Award of Merit goes to Alice Chandler

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Alice Chandler, owner of Mill Ridge Farm, will be presented with the Eclipse Award of Merit for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing. Eclipse Awards are voted on by The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form and The National Turf Writers Association.

"I am just thrilled to be honored with the Eclipse Award," said Chandler, of Lexington, KY. "I have had a wonderful life with thoroughbreds.

"My father (Hal Price Headley) was a great man. He had five daughters before his first son. Horses have been my life. When I was eight-years-old, I rode my pony, Pal, from the farm up to Keeneland. It's been a natural for me. Horses have been my life."

Mrs. Chandler, whose husband Dr. John Chandler is president of the North American division of Juddmonte Farms, will receive the Eclipse Award of Merit on Monday, January 26 at the 38th Annual Eclipse Awards ceremony at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

"Alice Chandler richly deserves to be honored for her lifelong contributions to the thoroughbred industry," said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. "Her remarkable achievements as an owner and breeder, and her service to a wide range of racing organizations over many decades, make her an exemplary choice for the Award of Merit."

Mrs. Chandler began Mill Ridge Farm in 1962 following the death of her father. The operation has bred, raced or sold many stakes winners, including 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given, 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and five Breeders' Cup champions.

As a thoroughbred industry leader Mrs. Chandler has served as chairperson of the University of Kentucky Equine Research Foundation, president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, and a director of the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland Association, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; and a member of the Equine Drug Council and the Gluck Research Center.

Mrs. Chandler was recognized in 2006 by the Kentucky State Senate for her lifelong dedication to the community and to the equine industry.