Chandler getting Merit accolade

Alice Chandler, the owner of Mill Ridge Farm Lexington, Ky., and an activist on equine issues, has been selected for the Eclipse Award of Merit, recognizing lifetime achievement in Thoroughbred racing, the administrators of the Eclipse Awards announced on Wednesday.

Chandler, the daughter of Keeneland co-founder Hal Price Headley, founded Mill Ridge in 1962. Since then, the farm has been associated with the champions Sir Ivor, Point Given, and Symboli Kris S; Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo; Kentucky Oaks winner Keeper Hill; and Breeders' Cup winners Artie Schiller, Sweet Catomine, Round Pond, Spain, and Johar.

In addition, Chandler has served as the chairman of the University of Kentucky Equine Research Foundation, president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission's Equine Drug Council, and as a director of the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland Association, and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

"Alice Chandler richly deserves to be honored for her lifelong contributions to the Thoroughbred industry," said Alex Waldrop, the president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which administers the Eclipse Awards with the Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association. "Her remarkable achievements as an owner and breeder, and her service to a wide range of racing organizations over many decades, make her an exemplary choice for the Award of Merit."

The Eclipse Awards ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Miami Beach.