Carlos Morales of Agentes 305, whose horse racing videos have garnered more than six million views over three social media platforms, has been named the winner of the 2024 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year's TVG.com Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park announced today.

First presented in 2012, the Handleman Award honors distinguished media coverage of the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park's showcase race. It is presented annually prior to the Haskell.

Morales, an NTWAB member who serves on the board of directors, started Agentes 305 in 2019 to highlight horse racing through video interviews with owners, trainers, jockeys and backstretch workers in both Spanish and English on YouTube, X and Instagram.

In addition to his recent exemplary Haskell coverage, Morales has done on-site videos from the Triple Crown races, the Breeders' Cup, the Dubai World Cup and the Saudi Cup, traveling the globe to interview racing's key participants.

"I started this with the idea of highlighting horse racing and all of the good things about it," said Morales. "But it's also to showcase and recognize everyone in the business for their contributions to horse racing."

Morales, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, grew up in a racing family, with his family owning or training horses since the 1950s, he said.

The award honors the late Bill Handleman, one of New Jersey's top sportswriters for nearly three decades for the Asbury Park Press. Handleman, a fixture at Monmouth Park and a passionate chronicler of the sport, died in June of 2010 at the age of 62.

The first recipient of the Handleman Award was Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger, followed by Steve Edelson of The Asbury Park Press in 2013, Dave Johnson of Sirius XM in 2014, Ed McNamara of Newsday in 2015, Bob Ehalt of ESPN.com and Bloodhorse in 2016, Tom Cassidy of TVG.com in 2017, Jim Dunleavy of Daily Racing Form in 2018, Mike Farrell of The Associated Press in 2019, Steve Byk of At the Races With Steve Byk in 2020, Matt Shifman of Horse Racing Nation in 2021, John Brennan of usbets.com in 2022 and announcer/TV racing analyst Larry Collmus last year.

--Edited release from Monmouth Park