NTWAB Winter Newsletter
Complete Turnout for Eclipse Voting
Good day NTWAB members. Keeping with the transparent tradition of our organization, here
is a spreadsheet that shows the first-place Eclipse Award votes for all our eligible Regular Writer and Regular Broadcaster members.
Of the 145 NTWAB members that received ballots, 145 were submitted. Great work by all, I can’t recall a 100 percent ballot return by any organization in the past! Overall, 224 of the 238 eligible voters from the three voting blocs submitted ballots (94.1 percent).
Voting for the Eclipse Awards remains a serious matter and a great privilege for our members.
On occasion our organization comes under scrutiny for our votes or voting practices, including questions about who is eligible, who should be eligible and how or why they get to cast ballots. This year proved no exception, with a few complaints via social media or to me directly or indirectly. I’ve addresses these concerns, often pointing to our bylaws and membership qualifications.
Another issue arose this year – and in past years – related to conflicts of interest. While it was not mentioned in voting instructions for the Eclipse Awards, members should recuse themselves from any category where they have a conflict of interest. This protects not only the voters’ individual integrity, but also the organization at large. Going forward it will be strongly suggested that any voters with a conflict of interest in any category to abstain from that category. The other voting groups (NTRA and Daily Racing Form) plan to do the same.
Membership Status/Review
Speaking of bylaws. We passed some changes to the bylaws in late 2020 related to membership status, reclassification and an annual review of membership status.
Over the last few months we’ve received a few notifications from members who felt they no longer met the criteria for Regular status (actively and professionally engaged … and “working” Turf writers or broadcasters) and asked to change to Associate status. Another example was a member no longer working in the media and taking themselves out of the organization voluntarily.
These cases were accepted and appreciated. If you feel your membership status might need to be changed, please contact me or NTWAB Secretary Jessie Oswald.
Per the bylaw changes last year “the Board of Directors shall review membership as needed, including at least an annual review beginning in January, to ensure members on a case-by-case basis still qualify on the basis under which they were initially admitted.”
A review is currently underway and the NTWAB Board could be following up to check on your membership status. After the review is complete the NTWAB Board could recommend a change without your request. If you agree with the proposed change you’ll have 30 days to accept and the reclassification will take place immediately. If you do not agree you’ll have 30 days to respond in writing to the NTWAB Secretary. The NTWAB Board will meet to act on the recommended change. Any reclassification over the objection shall require a vote of at least 60 percent of the members of the NTWAB Board.
Triple Crown Media Access
With a little more than 10 weeks until the Kentucky Derby and I reached out to the communications teams for the Triple Crown host tracks this week to see if any plans were in the works for media access in 2021.
We navigated the Belmont, Derby and Preakness, and then the Breeders’ Cup, last year and will formulate a plan for the NTWAB if we’re still seeing restrictions at the host sites. Thankfully NYRA never closed completely to media – frontside or backside – in 2020 and we can hopefully work with them again for the Belmont Stakes and beyond. Updates to come as they roll in.
The tentative plan is for the Derby Week meeting to return to Churchill Downs – Wednesday, April 28 in the Media Center. Additional details to come on the Derby meeting, which will include elections for three of the six director positions (2-year terms).
That’s all for now. I hope 2021 is off to a safe and healthy start. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, ideas, suggestions or complaints. Take care.
Tom Law
NTWAB President
February 18, 2021
Of the 145 NTWAB members that received ballots, 145 were submitted. Great work by all, I can’t recall a 100 percent ballot return by any organization in the past! Overall, 224 of the 238 eligible voters from the three voting blocs submitted ballots (94.1 percent).
Voting for the Eclipse Awards remains a serious matter and a great privilege for our members.
On occasion our organization comes under scrutiny for our votes or voting practices, including questions about who is eligible, who should be eligible and how or why they get to cast ballots. This year proved no exception, with a few complaints via social media or to me directly or indirectly. I’ve addresses these concerns, often pointing to our bylaws and membership qualifications.
Another issue arose this year – and in past years – related to conflicts of interest. While it was not mentioned in voting instructions for the Eclipse Awards, members should recuse themselves from any category where they have a conflict of interest. This protects not only the voters’ individual integrity, but also the organization at large. Going forward it will be strongly suggested that any voters with a conflict of interest in any category to abstain from that category. The other voting groups (NTRA and Daily Racing Form) plan to do the same.
Membership Status/Review
Speaking of bylaws. We passed some changes to the bylaws in late 2020 related to membership status, reclassification and an annual review of membership status.
Over the last few months we’ve received a few notifications from members who felt they no longer met the criteria for Regular status (actively and professionally engaged … and “working” Turf writers or broadcasters) and asked to change to Associate status. Another example was a member no longer working in the media and taking themselves out of the organization voluntarily.
These cases were accepted and appreciated. If you feel your membership status might need to be changed, please contact me or NTWAB Secretary Jessie Oswald.
Per the bylaw changes last year “the Board of Directors shall review membership as needed, including at least an annual review beginning in January, to ensure members on a case-by-case basis still qualify on the basis under which they were initially admitted.”
A review is currently underway and the NTWAB Board could be following up to check on your membership status. After the review is complete the NTWAB Board could recommend a change without your request. If you agree with the proposed change you’ll have 30 days to accept and the reclassification will take place immediately. If you do not agree you’ll have 30 days to respond in writing to the NTWAB Secretary. The NTWAB Board will meet to act on the recommended change. Any reclassification over the objection shall require a vote of at least 60 percent of the members of the NTWAB Board.
Triple Crown Media Access
With a little more than 10 weeks until the Kentucky Derby and I reached out to the communications teams for the Triple Crown host tracks this week to see if any plans were in the works for media access in 2021.
We navigated the Belmont, Derby and Preakness, and then the Breeders’ Cup, last year and will formulate a plan for the NTWAB if we’re still seeing restrictions at the host sites. Thankfully NYRA never closed completely to media – frontside or backside – in 2020 and we can hopefully work with them again for the Belmont Stakes and beyond. Updates to come as they roll in.
The tentative plan is for the Derby Week meeting to return to Churchill Downs – Wednesday, April 28 in the Media Center. Additional details to come on the Derby meeting, which will include elections for three of the six director positions (2-year terms).
That’s all for now. I hope 2021 is off to a safe and healthy start. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, ideas, suggestions or complaints. Take care.
Tom Law
NTWAB President
February 18, 2021
The NTWAB general membership meeting was held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 in the Media Center at Churchill Downs.
For those covering the Belmont Stakes, we hope the following information is beneficial. We appreciate NYRA addressing some challenges our membership experienced covering the event last year. They welcomed our feedback.
My fellow NTWAB members, i t was great seeing many of you in person and those and others on Zoom at our bi-annual meeting during Derby week.
Two-time Eclipse Award winner and NTWAB past president Tom Law, managing editor of ST Publishing which produces The Saratoga Special and Thisishorseracing.com, has been named recipient of the Old Hilltop Award for covering Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction.
With Kentucky Derby week fast approaching, this note serves as a reminder that our upcoming spring NTWAB meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 30, at 11 a.m. ET.
Caton Bredar has been named the recipient of the Charles W. Engelhard Award by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.
Members of the NTWAB, here we are eight weeks away from the May 3 Kentucky Derby! I look forward to seeing many of you at Churchill Downs! Please make a note that our spring NTWAB meeting will take place at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, April 30 at 11 a.m. ET.
To promote transparency, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters annually discloses how its members voted for the top spot in each of the Eclipse Award categories. The attached chart , presented via Google Sheets, may be fully accessed by scrolling both vertically and horizontally.
Twitter posts @NTWAB by Dick Downey
Ed Bowen, a longtime NTWAB member, died on Jan. 20 at his home in Versailles, Ky. at age 82. His memory will be honored at the upcoming Eclipse Awards ceremony.
