The new awards are named in honor of the late Scott Tracy, a popular and prolific videographer and multimedia producer whose award-winning work in the Thoroughbred industry was accomplished primarily for BloodHorse. Tracy passed away unexpectedly in February at age 37. 

The Tracy Awards join the two existing writing awards for a total of four awards annually honoring the best media coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Entries are open now for all categories in the Breeders’ Cup Media Awards. 

“Scott was an outstanding videographer and masterful storyteller whose work portrayed his passion for excellence and the sport of Thoroughbred racing,” said Claire Crosby, Vice President of Communications for Breeders’ Cup Limited. “We are very pleased to honor his legacy by recognizing the dedicated photographers and videographers who annually capture the thrill of the World Championships.” 

Winners of the Breeders’ Cup Media Awards will be announced at the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) annual dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Entry rules for each of the categories appear below. Deadline for all entries is Sept. 26. Entries must be submitted via the Breeders’ Cup Media Awards entry portal. 

Tracy Award for Outstanding Photography 

Submissions in the Photography category are limited to images taken during the week leading up to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, from one of last year’s 14 World Championships races, or from the morning after the World Championships. Eligibility is limited to individuals who were granted media credentials to cover the World Championships. Submissions are limited to one image per individual and must be from a formally recognized media outlet (i.e., trade or general audience websites, magazines or newspapers). Submissions which were posted solely on social media outlets are excluded from the competition. When submitting your image to the Breeders’ Cup portal, please include 1) a Cover Letter stating your name and email address. Include the name of your media outlet, the date your image was posted, and a caption describing your image, i.e., “Photo finish of the 2024 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile.” Please also include a web link or digital scan of magazine/newspaper page featuring the photo in your cover letter. The link is not for judging purposes, just proof of published work. 2) Submit your image as a jpeg or another professionally recognized format. As this is a blind competition, do not embed your name or publication name onto the image or utilize it as part of the file name. Be sure to delete all metadata so the photographer’s name does not appear anywhere within the image. Deadline for entry is Friday, Sept. 26. 

Tracy Award for Outstanding Videography 

Submissions in the Videography category are limited to features, profiles, sizzle reels, and news reports produced during the week leading up to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, during the World Championships, or from the morning after the World Championships. Eligibility is limited to individuals who were granted media credentials to cover the World Championships. Submissions are limited to one video per individual and must be from a formally recognized media outlet (i.e., trade or general audience websites, television station, streaming service, or YouTube channel). When submitting your video to the Breeders’ Cup portal, please include 1) a Cover Letter stating your name and email address, media outlet, category for competition, and the title of your video. Please also include a web link to the video in your cover letter. The link is not for judging purposes, just proof of published work. 2) Please upload your video link. As this is a blind competition, please remove all identifying logos and intro/end slates with company branding and do not utilize your name or publication name as part of the file name. 

Joe Hirsch Award for Outstanding News Reporting  

Submissions in the News Reporting category are open to those affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, or internet site, and are limited to one entry per person. The submission must be a focused recap article of a 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships race. Your submitted article may be from a Breeders’ Cup race that took place on Friday, Nov. 1, or from a Breeders Cup race that took place on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Please submit your entry to the Breeders’ Cup portal with 1) a Cover Letter and 2) Clean document for judging purposes. Your cover letter must include the category for competition, name of publication, date the article was published, and the headline of the article. Please also include a web link to the article in your cover letter. The link is not for judging purposes, just proof of published work. 2) Submit a clean document of your submission in Microsoft Word document or a similar format, and include a timestamp of the article at the top of the document to verify the time of publication. Make sure you do not place your byline or the name of your publication on your clean document that will be judged. 

Bill Leggett Award for Outstanding Feature Writing 

Submissions in the Outstanding Feature Writing category are open to those affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, or internet site, and is limited to one entry per person. (You do not need to have been credentialed for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup to enter this category). Your submission must be focused on a feature aspect of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships: an advance story on a race, an individual profile, a column, or a business article. Please submit your entry to the Breeders’ Cup portal with 1) a Cover Letter and 2) Clean document for judging purposes. Your cover letter must include the category for competition, name of publication, date the article was published, and the headline of the article. Please also include a web link to the article in your cover letter. The link is not for judging purposes, just proof of published work. Submit a clean document of your submission in Microsoft Word document or a similar format. Make sure you do not place your byline or the name of your publication on your clean document that will be judged. 

Edited Breeders' Cup release