Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike–Sherriff's Deputy, by Deputy Minister) leads the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Class of 2014 along with fellow inductees Ashado (Saint Ballado–Goulash, by Mari's Book), jockey Alex Solis and trainer Gary Jones, it was announced Friday. The electees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at 10:30 a.m. at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion Friday, Aug. 8.
Bred by Fares Farm, Curlin was acquired privately following a double-digit debut win at Gulfstream by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables, and was trained by Steve Asmussen. Among the Kentucky-bred's 11 victories in 16 starts, Curlin captured the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GI Preakness S. as a 3-year-old before going on to take the G1 Dubai World Cup, GI Woodward S., and a second Jockey Club Gold Cup at four. Named champion 3-year-old male and champion older horse, the chestnut also collected two horse of the year titles in 2007-08 and set a new mark for the highest purse earnings in North American history with $10,501,800.
Ashado raced for Starlight Stables, Paul Saylor and Johns Martin. Bred by Aaron and Marie Jones in Kentucky and trained by Todd Pletcher, she won the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff amongst her 12 wins in a 21-race career with $3,931,440 in earnings. She was named champion 3-year-old filly in 2004 and Champion Older Mare in 2005.
Reinsman Alex Solis, 50, has won 4,986 races through Thursday and his mounts have earned $234,665,846. Hailing from Panama, Solis began riding in 1982. Highlights of his career include a 1986 GI Preakness S. win aboard champion Snow Chief as well as the 2003 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony) and multiple stakes wins aboard champion and fellow HOF nominee Kona Gold (Java Gold). Solis claimed 18 riding titles along the Southern California circuit and won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1997.
Training from 1975 to 1996, conditioner Gary Jones, 69, tallied 1,465 victories–233 in stakes with 102 graded victories–and $52,672,611 in prize money. A California native, Jones trained 1986 champion older male Turkoman (Alydar) and fellow Hall of Famer Best Pal (Habitony {Ire}). He also collected 15 training titles in Southern California.
Other nominees for the 2014 Hall of Fame were jockeys Chris Antley, Garrett Gomez and Craig Perrett, horses Kona Gold and Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat), and trainer Steve Asmussen. Asmussen's nomination was tabled by the Hall of Fame due to an expose from PETA and the NY Times. Results of the Hall of Fame's Historic Review process for candidates inactive at least 25 years will be announced in May.
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