The Eclipse Awards are the honors Thoroughbred racing bestows on the very best of the sport. Aside from the coveted titles handed out to horses, journalists, photographers and even live broadcasts of horse racing are also up for prizes. It’s been announced that NBC Sports has earned the Media Eclipse Award in the national television/live racing category for its production of the 2006 Preakness Stakes (G1). This event was the fateful day of Barbaro’s catastrophic injury, and NBC just happened to be on the scene for the race. The NBC telecast poignantly captured the entire scenario, including replays of the start of the race and interviews of track veterinarians and racing officials. NBC even deployed its reporters to the backstretch until Barbaro departed for the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Penn.
“We are extremely proud to continue our long history and tradition of covering Thoroughbred racing by winning the Eclipse Award,” says Sam Flood, who was producing his first Preakness telecast. “We had the dual responsibility of documenting the race, and then quickly picking up the main story of the health and safety of Barbaro.”