WLKY-TV wins Media Eclipse for Local Television

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form

and the National Turf Writers Association announced Monday that WLKY-TV in

Louisville, Kentucky, has won the 2009 Media Eclipse Award for Local Television

for its feature on Tom McCarthy, trainer of Kentucky Derby (G1) contender

GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa), which aired on the station's Derby preview show

on April 29.

The feature was co-produced by John Boel and Scott Eckhardt. This

is the second Media Eclipse Award for WLKY-TV, having previously been honored in

the Local Television category in 2006 for its documentary "Final Foal," the last

offspring of Seattle Slew.

"Given all of the excitement and terrific stories to

come out of horse racing this year, we are ecstatic and extremely honored to win

the Eclipse Award again." Eckhardt said. "Tom McCarthy was a great story of a

local guy taking his best shot at winning the Derby. We loved telling it to

everyone."

The WLKY production team followed the 75-year-old McCarthy, a retired

Jefferson County, Kentucky, school teacher with a one-horse stable trying to win

America's most famous horse race. Filming both at Keeneland and Churchill Downs,

WLKY interviewed McCarthy prior to the Blue Grass S. (G1), where the trainer

relating his experiences of World War II, teaching school, his love of horses

and how he claimed General Quarters. WLKY filmed McCarthy's jubilation while

watching General Quarters' victory in the Blue Grass.

Honorable mention in the

Local Television category went to MSG Plus in New York for its live "Saturdays

at Saratoga" telecast of the Woodward S. (G1) on September 5. WAVE- TV in

Louisville also received honorable mention for its Kentucky Derby Day coverage

on May 3.

Judges for the Local Television category were Jack Coffey of Eclipse

Productions; Stan Isaacs, former Newsday sports television columnist; and Amy

Zimmerman, executive producer of HRTV.