Jerry O'Connell to be Eclipse host

Jerry O'Connell, an actor on the NBC television series "Crossing Jordan," will host the Eclipse Awards ceremony on Jan. 24 in Beverly Hills, Calif., the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Tuesday.

O'Connell, who has also appeared in the movies "Stand by Me" and "Jerry Maguire," is a horse racing fan, according to the NTRA, which produces the awards. The ceremony will be televised live by Television Games Network, the cable and satellite horse racing channel.

This year will be the first time that the Eclipse Awards are broadcast live. TVG plans to broadcast 4 1/2 hours of coverage of the event, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern.