Solis, Romero and Prado, 2008 Hall of Fame Finalists
In the year 1950, the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame started paying tribute to trainers, jockeys and horses that have performed outstandingly and that have contributed positively to the racing industry. This year there are many worthy nominations for inductions into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame, such as jockeys Alex Solis, Randy Romero and Edgar Prado.
Edgar Prado was born in Lima, Peru, on 12 June 1967. In his magnificent twenty five year racing career, he has earned over $200 million in purse winnings and has partnered up with many legendary horses such as Barbaro, Bluegrass Cat, Sarava and Birdstone. It seems that every horse that Prado mounts immediately turns to gold, as he has ridden many long shots and least favorites to victory. He is also the sixteenth jockey in the United States to have won six thousand races. Edgar Prado has proved himself to be an outstanding horseman and an asset to the horse racing industry.
Alex Solis is originally from Panama, born in 1964, and has established himself as one of the leading jockeys in the United States. Solis was rocketed to stardom in 1986 when he rode Snow Chief to the winners circle in the Preakness Stakes. Some of his famous mounts include Brother Derek, Victory Gallop, Captain Bogdit, Pleasantly Perfect, Johar, Aptitude and Minister Eric. Solis has brought home purse earnings of over $16 million. The Calder Race Course Hall of Fame recognized his dedication to horse racing by inducting him in 2002.
Randy Romero was also named a finalist, with a distinguished twenty six year career in horse racing. He is known for his longstanding partnerships with Go For Wand and Personal Ensign. He retired from the industry in 1999 with a total of more than $75 million in purse earnings and 4 294 wins under his belt.
In the female horses division, Open Mind, Sky Beauty, Inside Information and Silverbulletday have been named as finalists, with male horses Tiznow, Best Pal and Manila contending for the same honor. Trainers Robert Wheeler and Carl Nafzger have been named under their division. Winning inductees will be announced at a lavish ceremony in April, with their induction into the pages of history taking place in August.
And with the new finalists and Hall of Fame fever gripping the racing industry, its limited categories for inductees has once again come under scrutiny. Even though every horse and person inducted into the Hall of Fame definitely deserves to be there, it is felt that others who tirelessly dedicate their lives to the sport should also be honored. People such as world famous breeder of Secretariat, Christopher Chenery, mechanical starting gate inventor, Ogden Phipps, and the many others who contribute in their own unique way should be remembered and tribute paid to their efforts. It is a subject of heated debate, but for now, another group of outstanding achievers will be added to the list of honor.
