Secretariat Nominated for 2013 CHRHF Honor
Details of the election ballot for the 2013 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (CHRHF) have been released, with the results of the election process due to be made known on April 9, 2013. Changes in the eligibility criteria mean horses outside Canadian borders can be considered as inductees into the CHRHF if they have made a noteworthy contribution to the sport in Canada…
Top of the list in the Thoroughbred Veteran Horse category this year is American Thoroughbred Secretariat, while American Standardbred champion Niatross has been named in the Standardbred Veteran Horse category. A twenty-member election committee will consider three nominees in each of the six categories for Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. Nominees need a minimum of eight votes to be inducted into the CHRHF, so technically all three nominees stand a chance of receiving this honor.
Secretariat (1970-1989) made only one appearance in Canada, but it went down in horse racing history and put Woodbine Racetrack in the international spotlight. Running against older horses in the Canadian International Stakes, Secretariat won the race – the last of his successful career, during which he won 16 of his 21 career races with a total of $1,316,808 in earnings. Other honors received by American Triple Crown winner Secretariat include Horse of the Year as a three-year-old, as well as Eclipse Awards for American Champion Male Turf Horse and American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.
As the son of Albatross, out of the mare Niagara Dream, Niatross was unbeaten in 13 starts and was named Harness Horse of the Year in his two-year-old season. He went on to win 37 of the 39 starts in his harness racing career, with earnings totaling $2,021,213. He went down in history as the first Standardbred to win $2 million and the first Standardbred to break the 1:50, 1:51 and 1:52 barriers.
Nominees for the 2013 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame are:
Standardbred Male Horse: Admirals Express, Blissful Hall and Rocknroll Hanover
Standardbred Female Horse: B Cor Tamara, Eternal Camnation and JCS Nathalie
Standardbred Trainer-Driver: William Gale, Carl Jamieson and Wally Hennessey
Standardbred Builders: John B Ferguson, Dr Ted Clarke and William Rowe
Standardbred Veteran Horse: Albatross, Artsplace and Niatross
Standardbred Communicators: Harry Eisen, Doug Harkness and Bill Galvin
Thoroughbred Male Horse: Peaks & Valleys, Soaring Free and Mt Sassafras
Thoroughbred Fillies and Mares: Apelia, Sealy Hill and One for Rose
Thoroughbred Jockeys/Trainers: Sid Attard, JG Lavigne and Phil England
Thoroughbred Builders: Jim Sabiston, WD Graham, John Sikura Jr.
Thoroughbred Veteran Horse: Dahlia, Secretariat and All Along
Thoroughbred Communicators: Bruce Walker, Wally Wood and Curtis Stock
