The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form
and the National Turf Writers Association announced Monday that WLKY-TV in
Louisville, Kentucky, has won the 2009 Media Eclipse Award for Local Television
for its feature on Tom McCarthy, trainer of Kentucky Derby (G1) contender
GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa), which aired on the station’s Derby preview show
on April 29.
The feature was co-produced by John Boel and Scott Eckhardt. This
is the second Media Eclipse Award for WLKY-TV, having previously been honored in
the Local Television category in 2006 for its documentary “Final Foal,” the last
offspring of Seattle Slew.
“Given all of the excitement and terrific stories to
come out of horse racing this year, we are ecstatic and extremely honored to win
the Eclipse Award again.” Eckhardt said. “Tom McCarthy was a great story of a
local guy taking his best shot at winning the Derby. We loved telling it to
everyone.”
The WLKY production team followed the 75-year-old McCarthy, a retired
Jefferson County, Kentucky, school teacher with a one-horse stable trying to win
America’s most famous horse race. Filming both at Keeneland and Churchill Downs,
WLKY interviewed McCarthy prior to the Blue Grass S. (G1), where the trainer
relating his experiences of World War II, teaching school, his love of horses
and how he claimed General Quarters. WLKY filmed McCarthy’s jubilation while
watching General Quarters’ victory in the Blue Grass.
Honorable mention in the
Local Television category went to MSG Plus in New York for its live “Saturdays
at Saratoga” telecast of the Woodward S. (G1) on September 5. WAVE- TV in
Louisville also received honorable mention for its Kentucky Derby Day coverage
on May 3.
Judges for the Local Television category were Jack Coffey of Eclipse
Productions; Stan Isaacs, former Newsday sports television columnist; and Amy
Zimmerman, executive producer of HRTV.