NTWAB 2021 Award Winners: Photo Essay

From our Annual Awards Dinner held at The Brigantine Del Mar on Nov. 3, 2021, we bring you shots of our award winners and our chief event planner for this wonderful evening.


Dan Smith (left) went to work as a publicist for Del Mar in 1964 and made a lively career there. The Joe Palmer Award was presented to him by Jay Hovdey.



Lenny Shulman was named to receive the Walter Haight Award, which was presented by Frank Angst. Lenny couldn't be at the dinner and addressed the crowd via phone.



Steve Byk was honored with the Jim McKay Award for his prodigious radio work covering all things Thoroughbred racing. The photo includes the charity for whom NTWAB made a donation at Steve's request. Rick Hammerle made the presentation. Donations were made on behalf of all the major award winners.




Mike Shear was on hand to help us honor his dad, John Shear, who was the Santa Anita paddock captain for decades. Gary Mandella riveted the assembled when he told about the Mr. Fitz Award winner, now age 100, saving a 5-year-old girl from an out-of-control horse in the Santa Anita paddock 10 years ago, and later cheerful while hospitalized with a dozen injuries.



Bob Ehalt and Alicia Hughes were the 2021 NTWAB writing award winners.



Julie Sarno (left) provided great leadership organizing the dinner with Loren Hebel-Osborne, and Jay Sarno (right) generously provided and set up sound for the event.

Photos by Loren Hebel-Osborne


Peter Lurie, with the lights of Del Mar and the occasional train behind him, graciously served as Master of Ceremonies at our dinner.

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January 23, 2026
Cutting to the chase, and to the surprise of almost no one, the HORSE OF THE YEAR is SOVEREIGNTY. Other finalists were Forever Young and Journalism. Congratulations!
January 8, 2026
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters today announced the winners of the 2025 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories. Every entry must have been primarily published or aired for the first time between November 16, 2024, and November 14, 2025.
January 4, 2026
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) today announced the finalists for the 2025 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing.
December 26, 2025
The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), with matching financial support from The Jockey Club, has agreed to support a record nine internship applications at horse racing media outlets in 2026, by far the largest group funded since the program began in 2023.
December 4, 2025
It was great seeing so many of you at Del Mar for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup and during our annual NTWAB Awards Dinner and our general membership meeting during Breeders’ Cup week.
December 2, 2025
The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters with matching financial support from The Jockey Club, today announced a substantial expansion of its internship funding program for equine media outlets in 2026. Both organizations have authorized contributions of up to $12,000 each, co-funding potentially eight paid internships designed to bolster staffing in horse racing media and foster the next generation of equine journalists.
By Dick Downey November 1, 2025
A sold-out crowd attended the 65th edition of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Annual Awards Dinner at The Brigantine Del Mar on Oct. 29 where four traditional NTWAB Awards and four Breeders'.Cup Media Awards were presented. Photo array by Skip Dickstein. Narration by Dick Downey with contributions by Byron King.
October 23, 2025
I’m excited to see many of you at our 65th annual NTWAB Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 29, the next day during our bi-annual general membership meeting Oct. 30 at Del Mar in the auxiliary press box, and during the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
October 7, 2025
Lexington, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2025) ─ The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), in conjunction with Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters today released the guidelines for the 2025 Media Eclipse Awards. The media awards are presented by the NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and the NTWAB in recognition of outstanding achievement in media coverage of Thoroughbred racing.
By Dick Downey September 9, 2025
Bill Christine, a multiple award-winning sports and turf writer and former president of NTWAB, died at age 87.