Thursday, October 24, 2013 Contact: Eric Wing ewing@nyrainc.com Entries for Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award close November 15 ELMONT, N.Y. - Entries for the Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award, which recognizes outstanding print and internet coverage of the Belmont Stakes, will close on November 15. Open to any member of the print/internet media who covered the 145th Belmont Stakes, won by Palace Malice, the fifth annual Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award is accepting entries in two categories: Belmont Stakes feature/advance, and Belmont Stakes wrap-up/follow-up. Entries (hard copy only) 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 mailed to Eric Wing, Director of Communications and Media Relations, The New York Racing Association, Inc., PO Box 90, Jamaica, NY 11417, postmarked no later than Friday, November 15, 2013. No electronic submissions will be accepted. The award is named in honor of Joe Hirsch, the longtime executive sports columnist for Daily Racing Form (DRF) who died on Jan. 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. The winners will be announced in June and will be presented with an engraved crystal bowl at the traditional post position draw prior to the 146th running of the Belmont Stakes. Previous winners were 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; and this year's recipients, Mike MacAdam of The Daily Gazette of Schenectady, N.Y., and Claire Novak, writing for ESPN.com -30-
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