Breeders’ Cup with you and your family. In the last race, the Classic, I picked the winner, Cat Thief, who was ridden by Pat Day and took a nice little price. I took my winnings and bought a Breeders’ Cup poster that I still have hanging on my wall in my house.

CC: Briefly explain why the NFL owns a network and the advantages of having one when the sport is already so well covered through other channels?

AR: I think for some other sports, it might make more sense as a marketing tool. And it certainly is a marketing tool for the NFL as well, but going all the way back to 2002 when the NFL decided to start their own network, they were really trying to extend their footprint into the off season and make the NFL 365 days a year. Basically, bridge the gap between everything that happens between the Super Bowl and the next time the regular season kicks off. The Scouting Combine is a perfect example of the type of off-season event the NFL has built using NFL Network.

CC: A change in the sports landscape is the advent of legalized betting. How does NFL Network plan on addressing the growth of legalized betting on its platform?

AR: For a very, very longtime the league had a pretty strong stance against gambling to protect the integrity of the game. And to be sure, that stance on protecting the integrity of the game hasn’t changed. At the same time, obviously the reality is that the landscape is changing in the United States towards sports betting and of course, we need to adapt to that. Clearly a lot of our media partners are asking us how comfortable we are with them talking about things like point spreads. I’d say it’s an ongoing evolution.

CC: Speaking of changes, what do you see as major trends outside of legalized betting that would affect the television landscape?

AR: Obviously we’re in the midst of the COVID pandemic, and that’s changed so many things. To me, the best example of something that could have a long-lasting change is how we had to adapt for the NFL Draft, which for the first time ever had to be done completely remotely. The Commissioner was in his basement and all the coaches and Gms around the league were at home. There was definitely some trepidation about whether we were going to be able to pull it off, not only from a technological standpoint, but if fans would enjoy it. We found that it worked extremely well. We had very few issues on the technological side and the feedback was that fans enjoyed seeing people in their homes in this type of presentation. From a production standpoint I think that’s going to change a lot of how things are done across the entertainment industry in general.

CC: How has COVID changed your business and operations at NFL Network?

AR: I think that we’re going to find various efficiencies in the way that we do business because of this experience, and there will probably be permanent changes in the way that media is produced. Now that we’ve gone through this whole experience, there’s going to be some major changes for the better, and certainly that are going to be cost-effective changes going forward.

CC: I’m sure everyone is asking, but obviously you have a season coming upon you pretty quickly. How do you control that message with the uncertainty around how the season will be conducted?

AR: I think the NFL has been fortunate on the timing of this because we’ve been able to see how others ports that needed to go before us have reacted. We’re a couple weeks away from training camps opening. All along Commissioner Goodell has been very solid about, “Hey, we’re going to start the season.” We’re going to obviously listen to all the medical experts and we’re going to adjust as we need to, but we still feel very confident about having the season. There may just be a few wrinkles along the way.

The big question is really how many fans are going to be able to attend some of these games. I think some of that is going to be determined by different state regulations. I know some news is already starting to come out in places like Kansas City, where they’ve already said that they’re not going to have full stadiums. I think probably some places will be empty, and some places you’ll have partial fans. It remains to be seen.

Alex with son, Christian | NFL Photo

CC: The NFL, like many other sports, has challenging issues to address, whether it be about health issues with concussions, violence with domestic abuse and cultural revolutions like the BLM movement. Do you have a philosophy or best practice on how to address challenging issues?

AR: When big issues come up, the NFL and Commissioner Goodell often look at it as an opportunity to take a leadership position in society and make some very positive change. Sometimes we’re directly involved in it, for instance the Ray Rice domestic violence issue that obviously brought the problem of domestic abuse to the forefront. I think we’ve tried to be very thoughtful about how we respond to it.

The best thing you can do is try to stick to your values. Although the NFL has caught a lot of criticism for things, I do honestly believe that they have a good set of values and priorities. And when we get to these issues that bubble up, I sincerely think that we try to do the right thing and try to convey that through our communications practices. If there’s issues that need to be addressed and fixed, we try to do that as quickly and fairly as possible.

CC: How do you manage covering negative stories about the sport or league when you own the network?

AR: That is a question that we get all the time, and there is definitely a balance between strictly being a PR mouthpiece for the League and then being a Hard News organization. I can tell you that a lot of folks that work for NFL Network and our digital properties in Los Angeles are long-time journalists that have broken a lot of big stories at other outlets and they certainly aren’t here just to be regurgitating press releases from the NFL. At the same time, I think everybody understands that we are owned and operated by the NFL. The general line that we try to stay on is we will report the news- both the good, the bad and the ugly. I think if you look at some other outlets dealing with negative news, they will go on for hours speculating about it. NFL Network is going to report the news as long as it’s relevant and as long as there are confirmed facts, but we’re going to stay very factual. We’re not going to speculate and obsess for hours.

CC: Horse racing has had its fair share of negative coverage in the last few years. If you were running the PR strategy for the sport, what would your suggestions be on how to address these matters?

AR: I don’t have a vast depth of knowledge of the sport, but being in Los Angeles and close to Santa Anita I have heard a lot about the health and safety issues the sport has faced. I don’t know if you can draw any parallels to the issues that the NFL has had on the player health and safety front with concussions, but I know for Commissioner Goodell and everybody on down, our number one priority, no matter what we’re talking about, is the health and safety of our players. I can’t speak to if that has been mare the number one priority in horse racing in terms of not only the horse, but the jockeys as well.

From my standpoint, you really need to make sure that these tracks have the latest state-of-the-art safety measures. There need to be regulations in terms of medications these horses are being given. I think making the health and safety of the horses and their riders a priority has got to be something that is at the forefront of every decision that’s made in the industry.

CC: What are the unique traits about the sport of horse racing that need to be exploited by stakeholders to promote and introduce their sport to a larger audience?

AR: I don’t think it’s any secret that the sport of horse racing is tightly intertwined with sports gambling, and it does have the benefit of being something that is available pretty much every day at any time. So as sports gambling continues to become more prominent across the United States, there is an opportunity for the horse racing industry to piggyback off of the increased popularity in sports betting and see if the rising tide of that can help lift their boat as well, so to speak.

CC: Is there a business mistake that you try to avoid at all costs?

AR: A lot of what I do is constant communication with the media- whether that’s texting with reporters, phone calls or trading emails with them. Those relationships can be harmed pretty seriously if you’re not up front with them, or if you don’t deal with them in a way that is fair. I’ve probably made that mistake over the years and I’ve definitely learned from it.

You’re not going to always be able to tell the media everything that they want to know, but if you’re honest and you let them know the reasons why you can’t speak to a certain thing or that you need to avoid the subject, I think you’ll always have their trust. Having that trust, transparency and honesty with the media is something that’s not only important to me, but it’s something that can be translated into other industries and relationships that people have in business.

CC: What’s the best advice you have received on how to be good at PR-related issues?

AR: It was from a former boss who used to say, “If you have to eat-” well, let’s just call it horse manure. “If you have to eat horse manure, don’t nibble.” And what he meant by that is if you have some bad news, don’t try to downplay it or put a little of it out there at a time. Instead, just go ahead and rip the band-aid off, get it all out there at once. The quicker you get out there and the quicker you own up to it, if that’s what the case is, the sooner that you can start to move forward and not suffer a death by a thousand cuts.

CC: If you were the commissioner of horse racing, what would you look to change to improve the image or perception of the sport to reach a new audience?

AR: Well look, I don’t pretend to know all the distribution and media deals that racing has. I do see racing on NBC Sports and FS1. Of course there are networks like TVG that focus on the product seven days a week, but they’re also owned by a third party. It is unfortunate that the sport does not have its own platform to generate content focused on fan development and a channel to entertain avid fans not exclusively through the lens of wagering, but the story-telling side of the game.

I know in this environment were there are a million different ways to consume content, it can be a challenge to cut through the clutter. But I think for horse racing, if it’s going to continue to grow and be more popular, it’s not only the sports gambling angle on it, but they really need to increase their distribution on all forms of media platforms and have better control of its message and the content that is being disseminated.

If you look at the horse racing fan base, it’s considered a sport that attracts an older generation. A big challenge for horse racing stakeholders is how are they going to develop that new generation of fans? Which is going to be important and frankly, something that we face at the NFL. When you look at kids now, they have so many options. So how can we get in front of that younger generation and get them interested in what our sport is or what our entertainment is? When we think about that as the NFL, we think a lot about our presence on social media.

So, what is horse racing doing about social media? Because let’s be honest, that’s the way a lot of kids consume content these days. I think some of the older generation is a little dismissive of those social media platforms, but they are important for getting in front of a younger generation, which again is the first step towards building fans for the future. Media distribution, control of content platforms like a network and a vibrant presence on social media are all important things that horse racing needs to lean into, with the overarching value of never compromising on the health and safety of equine and human athletes at the forefront of it all.

   Carter Carnegie is President of Metrical Consulting and has over 30 years of experience as a sports business professional both in racing and working with sports leagues/events such as the NBA, NFL and Olympics. Metrical offers marketing solutions and business strategics to brands as well as sports properties.

The post The Sports Business Furlong with Alex Riethmiller, VP of Communications NFL Media appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Seats, which will be required for admission, can be purchased through Ellisparkracing.com.

Following the directive from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's office, racetracks may begin having spectators on June 29 with up to 50 percent capacity. Ellis Park's 98th summer session begins Thursday, with racing through Sunday July 5 before taking a week off to allow Keeneland to run for five days in Lexington. Ellis Park resumes its Friday through Sunday format on July 17 through the end of the meet.

For the first weekend, Ellis Park seating will be available in the Sky Theatre, which is entirely smoke-free, and the second floor of the Clubhouse, where smoking is permitted. The Turf Club, which is between the Clubhouse and the grandstand, is available for parties of up to 25 people. Ellis will work to open additional outdoor seating as safety planning and preparations are made.

“We are opening seating to the public in a safe and prudent manner that adheres to state protocol,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman. “With this methodology, we have control over where people are during the races and can make sure they are safely separated. Additionally, protocol dictates that we must have the name and contact information for every guest coming to Ellis this summer. That's why we can only have reserved seating this meet. If one of our guests should subsequently test positive for COVID-19, we will know who was at the races that day, where they were seated and how to get in touch with them.

“We know these circumstances aren't ideal, and that going to the races at Ellis Park and enjoying our expansive grassy area and grandstand is a tradition for the Tri-State area. COVID-19 has changed a lot of standards, but we're pleased that we can allow spectators at the races in a safe and responsible fashion this summer.”

For opening week, the Sky Theatre will have 47 tables available, mostly four-tops, for a total capacity of 196 people, with 62 tables in the Clubhouse (for two, four and six people) for an additional 234 individuals. Clubhouse options include the Terrace Lounge area offering a view of the racetrack, the adjacent Thoroughbred Room (also used for year-round simulcasting) and the Gardenia Room.

Admission to the track for live racing is by reservation only. Race-day reservations will be accepted as space allows, but Ellis asks that everyone try to make plans in advance. An entire table must be purchased, with no partial tables sold due to social-distancing requirements. For the first week, the minimum age for reserved seating and HHR is 18 years old. Ellis is reviewing plans to allow additional guests and younger race fans later in the summer.

Access to Historical Horse Racing on the Clubhouse first floor is available on a first-come, first-served basis with gaming terminals adhering to the state's social-distancing standards. Guests with reserved seating, along with Historical Horse Racing players, must enter through the main gate and have a non-invasive thermal screening before being admitted.

Horse owners licensed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission can watch their horses run from the racetrack apron, where media members will also be allowed. Owners and the media should enter through the paddock pavilion entrance, where they will undergo thermal screening and have their name and contact information recorded. Media members must make arrangements with Ellis Park staff prior to arrival, as there is limited space available each racing day.

Ellis Park hopes to add two additional outdoor seating areas in phases as the summer progresses. First, 40 grandstand box seats opening later in July. The boxes, which will accommodate four people each, will be sold as reserved seating and also have food and beverage delivered by servers. A third phase could see six-seat picnic tables on the racetrack apron sometime in early August.

Should all of the phases become available, the maximum capacity will be 1,010 for live racing. Concession areas at the track will not be open during the meet.

The post Ellis Park 2020: No General Admission, But Reserved Seating Available To Fans appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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