Jay Privman to receive Special Eclipse Award

Jay Privman, the national correspondent for Daily Racing Form for nearly 25 years prior to his retirement last fall, will receive a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence when the awards are handed out on Jan. 26, the administrators of the awards announced on Thursday.

Privman, whose beat at Daily Racing Form included all of the Triple Crown races and the most significant races on the national calendar, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic and its preps, was one of the most well-respected turf writers in the U.S. during his entire career. His retirement last fall capped a four-decade career covering racing and other sports.

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“For over three decades, Jay Privman has been the gold standard for professionalism and objectivity in news reporting,” said Steven Crist, former editor and publisher of the Form. “He is widely respected by both his readers and his fellow journalists throughout the sport, and his exemplary coverage will be missed.”

A native of California, Privman began his professional career at the Los Angeles Daily News, and his early coverage focused on West Coast racing. After 10 years at the Daily News, he was hired as the West Coast editor of The Racing Times, a short-lived competitor to Daily Racing Form co-founded by Crist. He was later the West Coast racing correspondent for The New York Times, and a correspondent for both Thoroughbred Record and Thoroughbred Times for 15 years before moving to the Form.

Privman was inducted in the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2021, and received numerous awards for his work, including nine awards honoring his work covering the Triple Crown races and seven awards for his Breeders’ Cup coverage.

Privman also advocated for his fellow turf writers as a longtime member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. He was also the co-host of a long-running radio show, “Thoroughbred Los Angeles,” and did television work for CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and NBCSN.

The Special Award is not given every year, and it is usually reserved for the acknowledgment of an entire career or a significant achievement. It was last given in 2017 to honor the work done by San Luis Rey Downs in response to a devastating fire and by the Camarero Racetrack Rescue and Response organization, which was mobilized to assist horses in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria.

“This is quite humbling and most appreciated, as it has been bestowed by my peers and those I covered,” said Privman, who resides in Carlsbad, Calif., with his wife, Anne Warner. “I get very emotional seeing whose names have also won a Special Award, like the greatest rider I ever saw, Laffit Pincay Jr., and the great racing journalist Charles Hatton. The number 30 is used in print journalism to signify the end of a story, so I find it incredibly moving to be the 30th recipient of the Special Award at the close of my career.”

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