Claire Novak
Ms. Novak is one of Thoroughbred racing’s most recognizable writers. A Chicago native, she has covered racing for some of the nation’s best-known outlets, including The New York Times, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, the Associated Press, NBC Sports, and Athlon Sports. She is a former staff writer and current correspondent for The Blood-Horse Magazine, and has also served as a guest correspondent for Lady Luck, the seasonal television show produced by horse racing’s leading television network, TVG. In 2009 she was recruited to become the youngest member of that year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships' notes team, a position she maintains to this day. She is a lifelong equestrian and is therefore intimately acquainted with the sport she covers. She is also a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), and the Lexington Young Professionals Association. Claire Novak, writing for ESPN.com, earned top honors in The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) fourth annual Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Contest, recognizing the best in print and internet coverage of the 2012 Belmont Stakes, won by Union Rags. Novak won top honors in the feature/advance division for her story that appeared on June 8 on ESPN.com entitled “Unforgettable Day at Belmont Park.” The article chronicled the events of June 8, when Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another was scratched from the Belmont, becoming the first horse in 78 years to win the Derby and Preakness and miss the third jewel of the series.
