NEW YORK CITY (Friday, January 17, 2014) – Saturday night’s Eclipse Awards will mark the third straight year Daily Racing Form has partnered with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) as a presenting sponsor of the ceremony. The 43rd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, Breeders’ Cup and The Stronach Group will be held at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Daily Racing Form was an original voting bloc when the Eclipse Awards were formed in 1971 and today showcases the event across its print and digital channels, including live streaming of the event on DRF.com. DRF also publishes the event program and administers the fan voting contest. DRF Breeding will be showcased at the event along with on-track promotions for attendees.
DRF Breeding continues to expand in 2014, reinforcing Daily Racing Form’s commitment to build out coverage, tools and contact points with this important segment of the industry. Daily Racing Form entered the Breeding and Sales marketplace in late 2012 and virtually every month has introduced new tools, including the DRF Breeding Today newsletter.
Recently introduced new features in the daily newsletter include Beyer sire profiles, young sire profiles by Dan Illman, Road to the KY Derby rankings, and additional new features on pedigrees, broodmares and consignors. John Sparkman continues his columns every Friday and regular Beyer Speed Figure stats in the newsletter have become a must-read. Sales coverage with breaking news updates and live streaming provide a unique service to the industry.
“We are encouraged that the foal crops have stabilized, volume and prices are trending upwards at the sales and recent auctions have been strong,” said John Hartig, CEO, Daily Racing Form. “DRF recognizes that attracting and retaining owners and breeders is of paramount importance and we are committed to continuing expanding our coverage with DRF Breeding.
“We thank DRF for its ongoing support of the Eclipse Awards, an annual celebration our human and equine Champions and the very best our sport has to offer,” said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations for the NTRA.
Tickets to the Eclipse Awards are available for $400 each. Order forms for tickets are available at www.ntra.com. For additional information on tickets or accommodations, please contact Michele Ravencraft of the NTRA at mravencraft@ntra.com.
The Eclipse Awards, presented by the Daily Racing Form, Breeders’ Cup and The Stronach Group, are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Awards also are given to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing.
Eclipse Awards voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards ceremony is 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.
About the NTRA
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of more than 80 horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).