The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form will honor Jay Privman with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence at the 52^nd Annual Eclipse Awards at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Jan. 26. 

A highly respected member of his profession by Thoroughbred racing’s participants and peers alike, Privman’s career went far beyond his work covering horse racing. He is actively involved in many charitable endeavors, and as a key member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters has provided insightful guidance on matters affecting his colleagues and the sport.

"This is quite humbling and most appreciated, as it has been bestowed by my peers and those I covered," Privman said. "I get very emotional seeing whose names have also won a Special Award, like the greatest rider I ever saw, Laffit Pincay Jr., and the great racing journalist Charles Hatton. The number 30 is used in print journalism to signify the end of a story, so I find it incredibly moving to be the 30th recipient of the Special Award at the close of my career."

As a college student working part-time for The Los Angeles Daily News, Privman covered his first race in 1980 – eventual Hall of Fame inductee Spectacular Bid’s victory in the Malibu Stakes. He went on to work for The Daily News full-time from 1981 through 1991, then became West Coast editor for The Racing Times (1991 to 1992) and a West Coast correspondent for The New York Times (1992 to 1998). He also was a correspondent for The Thoroughbred Record and The Thoroughbred Times (1983 to 1998).

Privman is best known across the country for his work at Daily Racing Form, which he joined in October 1998 as national correspondent, eventually taking over the popular Derby Doings column that was launched decades earlier by one of his mentors, longtime Daily Racing Form columnist Joe Hirsch. Privman and Hirsch are both members of the National Museum of Racing Roll of Honor. That esteemed group is named after Hirsch, and Privman was called to join it in 2021.

After Privman announced his retirement from DRF in September 2022, Flightline's romp in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar was the final major race he covered for the publication.

"For over three decades, Jay Privman has been the gold standard of professionalism and objectivity in news reporting," said Steven Crist, former Editor-in-Chief at The Racing Times and former CEO and Publisher of DRF. "He is widely respected by both his readers and his fellow journalists throughout the sport, and his exemplary coverage will be missed."

Privman has been a regular presence and influence at the semi-annual meetings of NTWAB held during Derby and Breeders' Cup weeks during his decades of service. He served as NTWAB president in 2000 and 2001 and was on its board of directors for many years.

In addition to a distinguished career in turf writing, Privman covered horse racing on television for CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and NBCSN. Radio was also within his domain -- Privman was the longtime co-host of the radio show Thoroughbred Los Angeles on KLAA-AM 830.

Privman worked tirelessly to tell the story of Thoroughbred racing, turning what he describes as a childhood hobby into a true vocation, one that lasted more than four decades. He was a mainstay on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, covering many major races leading to the Run for the Roses and Triple Crown. He covered every Kentucky Derby from 1982 through 2019, missing 2020 and 2021 because of covid restrictions and surgery for bladder cancer, respectively. He returned for a final Triple Crown go-round in 2022. Privman was there for every Breeders’ Cup from the inaugural in 1984 through 2021 except the pandemic-marred 2020 running.

Privman authored the books “Breeders’ Cup: Thoroughbred Racing’s Championship Day,” and “Del Mar at 75” and was a contributing writer to the DRF book “Champions.” He reported on eight Eclipse Award-winning television and radio broadcasts: three each with ESPN and NBC and one each with Sirius Radio and Fox Sports West 2.

Privman earned numerous other honors for his Thoroughbred racing coverage. He is a six-time winner of the Red Smith Award (1989, 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2008) from Churchill Downs for the best Kentucky Derby story; a two-time winner of the David F. Woods Award (2002, 2013) from the Maryland Jockey Club for the best Preakness Stakes story; and a two-time winner of the Joe Hirsch Award (2010, 2016) from the New York Racing Association for the best Belmont Stakes story.

Privman’s Breeders’ Cup awards include six Joe Hirsch Awards (2001, 2003, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2018) for news reporting and the Bill Leggett Award (2017) for feature writing. Other honors include the Old Hilltop Award from the Maryland Jockey Club (2005); Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers Association (2005); induction into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (2011); and the Charles W. Engelhard Award from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (2016).

Privman and his wife Anne Warner reside in Carlsbad, CA, 11 miles from the first track he ever attended, Del Mar.

NTRA release edited by Dick Downey