Gutierrez, Puhich to receive Mr. Fitz Award

The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association will honor Kentucky

Derby and Preakness-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez and his agent Ivan Puhich,

recently retired Churchill Downs track superintendent Raymond "Butch" Lehr and

two-time Eclipse Award recipient Bill Mooney at its annual awards dinner on

October 31 in Arcadia, California.

Gutierrez, 25, and Puhich, an agent since 1944, will receive the Mr. Fitz

Award, named for the late Hall of Fame trainer James "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons,

for typifying the spirit of racing. Gutierrez rose from the relative obscurity

of Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver to sweep the opening two legs of the Triple

Crown aboard I'll Have Another.

The precocious Gutierrez, drawing from Puhich's vast knowledge, displayed

remarkable patience and poise in delivering two masterful rides before I'll Have

Another was retired with a career-ending injury the day before his Triple Crown

bid. Gutierrez handled that setback with the same grace that accompanied his two

memorable triumphs, yet another positive reflection on Puhich.

Lehr, an industry leader in safety programs and initiatives during his 30

years as track superintendent at famed Churchill Downs, will be honored with the

Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing. Palmer was an esteemed turf

writer at the New York Herald Tribune.

Lehr was renowned for personally grading the track to ensure uniformity, and

Churchill was regarded as one of the nation's safest courses under his watch. He

also oversaw the design and construction of the Matt Winn Turf Course, which

opened in 1986 and is celebrated as one of the finest surfaces of its kind.

Mooney will accept the Walter Haight Award, named for the former

Washington Post turf writer and columnist, for excellence in turf writing.

Mooney is a two-time Eclipse Award winner, earning that prestigious honor in

1985 and 2007. He authored The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing and

co-authored Keeneland's Ted Bassett: My Life. The latter was chosen for

the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award in 2010.

Mooney owns more than a dozen American Horse Publication awards and was cited

twice with the David Woods Award for the best Preakness story, befitting his

status as one of the finest writers of his era.

For more information, please contact Tom Pedulla, NTWAB president, at

646-337-6955 or tpedulla23@gmail.com.

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