Lexington, KY (My Sportsbook) - Veteran trainer Larry Jones will be honored later this year by the National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) along with Oak Tree Racing Association founding director Dr. Jack Robbins and international journalist Dan Farley. The three will be recognized at the 50th annual NTWA Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 4. Jones will receive the Mr. Fitz Award that honors an individual or group for typifying the spirit of horse racing. The Mr. Fitz Award is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer Jim 'Sunny Jim' Fitzsimmons. Jones, who is expected to retire at the conclusion of this year, trained 2008 champion three-year-old filly Proud Spell as well as 2007 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Hard Spun. In 2008 his filly Eight Belles also finished second in the Run for the Roses before suffering severe injuries immediately after the race. The filly needed to be euthanized. Dr. Robbins, a president of Oak Tree and past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, will receive the Joe Palmer Award. Named for the former New York Herald Tribune turf writer, the Palmer Award is presented annually for meritorious service to racing. Farley, a past president of the NTWA, will receive the Walter Haight Award named for the former Washington Post turf writer and columnist and presented annually for excellence in turf writing. Farley served as president of the NTWA from 1982 to 1986. The awards ceremony and dinner will be conducted at the Altadena Town and Country Club in suburban Los Angeles. |
