In advance of the 2017 O'Brien Awards, Trot Insider features the two finalists in the Outstanding Broadcast category of the Media Excellence Awards.

Sponsored by Ontario Racing for the second consecutive year, the Media Excellence Awards program is aimed at honouring those who have, through one piece of exceptional work, covered Canadian harness racing in a manner that is extraordinary and of broad national appeal. 2017 marks the tenth year for this program.

In the Outstanding Broadcast category, the video feature Ralph Klein & Lady Luck, produced by Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) and Hope and Resilience, produced by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), are the finalists. Horse Racing Alberta won this award in 2008 and 2009 and WEG is a six-time winner of the award, with its most recent accolades in 2016.

The video feature Ralph Klein & Lady Luck appeared on Horse Racing Alberta’s website and social media platforms on August 2, 2017. Produced in co-operation with Mike Little of Shine Light Entertainment, the piece sets the stage for a classic battle in the Ralph Klein and Lady Luck Stakes on August 7, 2017 at Century Downs by profiling the horses, trainers, drivers and the people behind the top contenders.

Hope and Resilience aired across Canada during the Pepsi North America Cup broadcast on TSN3 and TSN5 television networks on Saturday, June 17, 2017 from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. (EST). The feature tells the story of how the trainers that were stabled in Barn 1 at Classy Lane Training Centre are coping a year after the tragic barn fire, thanks to the outpouring of support from the horse racing community.

The winners of the Outstanding Broadcast, Photography and Written Work categories will be announced at the O’Brien Awards Gala on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario.

Tickets for the 2017 O'Brien Awards are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Industry Marketing Department at 905-858-3060.

Follow the latest updates on the O’Brien Awards on Standardbred Canada’s Facebook Event page and on the SC website.