Popular racing analysts to host Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Tuesday that acclaimed broadcasters Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton and Gabby Gaudet will jointly host the 49th Eclipse Awards on Thursday, Jan. 23.

The Eclipse Awards, which honors the 2019 champions of Thoroughbred racing, will be held for the eighth time at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla. This year will mark the first time the Eclipse Awards has had multiple emcees handling the hosting duties.

A native of Connecticut, Courtney has been an accomplished horsewoman since she began riding at the age of 8, training in the hunter-jumper and dressage disciplines. In 2011, she founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Racing for Home, Inc., which is dedicated to re-purposing Off-Track Thoroughbreds for new careers after the racetrack. The venture eventually led to full-fledged passion for the sport of racing and she is currently in her fourth year working for The Stronach Group, covering racing at Gulfstream Park as a paddock reporter, handicapper, and assistant producer.

Courtney has also worked as a content contributor for America's Best Racing, was an analyst and reporter for the Horse Racing Radio Network, and was part of the 2019 Saratoga Live broadcast team for the summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. In addition to balancing her vast work duties, Courtney also won Miss Connecticut USA last year.

Eurton serves as a reporter for many of horse racing’s largest events through her continuing work with TVG Network and NBC Sports, including the Triple Crown, Royal Ascot, and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Eurton began her broadcasting career in 2014 with TVG Network, where she covers Thoroughbred racing across the U.S. and internationally.

Eurton, who made her NBC Sports debut in June 2017 on the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, worked her first Triple Crown for NBC Sports in 2018 and was a co-host for the network’s coverage of Royal Ascot last year. She resides in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. She is the daughter of Peter Eurton, a former jockey and accomplished Thoroughbred trainer.

Gaudet grew up in a horse racing family as her parents, Linda and the late Eddie Gaudet, were trainers in the Mid-Atlantic region. She began her career as a racing analyst and paddock reporter for the Maryland Jockey Club in 2013 and from there went on to cover horse racing nationally at Arlington Park, the Breeders' Cup, and at Gulfstream Park. In 2016, she joined the New York Racing Association's broadcast team as a racing analyst and reporter.

In 2019, Gaudet joined TVG on a year-round basis as an analyst and reporter covering premier racing including the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet, Keeneland and Churchill Downs. In addition to being part of the Keeneland team in April as co-host of “Today at Keeneland” and as paddock commentator, Gaudet expanded her responsibilities with the track to include U.S. sales representation and recruitment. Gaudet is married to trainer Norm Casse. Her sister, Lacey Gaudet, is also a trainer.

Eurton and Gaudet will also be honored as part of the TVG team that won the Live Racing Programming media Eclipse Award for its coverage of Pacific Classic Day on August 17, 2019, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Jeannine Edwards, who enjoyed an award-winning 22-year career with ESPN and ABC, hosted the Eclipse Awards for the seventh time last year. Edwards was unable to take on emcee duties this year due to prior commitments.

Eclipse Awards tickets are available for $425 each, or $4,000 for a table of 10. Additional details can be found on the NTRA website at NTRA.com/eclipse-awards/ or by contacting Casey Hamilton at chamilton@ntra.com.

The “black-tie optional” Eclipse Awards is part of a full week of events that will culminate with the fourth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) on Jan. 25.