When Britney Eurton was first presented with the opportunity to host the Eclipse Awards, she did not readily embrace it.

Lindsay Czarniak with Eurton (NTRA photo)

She knew racing well as the daughter of former jockey and accomplished West Coast trainer Peter Eurton. The chance to salute the finest in human and equine accomplishments from the previous season was appealing. But while the veteran broadcaster is comfortable in front of a camera speaking to an audience of millions, standing before a packed ballroom involved a very different vibe.

She shared her concerns with veteran NBC producer Amy Zimmerman, a friend and confidante who is like family. Zimmerman responded with sage advice.

“Some of the scariest opportunities are the ones that help you grow the most,” she told her.

Eurton will be front and center, working beside Lindsay Czarniak and co-hosting for the seventh consecutive year when the 55th annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards are held Thursday at The Breakers Palm Beach. Caton Bredar will serve as ceremony announcer.

Eurton now relishes the role she once resisted.

“It’s an adrenaline rush and a challenge I enjoy,” she said. “It’s a night celebrating something I love, horse racing and the people in it.”

The native of Glendora, Calif., was born into the sport. Her earliest memories are of spending time at her father’s barn, watching the whirl of morning activity and visiting with his horses. In victory or defeat, Del Mar summers were always memorable.

Neither Peter nor her mother, Lisa, who owned and operated a jewelry store for more than 30 years, steered her toward racing. She threw herself into dancing and acting, and that was fine with them.

“Horse racing was definitely something I was involved with from a participant standpoint, going with my family, but I never expected to work in it,” said Eurton, 38. “I always wanted to be an actress from age 3.”

She kept that focus as an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California. She intensified her efforts by attending an acting conservatory for two years before she hired an agent and began auditioning for various roles.

Eurton thought she was on her way. Then she was not.

“I ended up not loving it. It’s a real grind,” she said. “I give so many props to people who stick with it for so long because it is not easy.”

Eurton with Nick Luck for NBC Sports in 2022. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Her career took a fortuitous turn when TVG (now FanDuel) had an opening in 2014 and she landed the job. Three years later, she joined NBC Sports and she began reporting on the Triple Crown races in 2018.

She was part of NBC Universal’s Olympics coverage two years ago and hosted the Paris Paralympic Games. She also branched out to the National Women’s Soccer League on Amazon Prime. Whatever the sport, she is a quick study.

“She’s like a sponge. When she has her mind set on something, she throws herself in,” her father said. “She is not the kind to be a know-it-all about anything, but she knows as much as she possibly can.”

While it took time for her to realize it, Eurton is a great fit for all things racing.

“The sport gives you a little bit of everything and I’m so intrigued by what attracts others to the sport,” she said. “I was born in it, but why do others find the sport so fascinating? What draws them to it? Sharing those stories with the public, I don’t get enough of it, honestly.”

She became enamored with the story behind Hot Rod Charlie, a leading 3-year-old in 2021 who went on to be second in the Dubai World Cup the following season. He was owned, in part, by a group of fun-loving Brown University graduates who called themselves Boat Racing. When she interviewed Patrick O’Neill, Boat Racing’s managing partner, after Hot Rod Charlie’s second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, she became enamored with him. They were married last June.

Her most memorable interview involved her father after Storm the Court’s upset victory in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 45.90-1 odds. She struggled to rein in her emotions after the stunning outcome. As the interview neared an end, she heard producer Billy Matthews in her earpiece.

“Britney, it’s OK to be his daughter.”

She closed by telling her father, “I know I’m biased, but I couldn’t be more proud of you now.”

They embraced, providing the international audience with a stirring moment.