Team McPeek to receive Mr. Fitz Award

Trainer Kenny McPeek and the connections of his horses will be honored this year with the Mr. Fitz Award for “typifying the spirit of racing,” the administrators of the award, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, announced Tuesday.

McPeek’s stable is having a banner year in 2024, having won the Kentucky Derby with Mystic Dan and the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna. In a press release, the NTWAB said it would honor McPeek, his staff, exercise rider Danny Ramsey, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., and the horses’ owners “whose collective efforts and promotion of the sport have created fans and cultivated excitement in horse racing.”

The Mr. Fitz Award will be presented during the NTWAB Awards Dinner, scheduled for Oct. 30 in Del Mar Calif., along with several other awards given annually by the organization:

* Sean Clancy, the co-founder of the Saratoga Special, will be given the Walter Haight Award for “career excellence in turf writing.” A former champion steeplechase jockey, Clancy has won two Eclipse Awards for writing.

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* Laffit Pincay III, a host of the FOX/NYRA broadcasts that appear throughout the year, will receive the Jim McKay Award for “broadcast excellence.” Pincay has previously worked as a host or racing analyst for ESPN and NBC.

* The Backside Learning Center will receive the Joe Palmer Award for “meritorious service to racing.” Located at Churchill Downs, the Backside Learning Center provides support and resources for backstretch workers.

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