Gary Stevens, shown winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic as Mucho Macho Man (inside) held off Will Take Charge by a nose, is this year’s Big Sport of Turfdom Award recipient. Mike Kane photo
Gary Stevens, the unretired Hall of Famer who has had a banner season after seven years away from the saddle, is the recipient of the Big Sport of Turfdom Award, it was announced Friday morning by the Turf Publicists of America.
The annual honor, voted on by TPA membership, is bestowed upon a person or group of people who enhance coverage of thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and publicists.
Stevens, whose comeback at age 50 has been one of the year’s biggest stories, won the Preakness Stakes aboard Oxbow, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Beholder and the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Mucho Macho Man. Only one other jockey captured the Distaff and Classic in the same year.
“This year has been crazy and keeps getting better,” Stevens said in a TPA release. “I’m honored. Some of my idols and closest friends have received this award. It’s humbling.”
Stevens returned to the saddle in January, winning a graded stakes within a month of his comeback as Slim Shadey took Santa Anita’s San Marcos. That was the first of 17 graded stakes wins for Stevens so far this year.
“Gary has long been a favorite of racing media and publicists but perhaps never more so than this year, as his remarkable comeback amazed every one of us,” said TPA president Mandy Minger. “Through it all he made himself consistently available with interviews that were both thoughtful and candid.”
During retirement Stevens served as a racing analyst for NBC Sports and the HRTV racing channel.
The Big Sport of Turfdom Award will be presented at the Race Track Industry Program Awards Luncheon on Dec. 10, emceed by Chris Lincoln. It is part of the 2013 Symposium on Racing & Gaming presented by the University of Arizona at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson, Ariz.
The TPA consists of approximately 150 publicity and marketing personnel from racetracks and racing organizations around the country. The Big Sport of Turfdom award has been presented every year since 1966.
Previous winners of the Big Sport of Turfdom Award include jockeys Mike Smith, Pat Day, Laffit Pincay Jr., Chris McCarron, Bill Shoemaker, Angel Cordero Jr. and Eddie Arcaro; trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas, Jack Van Berg and last year’s winner, Graham Motion; as well as individuals who may not be involved in the day-to-day aspect of thoroughbred racing but made significant contributions to the sport including author Laura Hillenbrand, broadcaster Jim McKay, and actors Tim Conway and Jack Klugman.