Shoemaker profile wins an Eclipse

NEW YORK - A profile of jockey Bill Shoemaker by ESPN Classic has earned the Eclipse Award for national television in the feature category, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Tuesday.

The hour-long profile was broadcast on June 8 and was produced by Mark Shapiro and Jim Cohen of ESPN Classic. The broadcast was part of the network's "Top 50 and Beyond" series that examines the lives of top athletes.

"This was a very unbiased, fair report on Willie Shoemaker's life and career," said Paul Lucey, a producer for Fox Sports Net and a judge for the Eclipse.

"They talked to a lot of people and got many different viewpoints on his career."

The award will be presented at the annual Eclipse dinner on Feb. 18 in Miami.