Eclipse Awards: ESPN, HRTV, Thoroughbred Times win in media categories

ESPN, HRTV, and Thoroughbred Times have won Media Eclipse Awards, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Thursday.

ESPN won for television-live racing programming for its telecast of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The one-hour program at Churchill Down on Nov. 5 culminated with the upset victory of Drosselmeyer over Game On Dude in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This is the third consecutive Media Eclipse Award in the live television category for ESPN, which won the award last year for its Breeders’ Cup Classic telecast on ESPN and for its 2009 telecast of the Belmont Stakes, shown on ABC.

HRTV won in the television-features programming category for its documentary “Inside Information: Randy Romero,” about the life of the Hall of Fame jockey. The program aired on Dec. 26, 2010.

This is the second consecutive Media Eclipse Award won by HRTV for programs that were written and produced by the network. Last year, HTRV won the television-features award for “Inside Information: Swale” about the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner.

The Thoroughbred Times web site, Thoroughbredtimes.com, won in the audio/multi-media Internet category for its coverage of this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Throughbredtimes.com utilized daily “On the Scene” videos containing backstretch interviews with the major trainers, owners and jockeys participating in the Breeders’ Cup.