The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino announced today that fans visiting Gulfstream Park next Saturday night, January 19, will have unprecedented access to the Eclipse Awards-winning connections immediately following their recognition at the sold-out event.
Within minutes of receiving their Eclipse Award on stage, the winning connections for each of the 17 human and equine Eclipse Awards will be brought to a special area adjacent to the Gulfstream Park Sport of Kings Theatre for photographs. The area will be open to fans and visitors to Gulfstream Park. Beverages, cocktails and concessions also will be available throughout the facility and in the paddock walking ring, and the entire Eclipse Awards broadcast on HRTV will be televised live on monitors throughout the facility.
On Saturday morning, the remaining available tickets for both the Eclipse Awards ceremony and a Tuesday charity golf tournament to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) were sold.
“We are delighted to have sold out the Eclipse Awards and look forward to hosting our largest Eclipse Awards live audience in several years,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “We hope that more fans join us throughout next week and at ‘Fans First’ on Saturday evening to celebrate our sport’s brightest stars.”
In addition to the ‘Fans First’ free event, a limited number of reserved seats and dining reservations remain available for racing during Eclipse Awards Champions Week at Gulfstream Park—Wednesday, January 16 through Monday, January 21. Reservations can be made by calling the Gulfstream Park Box Office at (954) 457-6201.
Fans also can participate in a charity slots tournament (entry: $100) at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday, January 16, that will benefit The Race for Education and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation; a celebrity poker tournament (entry: $150) at Gulfstream at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund; and a special cocktail party and auction at Gulfstream on Friday, January 18, that will benefit Gulfstream Thoroughbred Aftercare Program. (Tickets are $100 each, with admission complimentary for those who have Eclipse Award tickets.) For information on the slots tournament, call Susan Stofsky at (954) 647-4357. To reserve a seat at the poker tournament, go to https://tickets.gulfstreampark.com/Online/mapSelect.asp. For tickets to the Friday night reception, contact Michele Ravencraft at mravencraft@ntra.com or calling 859-422-2657.
Below is the complete schedule of events during Eclipse Awards week:
Wednesday, January 16 thru Monday, January 21:
• World-class Thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park.
Tuesday, January 15:
• Eclipse Charity Golf Tournament at The Westin Diplomat Golf Location benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, January 16:
• Eclipse Charity Slots Tournament benefiting The Race for Education and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
Thursday, January 17:
• Eclipse Charity Celebrity Poker Tournament benefiting PDJF.
Friday, January 18:
• Celebration of the Stars Cocktail Party at Gulfstream Park benefiting Gulfstream Thoroughbred Aftercare Program and featuring live, silent and online auctions of stallion seasons, the artwork of Barbara Livingston and other top items (admission included with Eclipse Award ticket or available separately for $100).
Saturday, January 19:
• Eclipse Awards Dinner, Awards Ceremony and After Party. (SOLD OUT) • ‘Fans First’ Party in Gulfstream Park walking ring and Level Two balcony.
• ‘Sunshine Millions’ featuring six rich stakes events offering over $1,000,000 in purses.
• ‘First Chance, Last Chance’ Handicapping tournament (Saturday-Sunday) and qualifier to the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.
The Eclipse Awards, which will be televised live on HRTV, are presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group and Breeders’ Cup and produced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). Official Partners of the Eclipse Awards include Adequan, Besilu Stables, FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips, Keeneland, Kendall-Jackson, N.O.A. Watches and Racetrack Television Network (RTN). The official hotel of the Eclipse Awards is the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa.
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.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of 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 the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.