"Hall/Fame" Santos; Charm; Veitch

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Linny

The Belmont used to be known as the "Test of a Champion" and was regarded as a stallion making race. This was a long time ago. Now, it's the 12 furlongs of anonymity.

Used to be that a top class horse would be asked to run 12f on dirt several times in his career. Now, unless they go to grass, none of the Belmont runners will ever see 12f again.

as for the inductees, Congrats to all. I'm especially pleased to see Veitch get it.

Well.....not always. Funny Cide, who ran third in the '03 Belmont, just competed in a 12f dirt race within the last couple of weeks.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Well.....not always. Funny Cide, who ran third in the '03 Belmont, just competed in a 12f dirt race within the last couple of weeks.

I think Tiago has a definate future in grass marathons.

[robfla]

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I'm pretty sure that Silver Charm will be the first OBS April 2yo sale grad to make the Hall of Fame.

There's been other Derby winners to come from that sale (at least Lil E Tee) and other Dubai World Cup winners from that sale (Roses In May) but, I highly doubt any other Hall of Famers came from out of there.

It's basically Ocala's 3rd string 2yo in training sale....pretty much a big ole fire sale.

[Kasept]

Johnny Sellers, 69, was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Oklahoma. He rode from 1955 through 1977. The peak of his career was the decade of the 1960s when he finished in the top ten nationally in purse money won five times in a span of six years. He led the nation in victories, 328, and was second in purses in 1961, the year he rode Hall of Fame Carry Back to victories in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Sellers won many of the major stakes in the United States, including the Belmont, Alabama, Travers, Blue Grass, Kentucky Oaks, Florida Derby, Garden State, United Nations Handicap, San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Obispo, San Felipe, Sunset, Hollywood Derby, Carter, Del Mar Invitational and the Whitney. Sellers was moved by the news of his election to the Hall of Fame.

“I have tears in my eyes right now,” he said. “That’s for real.”

Sellers recalled being nominated in the Contemporary Jockey category in 1987. “That was the year Walter Blum won, and he deservedly should have,” Sellers said. “That was as close as I got. It was very neat, just even to be nominated, but this is incredible.” Sellers is a bloodstock agent and lives in Hallandale, Fla.

[Kasept]

Henry Forrest was a native of Covington, Ky., and trained from 1937 until his death in 1975 at the age of 69. He saw every Kentucky Derby from 1921 until his death and trained the Derby and Preakness winners Kauai King in 1966 and Forward Pass in 1968.

During his career, Forrest trained for both Calumet Farm and Claiborne Farm. He finished in the top 10 nationally in races won in a season eight times and twice was in the top 10 nationally in purse money won. At the time of his death, he held the career record for victories at Keeneland, 153, and Churchill Downs, 271.

Forward Pass finished second in the Derby, but was declared the winner when Peter Fuller’s colt, Dancer’s Image, was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance. In the Preakness, Forward Pass won by six lengths over a 10-horse field that included Dancer’s Image. He was second in the Belmont and the Travers. The colt also won the Florida Derby, the American Derby, the Hibiscus, the Everglades and the Blue Grass and was voted the champion 3-year-old in two polls.

"This is absolutely wonderful,” said Forrest’s daughter, Jennie Watkins. “His life was dedicated to racing. He was in the horse business his entire career and achieved what is the ultimate goal: to train a Kentucky Derby winner, and not one but two. It was his life. I think this is such a tribute to him and his memory this many years later to have such a wonderful thing happen.”

[Kasept]

McCabe was a distinguished trainer in a career that spanned the later part of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. He was born in Patterson, N.J. in 1859 and became an assistant to trainer James Rowe, who was a member of the first Hall of Fame class in 1955. When Rowe ended his relationship with the Dwyer brothers, who were prominent owners at the time, in 1884, McCabe became their trainer. He trained Hall of Famer Hanover, winner of the Brooklyn Handicap, Belmont Stakes, Withers and United States Hotel. McCabe trained three consecutive Belmont winners: Inspector B. 1886; Hanover, 1887; Sir Dixon, 1888.

During that same period, McCabe trained Tremont, who was unbeaten in 13 starts as a 2-year-old in 1886, and was considered a champion. McCabe’s other Hall of Fame horses were Kingston, a 1955 inductee, who won 89 of 138 starts, including 30 stakes and retired as America’s leading money winner at $140,195; and Miss Woodford, who was also handled by Rowe. Miss Woodford, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967, won the Ladies Stakes, Alabama, Monmouth Oaks and Pimlico Stakes. She was the first horse bred and raced in America to earn more than $100,000.

McCabe, who died in 1924, also won the Travers with Inspector B., Sir Dixon and Sir John.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I'm pretty sure that Silver Charm will be the first OBS April 2yo sale grad to make the Hall of Fame.

There's been other Derby winners to come from that sale (at least Lil E Tee) and other Dubai World Cup winners from that sale (Roses In May) but, I highly doubt any other Hall of Famers came from out of there.

It's basically Ocala's 3rd string 2yo in training sale....pretty much a big ole fire sale.

Did anyone expect a son of the fairly average at stud Silver Buck would end up with a $6.9MM earner who won 3 of the 5 biggest races in the world, close seconds in the other two, and a multitude of other big wins? Silver Charm was a GREAT racehorse and I challenge anyone to dispute that.

[SentToStud]

Steve,
Thanks for these bio briefs. They're interesting reads.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Steve,
Thanks for these bio briefs. They're interesting reads.

From the HOF press release today.. Had Mike Kane from the Museum on to kick off the show... Thought people would like learning about the less recent inductees!

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by Kasept

From the HOF press release today.. Had Mike Kane from the Museum on to kick off the show... Thought people would like learning about the less recent inductees!

Caught a bit of the show around 4:30 or so. That was Peter Fuller on? That was a great filly, Mom's C.

[Cannon Shell]

I still cant understand why all four of the fillies nominated could not be inducted at once. They are all surefire hall of famers and I cant understand why we only elect one horse per catagory if there are others that are deserving.

I never saw him ride but there is not much in the brief bio that Steve posted that leads me to believe Jonh Sellers should be in the hall. As for Santos, his career peaked 15 years ago and anyone who has watched him ride in the last 10 years certainly wasn't thinking hall of fame. Swoon Song while seemingly a nice horse also does not seem be screaming for induction.
Silver Charm was a no brainer and John Veitch trained 4 champions in addition to Alydar in a time where trainers did not have 200 horse stables so I guess he should be in too.