Trainer Kenny McPeek and his team—including jockey Brian Hernandez and exercise rider Danny Ramsey—will be honoured alongside the Backside Learning Center, turf writer Sean Clancy, and broadcaster Laffit Pincay III at the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters' (NTWAB) 64th Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Del Mar, California.
The NTWAB Annual Awards Dinner, the organisation's primary fundraiser, will direct part of its proceeds to support Thoroughbred industry charities and fund internships for aspiring racing journalists. The 2024 NTWAB Awards Dinner will be held at The Brigantine Del Mar, located just a mile from Del Mar Racetrack, which will host the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 1-2.
McPeek and his team will receive the Mr. Fitz Award, which recognises those who embody the spirit of racing. McPeek became only the third trainer in history to achieve the Oaks-Derby double when Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) captured the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby.
The Backside Learning Center, an independent non-profit serving racetrack workers and their families at Churchill Downs and nearby tracks and training facilities, will be honoured with the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing.
Clancy, a former champion steeplechase jockey who transitioned into journalism, will receive the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in turf writing. Alongside his brother Joe, Clancy founded Steeplechase Times in 1994 and The Saratoga Special in 2001, and has earned two Eclipse Awards for his work.
Pincay, son of one of the sport's legendary jockeys, will be recognised with the Jim McKay Award for broadcast excellence. A member of the HRTV team from 2002 to 2015, he later joined ESPN’s coverage of the 2007 Breeders' Cup and became a key figure in the American Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup broadcasts on NBC. Since 2019, he has served as a host for the FOX/NYRA broadcasts covering New York’s racing circuit.