Deadline nears for U.S. Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards

Nominations will close Wednesday, Aug. 15, for the third annual U.S. Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

Godolphin is the principal sponsor of the awards, in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protection Association (NHBPA), and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). Godolphin also sponsors the equivalent Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Ireland, Australia, Britain, and France.

A total of six awards, recognizing those who work behind the scenes on the racetrack and at Thoroughbred farms, will carry total prize money of $128,000. The awards will be presented Oct. 31 at Churchill Downs, during Breeders' Cup week, with the latter organization signing on as an event partner this year. Keeneland hosted the event its first two years in the United States, but the Breeders' Cup's return to Kentucky prompted a change in venue.

"One thing I have always loved about racing is the broad spectrum of people who comprise the industry," Breeders’ Cup president Craig Fravel, who was on the final TIEA judging panel last year, said in a recent question-and-answer session conducted by the awards team.

"The racetrack and the farm are both melting pots that bring together people with diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and experience,” he said. “Each part of the business has a unique contribution to the game, and it is important that we as an industry respect and reward those who are hands on with the horses every day. . . . Because the Breeders’ Cup straddles the worlds of the farm and the track, it is particularly appropriate that we support the work Godolphin is doing to make sure this recognition continues."

For more information and to nominate online, visit www.godolphinusawards.com.