Justin Mustari

The 51st annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony will be held Thursday at Santa Anita beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Honoring Thoroughbred racing's 2021 champions, horse and human awards in 17 categories will be presented during the program, culminating with the announcement of the 2021 Horse of the Year. Also during the ceremony, Ambassador Earle Mack will be presented with the Eclipse Award of Merit and Justin Mustari will be honored with an Eclipse Award as the 2021 Horseplayer of the Year. TVG's coverage will begin with a "Green Carpet" Preview Show...

Justin Mustari, a 26-year-old horseplayer from Des Plaines, Ill., won the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally's Las Vegas. Mustari became the youngest winner in 22 editions of the NHC. He competed against a field of 563 entries over the three-day tournament from Aug. 27-29, winning the $725,000 first-place prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year. He also earns an exemption into next year's NHC finals and a berth to the 2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge worth $10,000. Mustari's...