The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form
and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Thursday that
Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) has won the 2010 Media Eclipse Award in the
Audio/Multi-Media Internet category for its live coverage of this year’s
Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held November 5-6 at Churchill Downs in
Louisville, Kentucky.
“It’s overwhelming to win the Eclipse Award,” said Mike Penna, president of
HRRN, whose network broadcast more than 100 top Thoroughbred races in 2010.
“It’s the highest honor we have in our sport. To win an Eclipse is the ultimate
recognition for our broadcast team, which has devoted itself to year-round
racing coverage the past six years.”
For its 10 hours of live coverage of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup, HRRN, based in
Lexington, Kentucky, deployed its reporters and analysts to cover a wide range
of news and feature topics surrounding the event, and fed up-to-the-minute
reports from the paddock and trackside on developments occurring throughout both
days of the Championships.
Following live race calls by Trevor Denman, HRRN talent was on the scene for
post race interviews and analysis. Reporter Sean Clancy was on the spot after
the altercation began between jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano
following the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G3) on Championship Friday. Clancy also
described the heart-warming tribute from thousands of fans in the grandstand
cheering the champion mare Zenyatta upon her return to be unsaddled after being
narrowly defeated by Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
“Obviously Zenyatta was the overwhelming story of this Breeders’ Cup,” Penna
said. “We knew that’s why people were tuning in. Our goal for that last hour was
to have listeners feel as though they were there at Churchill Downs with us.”
The HRRN broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was produced by
Adam Frenier and John Edwards. Frenier also served as the on-site production
coordinator. In addition to Penna, who hosted the coverage, the announcer team
was comprised of analysts Jude Feld and Kurt Becker, paddock reporter Clancy and
paddock commentator Roy Steele.
Honorable mention in the Audio/Multi-Media Internet category went to ESPN
Radio, for its live broadcast of the 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 1. John
Martin was the producer. ESPN Radio won the award this category in 2009.
Judges for the Audio/Multi-Media Internet category were: Mike Kane,
Thoroughbred racing journalist; Marc Malusis, WFAN New York radio host and SNY-TV
commentator; and Joe Withee, director of broadcast publicity at Emerald Downs.
The 40th annual Eclipse Awards will be held on January 17 at the
Fontainebleau-Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida.