SI's Tim Layden Receives Eclipse Award for Feature on Chic Anderson's Legendary Belmont Stakes Call

SI's senior writer Tim Layden won a 2018 Eclipse Award for his story on Chic Anderson's call of Secretariat's 1973 Belmont Stakes run.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden has been named a 2018 Eclipse Award winner for his feature story on Chic Anderson's legendary call of Secretariat's run at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

Layden received the prestigious award in the feature and commentary writing category for his piece that weaves details of Anderson's life and career with moments from that infamous day at the race track. Secretariat put on the finest performance of his career at the 1973 Belmont Stakes to win the Triple Crown.

"Chic Anderson's call of the ’73 Belmont is truly one of those great stories that was hiding in plain sight," said Layden. "The race has been watched, replayed and worshipped for so long, and Chic's call has been the soundtrack. I thought his performance that day was astounding, given the scope of the performance, which Chic could never have seen coming. I wanted to learn about the man who gave us those magic words, " 'Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine....' and many others that day."

Layden: Remembering Chic Anderson’s Legendary Call of Secretariat’s Record Run at 1973 Belmont Stakes

Layden won his first Eclipse Award in 1987 while working for Capital Newspapers. His career eventually led him to Sports Illustrated, where he has worked for 24 years covering topics ranging from the NFL to the Olympics. He took over SI's horse racing beat in 2001 from the iconic William Nack.

"Horse racing was the first ‘major’ sport I covered, as an intern at the Schenectady Gazette in 1976," said Layden. "The symmetry of winning an Eclipse Award isn't lost on me. Also, my previous Eclipse, in 1987, led to a job at Newsday, which led to a job at Sports Illustrated. So there's a special place in my heart for that trophy."