Ed Fountaine of the New York Post and Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form earned top honors as The
New York Racing Association, Inc., (NYRA) announced the winners of the second annual
Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Contest, recognizing the best in print and internet
coverage of the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes in 2010.
Fountaine won in the wrap-up/follow division for his story that
appeared in the Monday, June 7 edition of the Post entitled: “Mott back
to work after historic win.” The article began, “What does a Hall
of Fame horseman do after he wins his long-elusive first Triple Crown
race?” in which Mott, often humorously, described his thoughts and
feelings following Drosselmeyer’s victory. The full article can be viewed
online by clicking
here.
Privman earned top honors in the feature/advance category for a story
on trainer Alexis Barba that appeared in DRF’s Thursday, June 3 edition
and ran under the headline: “Barba can’t help looking back.”
As Barba prepared Make Music for Me for the Belmont Stakes, Privman sensitively
portrayed the trainer and her memories of late trainer Eddie Gregson, with whom
she had worked for nearly 20 years and who had taken his life 10 years earlier.
The article can be viewed online by clicking here.
Fountaine and Privman will each receive an engraved Tiffany crystal
bowl, which is to be presented Wednesday morning, June 8, at Belmont Park
during the official draw breakfast for the 143rd running of the
Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 11.
The awards are named in honor of Joe Hirsch, the longtime executive
sports columnist for the Daily Racing Form
who died on January 9, 2009. A native New Yorker, Hirsch was known as the dean
of American turf writers and retired in 2003 after a 50-year career covering
racing. Last year’s winners were Bob Fortus of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and David Grening of the Daily Racing Form.