Jockeys Robby Albarado and Craig Perret and trainers Mark Casse and John Shirreffs were among the 10 finalists selected this week to the National Museum of Racing's 2018 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
The other finalists are racehorses Blind Luck, Gio Ponti, Havre de Grace and Heavenly Prize; jockey Corey Nakataki; and trainer David Whiteley.
Albarado, 44, has won 5,115 races to date with purse earnings of more than $214 million in a career that began in 1990. He ranks 13th all time in career earnings and has won 208 graded stakes, including three Breeders' Cup races. The regular rider of two-time Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame member Curlin, as well as Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Albarado has won seven riding titles at Fair Grounds, four at Keeneland, two at Oaklawn Park and one each at Arlington and Churchill Downs. He also won the 2004 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
Albarado has ranked among the top 15 North American jockeys in earnings 10 times and in wins four times. With 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year Curlin, Albarado won the Breeders' Cup Classic, Preakness, Woodward, Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster and two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Pimlico Special, Suburban and Woodward with 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft. In the 2011 Breeders' Cup Mile, Albarado piloted Court Vision to a stunning victory at odds of 64.80 to 1, defeating three-time winner Goldikova in the process.
Perret, 67, won 4,415 races with purse earnings of more than $113 million in a career that spanned from 1967-2005. The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey in 1990 and the leading apprentice by earnings in 1967 (prior to the Eclipse Awards), Perret won the Belmont Stakes in 1987 with Bet Twice by 14 lengths, denying Alysheba the Triple Crown. Three years later, Perret won the Kentucky Derby with Unbridled. The regular rider of Hall of Famers Housebuster and Safely Kept, Perret won four Breeders' Cup races and totaled 208 graded stakes wins.
Perret, who won two riding titles at both Arlington and Monmouth, won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1988. Grade 1 wins for Perret include the Acorn, American Derby, Ashland, Carter Handicap (2), Coaching Club American Oaks, Florida Derby, Haskell (4), Hopeful, Jerome Handicap, Laurel Futurity, Monmouth Oaks, Oaklawn Handicap, Pimlico Special, Sword Dancer, Test, Travers (2), Wood Memorial and Vosburgh, among others.
Casse, 57, has won 2,429 races to date with purse earnings of more than $142 million (eighth all time) in a career that began in 1979. A 2016 Canadian Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Casse has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in Canada a record nine times and owns 12 training titles at Woodbine. He has won four Breeders' Cup races and currently trains reigning Eclipse Award winner World Approval. Casse also trained Eclipse Award winners Tepin and Classic Empire, the winner of the 2017 Arkansas Derby.
Along with his perennial success in Canada, Casse has won four training titles at Turfway Park, two at Keeneland and one at Churchill Downs. He has won five races in the Canadian Triple Crown series and a total of 136 graded stakes. Casse has trained 14 horses that have earned $1 million or more. Other Grade 1 winners trained by Casse include Catch a Glimpse, Pool Play, Noble Bird, Spring in the Air, Exciting Story, La Coronel and Victory to Victory, among others.
Shirreffs, 72, became a licensed trainer in 1978 and to date has won 470 races with purse earnings of more than $45 million. He trained 2010 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame member Zenyatta, winner in 19 of her 20 career starts and the all-time earnings leader among female racehorses with more than $7.3 million. Under the guidance of Shirreffs, Zenyatta won 13 Grade 1 races, including the 2008 Apple Blossom Handicap, 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic and the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as four Eclipse Awards.
In 2005, Shirreffs won the Kentucky Derby with Giacomo at odds of 50 to 1. Shirreffs also won the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in 2009 with Life Is Sweet. Other Grade 1 winners trained by Shirreffs include Tiago, Manistique, Hollywood Story, After Market, Harmonious, Starrer, Tarlow and Gormley.
Hall of Fame voters may select as many candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. All candidates that receive majority approval of the voting panel will be elected to the Hall of Fame. The former rule capping the number of inductees at four has been eliminated by the Museum's Executive Committee. All of the finalists were required to receive support from two-thirds of the Nominating Committee to qualify for the ballot.
Hall of Fame ballots will be mailed to the voting panel on March 1. The results of the voting on the contemporary candidates will be announced on April 16. The induction ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Aug. 3.
The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame's Nominating Committee from a total of 90 initial candidates suggested by turf journalists, thoroughbred industry participants and racing fans.
To be eligible, trainers must have been licensed for 25 years, while jockeys must have been licensed for 20 years. Thoroughbreds are required to be retired for five calendar years before becoming eligible.
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, at the discretion of the Museum's Executive Committee. Candidates not active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review process.
Sports on 02/24/2018