Horse Racing Radio Network has won the 2010 Media Eclipse Award in the audio/multi-media internet category for its live coverage of this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs.
“It’s overwhelming to win the Eclipse Award,” said Mike Penna, President of HRRN, in a release. “It’s the highest honor we have in our sport. To win an Eclipse is the ultimate recognition for our broadcast team, which has devoted itself to year-round racing coverage the past six years.”
For its 10 hours of live coverage of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup, HRRN, based in Lexington, deployed its reporters and analysts to cover a wide range of news and feature topics surrounding the event, and fed up-to-the-minute reports from the paddock and trackside on developments occurring throughout both days of the championships.
Following live race calls by Trevor Denman, HRRN talent was on the scene for post race interviews and analysis. Reporter Sean Clancy was on the spot after the altercation began between jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano following the Breeders’ Cup Marathon Nov. 5. Clancy also described the heart-warming tribute from thousands of fans in the grandstand cheering the champion mare Zenyatta upon her return to be unsaddled after being narrowly defeated by Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“Obviously Zenyatta was the overwhelming story of this Breeders’ Cup,” said Penna. “We knew that’s why people were tuning in. Our goal for that last hour was to have listeners feel as though they were there at Churchill Downs with us.”
The HRRN broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was produced by Adam Frenier and John Edwards. Frenier also served as the on-site production coordinator. In addition to Penna, who hosted the coverage, the announcer team was comprised of analysts Jude Feld and Kurt Becker; paddock reporter Clancy and paddock commentator Roy Steele.
Honorable mention in the audio/multi-media internet category went to ESPN Radio, for its live broadcast of the 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) May 1. John Martin was the producer. ESPN Radio won the award this category in 2009.
Judges for the audio/multi-media internet category were: Mike Kane, Thoroughbred racing journalist; Marc Malusis, WFAN New York radio host and SNY-TV commentator; and Joe Withee, director of broadcast publicity at Emerald Downs.
The 40th Annual Eclipse Awards will be held Jan. 17 at the Fontainebleau - Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Fla.