Nick Luck makes history in US awards

It has been announced that 71-year-old Perry Ouzts – who this summer passed Russell Baze for the most rides by a jockey in North American racing history - will be honoured along with track executive Joe Harper, turf writer Steve Andersen and broadcaster Nick Luck during the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters’ 65th Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, October 29 in Del Mar, California.

The NTWAB Annual Awards Dinner is the organisation’s only fundraiser, and a portion of the proceeds of the event will fund Thoroughbred industry charities and internships for prospective racing journalists. The 2025 NTWAB Awards Dinner will be held at The Brigantine Del Mar, overlooking nearby Del Mar Racetrack, which will host the Breeders’ Cup on October 31 and November 1.

Luck, one of international horse racing’s most respected and recognisable broadcasters, is the recipient of the Jim McKay Award for broadcast excellence, becoming the first non-American to win the prestigious prize.

He rose to prominence through his work with Channel 4 Racing and, of course, Racing TV. His articulate and insightful coverage has resulted in him being named Racing Broadcaster of the Year nine times by the Horserace Writers’ & Photographers Association in Britain. Twice, they honoured him as Reporter of the Year.

In the United States, Luck has been a vital presence in American horse racing television for nearly two decades, widely recognised for his analysis and interviewing skills on display during NBC’s broadcasts of the Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown.

In honoring Ouzts with the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing, the NTWAB recognizes the achievements and astounding longevity of the veteran rider, who began his career in April 1973, just weeks before Secretariat won that year's Triple Crown. Besides holding the mounts record, he is the oldest winning rider in North American racing history.

As of August 25, he had ridden in a record-extending 53,621 races, winning 7,522 times – the fifth-most wins by a North American jockey behind Hall of Famers Baze (12,842), Laffit Pincay Jr. (9,530), Bill Shoemaker (8,833), and Pat Day (8,803). He is reportedly seventh by wins worldwide.

Harper will be honored with the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing, having served as a track executive at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club since 1978, guiding the Southern California track through a period of significant growth. During this time, Harper has overseen Del Mar's emergence as one of the nation's top racetracks for daily average handle and attendance while preserving its unique story.

A native Californian, Harper contributes as a board member for numerous organizations, including as chairman of Winners Foundation, a drug and alcohol counseling center for the California racing industry.

Andersen is the recipient of the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in turf writing. The longtime news correspondent who joined the Daily Racing Form in 1994, Andersen is entrusted with chronicling the news by writing race previews, recaps, notes, and features in coverage of one of the top circuits in the country.

Based in Southern California, Andersen’s passion for the sport extends beyond Flat racing to Jump racing, illustrated by his regular forays to the United Kingdom to attend race meetings, such as those at Aintree and Cheltenham. He also reports on Quarter Horse racing at Los Alamitos, a short drive from his Seal Beach, California residence.