Phipps Family to Receive Inaugural Dinny Phipps Award

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that the Phipps family will be the recipient of the inaugural Dinny Phipps Award when it is presented at the 2017 Belmont Stakes Charity Celebration on Thursday evening, June 8, at the Bryant Park Grill in New York City.

Earle Mack, an active participant in Thoroughbred racing and breeding for more than 50 years, created the new award to honor the legacy of his friend Dinny Phipps for his longstanding dedication to equine health. Phipps, who died April 2016, served as a board member of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation from its inception.

Phipps’ wife, Ande, daughter, Daisy Phipps Pulito, and son, Ogden Phipps II, will be on hand to accept the award.

Trainer Shug McGaughey, who has trained for the Phipps Stable for the past 30 years, will also be in attendance, as will leading jockeys John Velazquez, who rode this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming; four-time Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano, who won last Saturday’s Preakness on Cloud Computing; and Hall of Famer Ramon Dominguez.

“The week of the Belmont Stakes is a special time of the year for horse racing and a perfect opportunity to celebrate New York and our great sport while also paying tribute to a man who did so much for both throughout his life,” said Mack. “Dinny Phipps was a giant in the Thoroughbred racing industry and an uncompromising voice for integrity and horse health. This award was created to recognize Dinny’s enormous commitment to equine welfare and help continue his great work in the years to come.”

Mack commissioned the Odon Wagner Gallery and artist Gary Weisman to create a bronze sculpture to commemorate the new award.

The evening will feature cocktails, dinner and a live jazz performance by The Juilliard School.

The foundation also announced that The Stronach Group has graciously pledged a $25,000 donation to the event.

“Frank Stronach and The Stronach Group have maintained a longstanding dedication to equine health, and we are proud to support an event like this, especially one that honors the late Dinny Phipps,” said Mike Rogers, a member of The Stronach Group’s executive board.

The Bryant Park Grill is located in the heart of New York’s famed Bryant Park, adjacent to the New York Public Library, one of the country’s greatest architectural institutions.

Tickets for the event are available at $300 each and all proceeds from the Belmont Stakes Charity Celebration benefit the ongoing research of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to improve equine health and safety.

Source: The Jockey Club