The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters will honor jockey Ramon Dominguez, racing benefactors Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, broadcaster Jack Whitaker, and sportswriter Bob Fortus at its 54th awards dinner Oct. 30 at The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, Calif.
Dominguez, who will receive the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing, won the Eclipse Award as the leading rider in North America each of the previous three years before an injury in January forced him to retire. He set the single-season record with $25,582,252 in earnings in 2012.
Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, are known for their generous support of racing. They will be honored with the Joe Palmer Award for long and meritorious service to the sport.
Whitaker was a broadcaster for CBS who became known for his elegantly written essays on racing that allowed him to capture the magnificence of Thoroughbreds while sharing his passion for the game. He will be presented with the inaugural Jim McKay Award, which salutes excellence in broadcasting.
Fortus, winner of the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in Turf writing, covered racing with distinction for almost three decades for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was inducted into the Fair Grounds Press Box Hall of Fame in 2011.
