Hall of Fame Ballot Predictions

With Baseball announcing their Hall of Fame inductees today, I thought it would be a good time to see who will be on this year's Ballot for horse racing's Hall of Fame which is located in Saratoga Springs, NY.

According to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's website, for the Contemporary Male and Female, a horse needed to be retired between 5 and 25 years. Anything over 25 years goes to the Historical Committee for them to vote on. For today, we will be focusing on horses who have been retired since 2006 or earlier until 1986. These are just my predictions to see who will be on the Ballot, when the ballot comes out, that's when I'll make my picks.

Sky Beauty- There are eight Triple Tiara winners, six of them are in the Hall of Fame right now. Sky Beauty is one of two of them that's not. After losing the 3yo Championship to Hollywood Wildcat, she returned at 4 with another soild year winning the Go For Wand, Ruffian, Hempstead (now the Ogden Phipps) and Vagrancy (a race she would win again as a 5 year old). Along with her wins as a 4yo, she captured the Triple Tiara at 3 (the last to do so) and won the Matron at 2.

Afleet Alex- When you think of 2005 racing Saint Liam is probley the first thing to pop into your head. Rightly so, the late sire of one of my favorite fillies currently in training had a wonderful year culimating in Horse of the Year honors. There was another horse though that was making more headlines then he was. Afleet Alex probley should have been the 12th Triple Crown winner, however a poor ride in the Derby plus a dead rail kept Alex out of the winners circle that day. However, he and his jockey Jeremy Rose where able to redeem themselves in the Preakness. However it wasn't without drama, as they went to the final turn Scrappy T bored in almost causing Alex and Jeremy to fall. However Alex was able to rebound and win the race. That would deny Giacomo a chance at the Triple Crown after winning the Derby at 50-1. Alex would go on to win the Belmont before his season (and career) where cut short. Along with his 2 Triple Crown race wins, Afleet Alex also won the Arkansas Derby at 3 and Hopeful at 2. He was named Champion 3yo after finishing runner up year before for Champion 2yo.

Ashado- 2004 was the year of the Smarty Party as Smarty Jones was going for that elusive crown. On the female side, Ashado was one of the best. Not only did she win the Kentucky Oaks oposite Smarty, but she also won the Coaching Club of America Oaks, and Breeders Cup Distaff on her way to 3yo Championship honors. As a four year old she capured 3 G1's including the Beledame which set her up to break Azeri's earnings record at the Distaff which she failed to do by finishing in third (that record has since been passed by Zenyatta). However, it was more then enough to get her Older Female honors.

Open Mind- Like Sky Beauty she won the Triple Tiara becoming the seventh to do so and like SB she is not in the Hall of Fame. That's where the simlarities end though, as Open Mind was a 2 time champion at both 2 and 3. Along with winning the Triple Tiara, she also won the BC Juvenile Fillies, and Kentucky Oaks. She also took the Pimlico Oaks (now called Black Eyed Susan).

These are just predictions, that doesn't mean that they will actually happen. Only time will tell about if any of these horses will make the ballot.

Rachel is Old Fashioned (Aka Weekend recap), Nerud shares trophies with Hall of Fame

Hehe I hope you enjoyed the title of this post. But here is your weekend recap. Chocolate Candy won the El Camino Real Derby, he is heading to Santa Anita next for either one more prep or going strait into the SA Derby. Also Stardom Bound is heading to the Santa Anita Oaks link.

The big two Oaks/Derby preps of the weekend where at Oaklawn Park. It started the trail for Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Lawyer Ron, Hard Spun and Curlin as well as, last year the late great Eight Belles. The two big horses there this year are the Unbridled's Song colt Old Fashioned and the Medagila d'Oro filly Rachel Alexandra.

Rach was up first in the Martha Washington, and she did not dispoint. I haven't seen a replay yet, but it looked like it was visually impressive. Chart

Old Fashioned countered today in the Southwest, the time was a little bit slower, but they did go faster at the beggining and the track was a bit slower today. Chart

Overall a nice weekend for the both of them and it will be interesting in how they do in their next preps respectivley. I'll have beyers for all the major stakes races (Including those of newly crowned G1 winner Santa Terasita) tomarrow.

One more thing for tonight, John Nerud the Hall of Fame trainer, has bequethed the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame with his collection of awards from horses such as Dr. Fager and Cozzene. You can read more about it here.