Daily Racing Form and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Dec. 16 the launch of the 2011 Eclipse Horse of the Year Fan Vote Sweepstakes. The free-to-enter sweepstakes requires fans to select the horse they feel deserves to win the 2011 Horse of the Year award, which will be announced Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, at the 41st annual Eclipse Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Fans are also encouraged to cast their votes in a host of other Eclipse Award categories. All voters will be entered into a random drawing for a trip for two—including airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, and event tickets—to January’s Eclipse Award ceremony, plus box seats and VIP access for a day of racing at nearby Santa Anita Park.
Voting is available at www.drf.com/eclipse and will continue until 3:00 p.m. Jan. 3, 2012. The prize winner will be drawn on or about Jan. 4. Following the close of voting, but prior to the Eclipse Awards, DRF and the NTRA will release the fans’ top choices in each Eclipse Award category, including Horse of the Year. The sweepstakes is open to U.S. and Canadian (excluding those in the province of Quebec) residents. For official rules, visit www.drf.com/eclipse.
Among the contenders for 2011 Horse of the Year is Havre de Grace, who would be the third consecutive female winner of the award following Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Zenyatta (2010). Actual Eclipse Award voting takes place among designated representatives of the NTRA, DRF, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
“For 117 years Daily Racing Form has been thoroughbred racing’s storyteller and a voice for the fan,” said John J. Hartig, CEO of Daily Racing Form, in a release. “As important as the athletes and industry participants are to racing, it’s ultimately the racing fans and players who enable it to prosper. As these champion horses and jockeys have crossed the wire, it’s the fans we’ve heard cheering at the finish line. DRF celebrates that voice and their love of the game.”
“We look forward to seeing how the fans’ opinions compare to those of the Eclipse Award voters, and also to hosting one lucky fan and his or her guest in Beverly Hills,” added Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of the NTRA, in a statement.
Tickets to the Eclipse Awards are available for $400 each or $4,000 for a table of 10. For ticket purchases and room reservations, contact Michele Ravencraft of the NTRA at mravencraft@ntra.com, or call (859) 422-2657. Order forms for tickets are available at www.ntra.com/eclipsetickets.