Documentary wins Eclipse

"The First Saturday in May," a documentary film produced by the brothers John and Brad Hennegan, has been selected as the Eclipse Award winner for best national television feature, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Friday.

Though the 90-minute film debuted in 2007 and was released in theaters in the spring of 2008, the film qualified under the guidelines for the television Eclipse because it aired on HorseRacing TV, a cable and satellite channel, on Oct. 28. The film, which was well received by critics and praised by many racing fans, tracked the stories of six horses and their connections as they sought a starting berth in the 2006 Kentucky Derby.

John and Brad Hennegan are natives of Huntington, N.Y., whose father was a placing judge for the New York Racing Association. They spent 16 months gathering footage for the documentary.

"We . . . want to thank the entire racetrack community for championing our film from the beginning," said Brad Hennegan in a statement.

The 2008 Eclipse Awards ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Miami Beach.