2013 National Museum of Racing has 10 final nominees for the Hall of Fame
- National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
Five jockeys, four Thoroughbreds, and one trainer comprise the 10 finalists on the National Museum of Racing’s 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, as selected by the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The candidates are: jockeys Chris Antley, Calvin Borel, Garrett Gomez, Craig Perret, and Alex Solis; Thoroughbreds Ashado, Housebuster, Invasor, and Lure; and trainer Gary Jones.
Hall of Fame voters may select as many candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. The four candidates with the highest vote totals will be elected.
The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame’s 16-member Nominating Committee from a total of 86 candidates suggested throughout the year by turf journalists, Thoroughbred industry participants, and racing fans. To be eligible, trainers must have been active for 25 years, and jockeys must have been active for 20 years. Thoroughbreds must have been retired for five years. All candidates must have been active within the past 25 years. The 20 and 25 year requirements for jockeys and trainers, respectively, may be waived, but a five year waiting period is then observed before they become eligible. Candidates not active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review Committee.
The results of the voting on contemporary candidates will be announced on April 26. The induction ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs on Friday, Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Info on trainer – Trainer Gary Jones won 1,465 races and had purse earnings of $52,672,611 in a career that spanned from 1975 to 1996. He won 102 graded stakes and 233 overall stakes. Jones trained 104 stakes winning horses, including Turkoman, the 1986 Champion Older Male. Jones trained Turkoman to victories in the Marlboro Cup, Oaklawn Handicap, and Widener Handicap. He conditioned Hall of Famer Best Pal to wins in the Santa Anita Handicap, Oaklawn Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Strub. Jones also trained Kostroma to a world turf record of 1:43 4/5 in the 1 1/8 mile Las Palmas Handicap.
Other major victories for Jones include the Mother Goose, Santa Barbara Handicap, Hollywood Oaks, Del Mar Futurity, Hollywood Futurity, Yellow Ribbon, Swaps, Apple Blossom Handicap, San Antonio Handicap, La Brea, San Felipe, and Norfolk.
See our next few blogs for more info on the jockeys and horses who are nominees for the Hall of Fame nominees for 2013.
