National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

The National Museum of Racing has announced the finalists for the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot. The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee from a total of 86 candidates put forward by members…

Of the Thoroughbred industry, turf journalists and racing enthusiasts over the past year. Voting by members of the public will be a deciding factor in deciding which four candidates will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jockeys in the running for Hall of Fame honors are Calvin Borel, Chris Antley, Craig Peret, Alex Solis and Garrett Gomez. Trainer Gary Jones, and Thoroughbreds Housebuster, Lure, Shado and Invasor are the remaining candidates.

In a career that started in 1983, Calvin Borel has won 286 stakes races and has the distinction of being the only jockey in US racing history to win the Kentucky Derby three times in four years – his victories being on Street Sense in 2007, Mine That Bird in 2009 and Super Saver in 2010. Borel has notched up 4,999 victories in his career, with purse earnings of $120,044,775.

Chris Antley has a record of 3,480 wins, including 127 graded stakes races and 293 overall stakes victories, with purse earnings totaling $92,261,894 during a career that started in 1983 and ended with his death in December 2000. He won the Kentucky Derby twice – with Strike the gold in 1991 and with Charismatic in 1999.

2007 was a fantastic year for Garrett Gomez, who notched up a record 76 victories in stakes races. He also has no less than 13 Breeders’ Cup wins, was the winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in both 2007 and 2008, and the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner in 2011.

In a career that lasted from 1967 to 2005, Craig Perret won 4,415 races, totaling earnings of $113,837,299. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 1990, the same year he won the Kentucky Derby with Unbridled. In 1987 he won the Belmont Stakes with Bet Twice.

With his career starting in 1982, Alex Solis has won 4,938 races, with earnings of $230,959,903. His wins included 319 graded stakes and 629 overall stakes, and he has won three Breeders’ Cup races.

The results of the voting will be made known on April 26, with the induction ceremony taking place on August 9 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs. The ceremony is open to the public, offering horseracing fans the opportunity to participate in this prestigious event.