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From an American perspective, horse racing and anime franchises sound like strange bedfellows. Their demographics could hardly be more disparate, with racing featuring a primarily older demographic, while anime generally appeals more to younger generations who usually aren’t into sports, let alone a niche sport like horse racing.

 Lexington, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2026) ─ The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters today announced the winners of the 2025 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories. Every entry must have been primarily published or aired for the first time between Nov. 16, 2024, and Nov. 14, 2025.

The 2025 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows:

Live Television Programming – FOX Sports, “The Belmont Stakes,” Michael Mulvihill, President – Insight & Analytics, June 7, 2025

The first full week of 2026 on the North American racing calendar is comparatively light in terms of high-profile graded stakes, and the reshuffling of several racedays at Santa Anita Park due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the area has altered the schedule.

American racetracks have for decades dealt with the challenge of how to attract new fans. They have been extremely creative developing VIP experiences, boutique meets, and specialized fan days and events involving concerts, fashion, and themed experiences.

There is now a cultural phenomenon in Japan involving gaming, live music concerts, manga, and anime that is bringing thousands of new young fans into the sport.

As the son of a jockey-turned-jockey’s agent, Elijah Arroyo moved around quite a bit while growing up, typical for a family working in Thoroughbred racing. When the now 26-year-old began working on the racetrack as a teenager, his first job was in the barn of prominent Southern California-based trainer John Sadler.

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