Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award entries now being accepted

by NYRA Press Office

Entries for the Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award, which recognizes outstanding news coverage of the Belmont Stakes, are now being accepted.

The award is named in honor of Joe Hirsch, the longtime executive sports columnist for Daily Racing Form (DRF) who died on January 9, 2009. A native New Yorker, Hirsch was known as the dean of American turf writers. He retired in 2003 after a 50-year career covering racing.

Open to any media member who covered the 2019 Belmont Stakes, won by Sir Winston, the eleventh annual Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award is taking entries in two categories: Belmont Stakes feature/advance and Belmont Stakes wrap-up/follow-up.

Entries must be accompanied by a cover letter, signed by the author, stating the wish to enter the contest. The cover letter is to also include contact information, publication information, and the entry category. No entry fee is required.

Submissions should be submitted via email to Patrick Kobel at [email protected]. Entries may also be submitted via regular mail to:

Communications Department
Aqueduct Racetrack
110-00 Rockaway Blvd.
South Ozone Park, NY 11420

Submissions should be submitted no later than Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Awards will be presented at the Belmont Stakes Draw.

The winners will be announced in the Spring. Previous winners include David Grening of DRF and Bob Fortus of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans in 2010; Ed Fountaine of the New York Post and DRF's Jay Privman in 2011; Ed McNamara of Newsday and Todd Simmons of the Staten Island Advance in 2012; Mike MacAdam of The Daily Gazette of Schenectady, N.Y., and Claire Novak, writing for ESPN.com in 2013; Bob Ehalt of ESPN.com and Nicole Russo of DRF in 2014; Alicia Wincze Hughes of the Lexington Herald-Leader and Tom Law of ST Publishing in 2015; Richard Rosenblatt of The Associated Press and Joe Clancy of ST Publishing in 2016; Bob Ehalt of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary and Tom Law of ST Publishing in 2017; and Paul Volponi of BloodHorse and Jon White of XBTV in 2018.