The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters will honor jockey Ramon Dominguez,
racing benefactors Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, broadcaster Jack
Whitaker and sportswriter Bob Fortus at its 54th annual awards dinner on October
30 at The Derby, in Arcadia, California.
Dominguez won the Eclipse Award as the leading rider in North America each of
the previous three years before an injury last January forced him to retire. He
set the single-season record with $25,582,252 in earnings in 2012. He will
receive the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing.
Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, are well known for their generous
support of racing. They will be honored with the Joe Palmer Award for long and
meritorious service to the sport. They served as honorary chairpersons last
summer when Saratoga Springs, New York, celebrated the 150th anniversary of
horse racing there and donated $75,000 as part of a promotion that allowed fans
to make $15,000 wagers. Mary Lou and John are known, among other causes, for
their unwavering support of backstretch workers.
Whitaker was a legendary broadcaster for CBS who became known for his
elegantly written essays on racing that allowed him to capture the magnificence
of Thoroughbreds while sharing his passion for the game. He will be presented
with the inaugural Jim McKay Award, which salutes excellence in broadcasting.
Whitaker was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of
Fame in 2001.
Fortus, winner of the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in turf
writing, covered racing with distinction for almost three decades for the New
Orleans Times-Picayune. He was inducted into the Fair Grounds Press Box
Hall of Fame in 2011. He earned a Red Smith Award for his coverage of the
Kentucky Derby in 1995 and a Joe Hirsch Award for his Belmont Stakes coverage in
2009, the same year the Maryland Jockey Club saluted him with its Old Hilltop
Award.
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