The Eclipse Award is the highest honor that can bestowed in horse racing. The NTRA recognized NBC for its coverage of the Preakness Stakes and MSNBC and ESPN2 for feature coverage of thoroughbred horseracing. Photo courtesy Horsephotos/NTRA.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has selected NBC Sports as the winner of its Eclipse Award for national television live racing programming for its production of the 2003 Preakness Stakes.
The telecast, produced by David Michaels, aired Saturday, May 17, from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md. During the network's broadcast of the Preakness Stakes, NBC aired a feature on the “Sackets Six,” introducing the audience to the winning owners of Funny Cide, prior to winning the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown. To date, NBC has won six Eclipse Awards.
Judges for the category were Joel Feld of College Sports Television, Terry Hanson of Hanson Enterprises and Marty Rotberg of PBS affiliate WNET.
The association also awarded MSNBC and ESPN2 with Eclipse awards. The networks tied for first place in the feature category for national television. The MSNBC winner, “Thoroughbred: Stable to Stardom,” from Sierra Tango Productions, which aired Aug. 24, 2003, was produced and directed by Dora Militaru and Craig Delaval. This is MSNBC's first Eclipse Award.
“Seabiscuit: The Making of the Movie, presented by Equibase” which aired July 2 on ESPN2 followed by 12 subsequent airings between July 6 and Aug. 29 on ESPN Classic, was the other first place winner. The production staff included editor Josh Hinkle and cameraman Tom Stone. The award is ESPN's fourth Eclipse for national television and a first for producer Joan Ciampi.
For more information, please visit: www.ntra.com.
