Eclipse Awards ceremony slated for Jan. 19 at Gulfstream

The 2013 Eclipse Awards ceremony has been scheduled for Jan. 19 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., the organizer of the event announced on Thursday.

For the first time this year, the Saturday night ceremony will be tied together with several other events in the week leading up to the dinner, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. The lead-up events include a golf tournament, celebrity poker and slots tournaments, autograph sessions with previous Eclipse Award winners and nominees, a handicapping tournament that will qualify the winner for the National Handicapping Championship, and a handicapping exposition put together by Daily Racing Form.

Gulfstream Park is owned by the Stronach Group, a private racetrack company owned by Frank Stronach, a multiple Eclipse Award winner. A casino is located at the track.

“We look forward to hosting a weeklong series of events culminating with the Eclipse Awards and a great holiday weekend of racing and entertainment,” said Timothy Ritvo, the general manager of Gulfstream and the chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, in a release. “We are committed to making this a memorable Eclipse Awards for all who attend and for all of our racing fans in South Florida.”

The Eclipse Awards honors the past year’s champion racehorses and the top vote-getters in categories for owners, trainers, breeders, and jockeys. In addition, awards are also given to media individuals and companies for work done in the previous 12 months.