The 47th Annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, Breeders’ Cup and The Stronach Group, will air live on TVG as part of an agreement finalized this week between the leading horse racing network and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), which administers the awards. Hosted by Nick Luck and highlighted by the announcement of the 2017 Horse of the Year, the Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held January 25 at 8 p.m. ET in the Sport of Kings Theatre at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
TVG is in more than 45 million homes nationwide and also available via DirecTV Now, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
“It is only natural that the primary destination for Thoroughbred racing on television should also be home to the sport’s championship awards gala,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “TVG is where racing fans already are so this makes it easy for our people to find us.”
The Racetrack Television Network also will make the Eclipse Awards available across all of its platforms, including a new Roku app.
A livestream of the ceremony will be available online at Eclipse Awards partner websites DRF.com, XBTV.com, and GulfstreamPark.com.
In addition to Horse of the Year, the Eclipse Awards will bestow championship honors in 16 equine and human categories. The program also will include presentations of the Eclipse Award of Merit, for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in service to the Thoroughbred industry, to Frank Stronach; the Special Eclipse Award, to a recipient or recipients still to be announced; the Horseplayer of the Year to Ray Arsenault; and the NTRA Moment of the Year, recognizing a singular significant occurrence as determined by fans.
The Eclipse Awards are voted upon by chart callers and racing officials representing the NTRA; members of the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters; and staff from Daily Racing Form.
Tickets to The Eclipse Awards ceremony are on sale for $425 each or $4,000 for a table of 10. For reservations, please contact Casey Hamilton of the NTRA at chamilton@ntra.com, or call (859) 422-2627. For more information on The Eclipse Awards, visit ntra.com/eclipse-awards.
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 Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Those awards are voted by NTRA, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB). Eclipse Awards also are given to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing.
About TVG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, TVG, a subsidiary of Betfair Group plc, is one of the largest legal online gaming companies in the US, processing over $1 billion in wagers annually from over 30 states. TVG network airs races at over 150 racetracks worldwide and is among the most widely distributed horseracing networks in the world, operating TVG and TVG2 in more than 40 million US homes. The company has demonstrated its commitment to the racing industry, its owners, tracks and fans through sponsorship of several preeminent races including the TVG Pacific Classic and TVG Super Saturday. For more information about TVG, visit: tvg.com.