Thoroughbred Racing’s 2012 Champions, Including Horse of the Year, to be Crowned January 19 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Tickets for the 42nd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group and The Breeders’ Cup, and featuring the announcement of 2012 Horse of the Year, are now available for purchase. The Eclipse Awards will be held Saturday, January 19, at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

This year’s Eclipse Awards features several hotly contested races, including Horse of the Year. Among those expected to contend for 2012 Horse of the Year are Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned; Kentucky Derby and Preakness victor I’ll Have Another; Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic heroine Royal Delta; and track record-setting Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Wise Dan.

Tickets are available for $375 each or $3,750 for a table of 10. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, located on the ocean and only a short distance from Gulfstream Park. For ticket purchases and room reservations, please contact Michele Ravencraft of the NTRA at mravencraft@ntra.com, or call (859) 422-2657. Click here to link to additional event information.

The Eclipse Awards—which will feature a ‘Miami Chic’ theme with black-tie attire optional—will cap off a weeklong series of events, several of which will be tied to charitable causes. The tentative schedule of events includes:

Tuesday, January 15 thru Monday, January 21

Tuesday, January 15:

  • Eclipse Charity Golf Tournament at Westin Diplomat Country Club.

Wednesday, January 16:

  • Eclipse Charity Slots Tournament.

Thursday, January 17:

  • Eclipse Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament.

Friday, January 18:

  • Eclipse-eve Cocktail Party Under the Stars(admission included with Eclipse Award ticket).

Saturday, January 19:

  • Eclipse Awards Dinner, Awards Ceremony and After Party.
  • ‘Sunshine Millions’ featuring six rich stakes events offering over $1,000,000 in purses.
  • Daily Racing Form Handicapping Conference.
  • ‘First Chance, Last Chance’ Handicapping tournament (Saturday-Sunday) and qualifier to the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.

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 National Thoroughbred Racing 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.

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.