Lexington, Ky. (January 5, 2024) ―The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters today announced the winners of the 2023 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories. 

In its first year of submitting content for Eclipse Awards consideration, America’s Best Racing received honorable mention recognition in the Multimedia category for its video feature “Experience the Thrill of Winning the Kentucky Derby with Ramiro Restrepo,” filmed and produced by Greg Charkoudian, Senior Director, Digital Video. The video can be viewed here and is also embedded below in this article.

The 2023 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows:

Writing – Feature/Commentary: Tim Layden, NBCSports.com – "Maple Leaf Mel and the long arc of a horse racing tragedy," Nov. 1, 2023

Writing- News/Enterprise: Sean Clancy, The Saratoga Special – “The Worst Test,” Aug. 6, 2023

Live Television Programming: NBC Sports – “The Breeders’ Cup World Championships,” Nov. 3-4, 2023; Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer

Feature Television Programming: Woodbine Entertainment: “SECRETARIAT The Last Race,” – Oct. 8, 2023. Airing on TSN (The Sports Network) in Canada. Tammy Gillanders, Producer

Multimedia: TDN Writers’ Room Podcast – “Wade and Carson Yost,” September 20, 2023; Susan Finley, Publisher, Thoroughbred Daily News

Photography: Carolyn Simancik – “Trading Horse Paint,” (Cody’s Wish/National Treasure battle in Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile) The Press Box, Nov. 4, 2023

Media Eclipse Award winners will be presented their trophies at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony and Dinner at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Thursday, January 25. 

Feature/Commentary Writing – Tim Layden

Tim Layden

Layden, a writer-at-large for NBC Sports, has won his fourth Media Eclipse Award for “Maple Leaf Mel and the Long Arc of a horse racing tragedy," which was published on NBCSports.com on Nov. 1, 2023. Layden related the story of Melanie Giddings, the trainer of undefeated 3-year-old filly Maple Leaf Mel ― named after Giddings ― who suffered a fatal injury while leading the Test Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 5. Giddings’s love for her horse and dedication to her craft, and the painful memories of the incident, is interspersed in the article with a larger account of equine fatalities that took place at major venues during the past year.

Layden, from Simsbury, Conn., also won the Feature/Commentary Eclipse Award in 2022 for “Beneath the Super Bowl’s Turf: The Ghosts of Hollywood Park,” which was published on NBCSports.com. He won his first Eclipse Award in 1987 for Newspaper Writing for Capital Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and in 2018 for Sports Illustrated, for his Feature/Commentary article on track announcer Charles “Chic” Anderson.

"Painfully, horse fatalities have been an ongoing and important narrative in the sport, and we felt it was important to find an access point for that narrative as the 2023 season ended. Maple Leaf Mel's breakdown and death on Whitney Saturday was an especially difficult moment, because of the stage, but also because people inside racing knew that Mel was treated with the best of care. Often we look for villains, in all stories, but we were unlikely to find any here. That's what made the story so complicated and important, and that's why we wanted to tell it.”

"It's important to say that this is Melanie Giddings's story. I'm just the messenger. That is always true in journalism, but especially true here. Last August 5 was one of the worst days of Melanie's life, and she entrusted me with her recollections and emotions, for which I am thankful and readers are enlightened and enriched."

The winning article can be viewed here.

Judges in the Feature/Enterprise category were: Bob Kieckhefer, United Press International racing writer; David Papadopoulos, a senior editor at Bloomberg News; and Robert Yates, who covered racing for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and is notes writer at Oaklawn Park.

News/Enterprise – Sean Clancy

Sean Clancy

Sean Clancy was not originally assigned to cover the Test Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 5, but sprang into action and wrote a news account of the race of the tragic consequences of the fatal accident to Maple Leaf Mel and the reactions of individuals surrounding the event. Clancy writes of the immediate and incredible sense of loss, and the mixed emotions of Brendan Walsh and his crew, whose filly Pretty Mischievous won the race. 

Clancy from Middleburg, Va., is the co-editor and publisher of The Saratoga Special along with his brother, Joe, which they co-founded in 2001. This is the second Eclipse Award for Clancy, who earned a News/Commentary in 2009 for “Life’s Work,” about his recollections of the late Hall of Fame Trainer Sidney Watters Jr.

“Winning a second Eclipse Award and a first for The Saratoga Special is an incredible honor,” said Clancy. “When I was informed, my first call was to my brother Joe. My second call was to Tom Law. I'm sure it was the same way for them. That's the team we have. One is my brother. The other is like a brother. We work together but it's far more than that. Just unbelievable friends who I'm lucky to work with and share the highs and lows of life.”

“I wasn't covering the Test. I was meant to cover the Whitney later in the day. I watched it with Tom, as a spectator, a fan. In awe of Maple Leaf Mel and then, like everyone, watched in horror. We both leapt into crisis mode and went to work. Paul Halloran, an integral member of The Special team, was meant to cover the Test. I followed Brendan Walsh, Paul switched to the Whitney and I wound up back at the barn with Brendan. He was honest, open, speaking for all of us, a devastated sport on a devastating afternoon. It was brutal to write but it had to be written. My thoughts are still with Maple Leaf Mel, Melanie Giddings and their team.”

The winning entry can be viewed here (Page 17).

Honorable mention in the News/Enterprise category went to Frank Angst and Bob Ehalt for “New York Thunder Breakdown Calls for Further Review,” which appeared on The BloodHorse website on Oct. 3, 2023.   

Judges in the News/Enterprise category were: Reid Cherner former sports, racing writer and columnist for USA Today; Amanda Duckworth, an independent international communications consultant and journalist with a focus on Thoroughbred racing; and Bill Kolberg, former assistant director of publicity at Santa Anita and Del Mar and published author on Thoroughbred racing. 

Television – Live Programming - NBC Sports

For the fourth consecutive year, NBC Sports has won the Eclipse Award for Live Television Programming for its broadcast on NBC, Peacock, and the USA Network, of the two-day coverage of the 40th Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

NBC showcased the captivating action of the World Championships accentuated by the dramatic stretch duel between Cody’s Wish and National Treasure in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to the dominant performance of White Abarrio in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. To enhance its production, NBC utilized access to approximately 75 video sources, including cameras and feeds; and among other technologies, a special gyro camera on a vehicle inside the rail on the backstretch, providing a live wide-angle perspective as the horses raced with the San Gabriel Mountains as the backdrop, and an RF Super Slo Mo camera, used for the first time on NBC Sports’ horse racing coverage.

“We are proud to accept the Eclipse Award for our presentation of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. While the Breeders’ Cup is always one of the most spectacular events of the year to cover, this year – the 40th running of the World Championships – was a particularly special experience,” said Lindsay Schanzer, NBC Sports Senior Producer. “We relished the opportunity to celebrate the origin and ensuing four-decade run of what has become the capstone of the yearly racing calendar, and were delighted to bring the unforgettable moments of year 40’s champions to audiences worldwide. This two days of racing is an enormous undertaking from a broadcast perspective, and we thank our incredible partners at the Breeders’ Cup, who put their trust in us each year to bring this world-class event to life. We look forward to many more World Championships to come.”

NBC Sports’ coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was produced by Schanzer and Billy Matthews, and directed by Kaare Numme. Amy Zimmerman was the co-producer; Ron Vacarro, VP of Editorial, and John Furlong, the editorial producer. Sam Flood is Executive Producer and President, NBC Sports Production.

NBC talent consisted of: Host: Ahmed Fareed; Host/Reporter: Britney Eurton; Analysts: Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss; Reporters: Nick Luck and Kenny Rice; Horseback Reporter: Donna Brothers; Handicappers: Eddie Olczyk and Matt Bernier; Insights Analyst: Steve Kornacki; Race Caller: Larry Collmus and Essayist: Tim Layden.

Honorable Mention in the Live Television Programming category went to NBC Sports, for “The 149 Kentucky Derby,” which aired on May 6, 2023. Lindsay Schanzer, Senior Producer.

Judges in the Live Television Programming category were: Jeannine Edwards, multiple award-winning reporter, and analyst for ESPN from 1995-2018; Dave Johnson, track announcer, television analyst, and race caller for ABC Sports, and now co-host of Down The Stretch on SiriusXM; and Jack Renaud, CBS News Producer, who’s been covering racing since his days at local stations in Lexington and Louisville.

Television Feature – Woodbine Entertainment

Secretariat wins the Canadian International. (Michael Burns/Woodbine)

In “SECRETARIAT The Last Race,” the Woodbine Entertainment broadcast team produced a retrospective of the last race of the 1973 Triple Crown winner’s career in the Canadian International on the turf at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. The feature aired on Oct. 8, 2023, on TSN (The Sports Network) during the 2023 running of the Canadian International.

Through compelling footage of Secretariat’s arrival in Canada with throngs of media in attendance at the airport and for his workout at Woodbine, the story is recounted, among others, by Secretariat’s jockey in the International, Eddie Maple, and longtime Woodbine public relations director Bruce Walker, and broadcast and Woodbine Journal editor, Jim Bannon.

Secretariat won the Canadian International on a bitterly cold day by 6 ½ lengths. His victory was so inspiring and uplifting that fans came out of the stands and across the dirt track to cheer him home.  

“History has already dictated the indelible mark that Secretariat left on the world of sports and his story has been told a hundred times over,” said Rob Platts, Director of Broadcasting, Woodbine Entertainment. “The part of this narrative that hasn’t been as fully explored is how the greatest racehorse in the world ran his last race at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada and that’s the story we wanted to tell. We wanted viewers to understand what this historic event meant to those that were actually there in 1973 and what better way to do that than to hear first-hand from those that experienced it and truly feel the passion they felt 50 years ago.” 

“The mix of archival film and the real emotions from those still here to remember what it felt like truly brought this story to life and the broadcast team at Woodbine couldn’t be more proud to have their hard work on this piece recognized.”

“SECRETARIAT The Last Race” was produced by Tammy Gillanders with support from Phil McSween and Paul Salvalaggio. The director of photography was David Syrie and Rob Deluca, and Andrew Doherty was the editor.

The winning entry can be viewed here.

Honorable Mention in the Television Feature category went to CBS Sports Network for “Secretariat,” produced and directed by Laura Dunham, which aired on May 2, 2023.  

Judges in the Television Feature category were: Bruce Casella, television producer and director, Pushin a Rock Productions and former Co-Host of ESPN’s Thoroughbred Digest show; Dick Jerardi, who covered more than three decades of Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races for the Philadelphia Daily News; and Kristine Kugler, Horse Racing Producer, ESPN.

Multimedia – TDN Writers’ Room

Carson's Run (Eclipse Sportswire)

Gulf War veteran Wade Yost and his son, Carson, joined TDN Writers’ Room podcast hosts Bill Finley, Randy Moss, and Zoe Cadman on Sept. 23 for an in-depth and emotional discussion of Carson, a 31-year-old stricken with Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome and a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old, Carson’s Run, named in his honor. With the screen displaying the hosts in three quadrants and Wade and Carson, and at times hugging his father, Wade describes how his friendship with fellow United States Military Academy cadet, and West Point Thoroughbreds President, Terry Finely, led to an idea more than 10 years ago to name a horse after Carson.

In rearing Carson, Wade relates the daily challenges that he and his wife, Kim, have faced, but how the incredibly unlikely occurrence of being a part of a winning Thoroughbred has been an uplifting experience for the family.     

“I was watching the NYRA show the day that Carson's Run made his first start at Saratoga, and Maggie Wolfendale interviewed Terry Finley in the winner's circle after he won, and they talked about the story behind the naming of the horse,” said Susan Finley, Thoroughbred Daily News Publisher. “Bill Finley contacted Terry and wrote a story for that day's TDN, and when Carson's Run won the Grade 1 Summer Stakes, Bill decided to invite Wade Jost onto the Writers' Room. We were all very moved by his openness and honesty, and his willingness to discuss Carson's situation and struggles, and what Terry's friendship and the naming of the horse has meant to him.”

“All the credit to Wade Jost, and the incredible team that combines to produce the TDN Writers' Room every week; our hosts Bill Finley, Randy Moss, and Zoe Cadman, to our producers, the TDN’s Katie Petrunyak and Anthony LaRocca, and our editors Alia LaRocca and Nathan Wilkinson from the PW Media Group.”

Wade Yost added about this experience: “It’s been emotional. We just wanted to do something for Carson. We have four children and the other three are really good athletes. They’re grown now, but he was always going with us to their events as they competed in their various sports and was always in the background. So it was one of those things like, let’s give him some limelight—to live vicariously through an animal who can actually run. He’s been confined to a wheelchair from day one. It’s just a phenomenal thing that Terry and West Point Thoroughbreds have done for us.”

The winning entry can be viewed here.

Honorable Mentions in the Multimedia category went to America’s Best Racing for “Experience the Thrill of Winning the Kentucky Derby with Ramiro Restrepo,” which appeared on Bloodhorse.com and on NBCSports.com on May 9, 2023, Greg Charkoudian, Senior Producer; and to TDN for “Will Walden Racing Gives Fresh Start to an Improbable Team,” published on January 11, 2023, Katie Petrunyak, Producer.

Judges in the Multimedia category were: Mike Brunker, former racing writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal; John Engelhardt, 35 years as a producer in TV/radio/podcasts, and current host of The Regular Guy on winningponies.com; and Joe Withee, Director of Broadcast Publicity, Emerald Downs.

Photography –  Carolyn Simancik

Carolyn Simancik/Eclipse Sportswire

Carolyn Simancik, who has been photographing for Eclipse Sportwire since 2018, captured the most dramatic finish of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships in “Trading Horse Paint,” which appeared on the Press Box website on Nov. 4, 2023. Born in Troy, Mi., and currently residing in Weatherford, Texas, Simancik zeroed in on the unrelenting battle in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile between defending champion Cody’s Wish, ridden by Junior Alvarado, and Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, ridden by Flavien Prat.  

With her Canon EOS R3, Simancik captured, the vivid contrast of Cody’s Wish and rider Alvarado covered in dirt, compared to front-runner National Treasure and Prat, virtually unmarked. Owing to the competitiveness of the moment, Prat’s right arm leans into Alvardo with barely inches of daylight between the two colts. Cody’s Wish prevailed by a nose but had to wait out a stewards’ inquiry before being declared the winner.

“It’s the most incredible feeling,” said Simancik on winning the Eclipse Award. “The caliber of photographers you are up against are people I have looked up to for a long time,” mentioning Eclipse Award-winning photographers, Michael Clevenger, Scott Serio, and Alex Evers.

“When I look back at all the photos on the day, that image stood out,” recalled Simancik. “That’s Cody’s Wish, eyes forward, gritty type of horse. He had every opportunity to quit and he won.”

Prior to her full-time work in photography, Simancik was the breeding manager for eight years at the Oklahoma Equine Hospital in Washington, Okla.

The winning photograph can be viewed here.

Judges in the category were: Mark Abraham, freelance photographer and currently deputy director of the United States Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery; Rob Carr, Getty Images/Chief Photographer, Sport; and Mike Kane, veteran Thoroughbred journalist, and photographer.

More information about the Eclipse Awards, including host hotels, can be found at https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/. Should you have any questions please reach out to Michele Ravencraft at mravencraft@ntra.com.