A message from NTRA President & CEO Tom Rooney
Over the past month, the NTRA hosted two of our capstone events that brought together many facets of the Thoroughbred industry back in person. Between the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas to The Eclipse Awards in Los Angeles, we celebrated the great success of the industry. From horseplayers to owners, apprentice jockeys to Horse of the Year, there is a lot to celebrate in Thoroughbred racing that we should all be proud of.
The NHC brought out the best of the best in handicapping all under one ballroom roof in Bally’s Las Vegas. As a first timer myself, it was truly amazing see this spectacle in action. You could literally feel the energy of the room and it was easy to see why this is the Super Bowl of handicapping events in the world. Horseplayers are a massive part of what makes the Thoroughbred industry so successful, and so fun. Watching races from around the country, on massive screens, in a room full of the best handicappers, is enough to make anyone excited about Thoroughbred racing. In crowning our newest NHC Champion David Harrison, a real estate appraiser from Rochester NY, the tradition of celebrating the excellence in handicapping continues.
Two short weeks later, The Eclipse Awards brought the industry’s brightest stars together on the Keeneland Green Carpet at sunny Santa Anita Park. With this being my first time at this event also, the Academy Awards for Thoroughbred racing did not disappoint. The finalists and winners dedicate so much time, day in and day out, to the sport we all enjoy, so it is only fitting we spend an evening highlighting the great achievements. It was exciting to recognize not only the industry here in the United States, but also bring together our international partners from Japan, Korea, Ireland, Great Britain, Mexico, the Middle East, and more. And best of all, we were able to bring the joy and energy into the homes of countless enthusiasts watching from home on TVG and other outlets. Every category represented a different facet of the greater industry, that all work together to make Thoroughbred racing what it is.
In the end, we the humans do all of this to highlight the inherent God given excellence of Thoroughbred horses. These animals we all love are tremendous athletes. There’s no other sport you can experience at any time, 24 hours a day. We are lucky to play a small part in the greatness of this industry and I’m excited to continue to celebrate it, together.