Letter to the Editor: Time to Change Eclipse Award Selection for Horseplayer of the Year

[Wandering Eyes]

As we race into the fall championship season, there are 17 major Eclipse Award titles on the line (excluding the media categories). Whether it is Horse of the Year, leading trainer, or jockey–the final scripts are still unwritten. At the end of the calendar year, three finalists in each category are selected. The 200 or so voting members will then cast their ballots and a single winner in each category will receive the Eclipse Award.

There is one significant exception to this process and that is the award for Horseplayer of the Year. The question is–WHY? Since 2004, with the strong urging of Steven Crist, a Horseplayer Eclipse Award has rightly been presented which recognizes the nation's best handicapper. Since then, this Eclipse Award has been automatically given to the champion of the NTRA's National Handicapping Championship.

But the handicapping contest landscape in 2025 is far different than in 2004. There are now dozens of major handicapping tournaments that generate millions of dollars in pari-mutuel revenues for the industry and the organizations that conduct them (primarily racetracks). For instance, the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) is widely recognized amongst horseplayers as the elite live money tournament of the year, with an entry fee of $10,000 and it generates over $8 million in handle and awards over $1.6 million in prize money.

Numerous tournaments are conducted at Santa Anita, NYRA, Keeneland, Del Mar, Monmouth Park, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, Kentucky Downs, and many other sites. These events attract hundreds and thousands of players, mostly wagering real money through the pari-mutuel pools–thereby creating revenues for the racetracks, horsemen and breeders' groups. These live money events mimic what happens daily at every racetrack in the country.

It is time to acknowledge that the Horseplayer of the Year should be decided in much the same manner as the other Eclipse Awards, with three finalists to choose from. Doing so would better reflect the depth of handicapping talent in our sport. While the $2 Win/Place format has its place at the NHC, other tournament formats demonstrate both handicapping and wagering skills prized by most horseplayers.

For example, one finalist could be the NHC winner, another finalist could be the BCBC champion and the third could be the NHC Tour winner or another choice based on a formula that recognizes overall achievement throughout the year in the other tournaments.

The Eclipse Awards should honor the best of the best, but the current process for selecting Horseplayer of the Year has become outdated. The industry recognizes that horseplayers are a key element of this sport, and their wagering dollars are the lifeblood of this business. It is time to modernize the Horseplayer of the Year Eclipse category to provide a selection process that recognizes the multiple skills found in the horseplayer community.

Kenneth Kirchner has been instrumental in the development of handicapping tournaments, managing the NHC for its first seven years (2000-07); authorizing the first online tourney site (nhcqualify.com); and creating the BCBC in 2009. He continues his involvement though Kentucky Downs Racing.

 

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