ESPN named Eclipse winner

ESPN will receive the 2009 Eclipse Award for a live racing telecast on national television for its broadcast production of the Belmont Stakes on June 6, 2009, it was announced on Monday.

The award is the first Eclipse in the national television category given to ESPN, which has become the dominant horse-race broadcaster over the past several years, with live productions of the Belmont Stakes, the two-day Breeders' Cup event, and dozens of graded stakes races. The network, along with its sister operations ABC and ESPN2, is a financial partner of the racing industry for many of its broadcasts.

The Belmont broadcast was produced by Mike McQuade, a senior coordinating producer for ESPN, and was directed by Doug Holmes. The race was televised by ABC.

ESPN will receive the award at the Eclipse Awards ceremony on Jan. 18 in Beverly Hills, Calif.