A series of special events leading up to the 42nd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group and The Breeders’ Cup, will benefit the Gulfstream Thoroughbred Aftercare Program, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), The Race for Education and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today. The Eclipse Awards will be held Saturday, January 19, at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Among the events that are open to the public during Eclipse Awards week are a golf tournament at The Westin Diplomat Golf Location on Tuesday, January 15 that will benefit the PDJF; a slots tournament at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino on Wednesday, January 16 that will benefit The Race for Education and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation; a celebrity poker tournament at Gulfstream on Thursday, January 17 to benefit the PDJF; and a cocktail party at Gulfstream on Friday, January 18 that will benefit Gulfstream Thoroughbred Aftercare Program.

The week will be culminated by Saturday night’s Eclipse Awards ceremony, which will feature a ‘Miami Chic’ theme with black-tie attire optional.

“We are delighted to join Gulfstream Park and The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and The Breeders’ Cup in affiliating with these terrific charities as the Eclipse Awards expands to a weeklong series of festivities leading to the crowning of our human and equine Champions for the 2012 racing year,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA.

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 Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

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:

  • Eclipse-eve Cocktail Party Under the Stars at Gulfstream Park benefiting Gulfstream Thoroughbred Aftercare Program and featuring the artwork of Barbara Livingston (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.

Tickets to Saturday night’s Eclipse Awards ceremony are available for $375 each or $3,750 for a table of 10. A block of rooms has been reserved at The Westin Diplomat Resort & 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. Order forms for tickets are available at www.NTRA.com.

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.