HOF Finalists Announced

Four Thoroughbreds, four jockeys and two trainers make up the 2014 finalists for induction into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. The horse candidates are Ashado (Saint Ballado), Curlin (Smart Strike), Kona Gold (Java Gold) and Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat); riders Chris Antley, Garrett Gomez, Craig Perret and Alex Solis; and trainers Steve Asmussen and Gary Jones. Curlin, his trainer Steve Asmussen and Kona Gold are first-time nominees. 
    Curlin, campaigned for the majority of his career by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, took the 2007 GI Preakness S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Classic en route to champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year honors. He added the G1 Dubai World Cup, GI Stephen Foster H., GI Woodward S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2008 to earn another Horse of the Year title, and retired with a record of 16-11-2-2 and earnings of $10,501,800–a North American record. 
    With more than 6,700 wins and purse earnings over $214,030,000, Steve Asmussen is second and fifth all time in those respective categories. He has two Eclipse Awards for outstanding trainer, nine North American win titles and three earnings titles. He set a single-year win record with 555 victories in 2004, and broke his own record in both 2008 (614 wins) and 2009 (650 wins). In addition to Curlin, other standouts campaigned by Asmussen include 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro), 2011 champion 2-year-old filly My Miss Aurelia (Smart Strike) and 2009 champion sprinter Kodiak Kowboy (Posse). 
    Starlight Stables, Paul Saylor and John Martin’s Ashado took the 2003 GI Spinaway S., and blossomed the following season at three, annexing the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, good for the champion 3-year-old distinction. The Todd Pletcher trainee was named champion older female in 2014 after victories in the GI Ogden Phipps H., GI Go For Wand H. and GI Beldame S. Ashado retired with earnings of $3,931,440 and a record of 21-12-4-3. 
    Kona Gold carried the colors of Bruce Headley, Irwin and Andrew Molasky and Michael Singh’s High Tech Stable. Trained by Headley, he was named champion sprinter in 2000 after capping a five-win season with a track-record-breaking victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. He took four more graded stakes after that in three more years of racing for a career record of 30-14-7-2 and earnings of $2,293,384. 
    The super-speedy Xtra Heat was off the board just twice in her 35-race career and earned $2,389,635 for Classic Star Stable and trainer John Salzman. She was voted champion 3-year-old filly in 2001 in a six-win campaign that included the GI Prioress S. and a runner-up finish against older males in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. 
Gary Jones trained from 1975 to 1996, winning 1,465 races for earnings of $52,672,611. He won 102 graded stakes, and campaigned the likes of Hall of Famer Best Pal and 1986 champion older male Turkoman. 
    The late Chris Antley won 3,480 and amassed $92,261,894 in purse earnings over a career that began in 1983 and ended in 2000. He is best known as the rider of 1999 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner Charismatic, and also rode Strike the Gold to victory in the 1991 Derby. 
Garrett Gomez has won 3,769 races with purse earnings of $205,224,889. He began riding in 1988, and has won 318 graded stakes. He won back-to-back Eclipse Awards for outstanding jockey in 2007 and 2008, and led all North American riders in earnings from 2006 through 2009. He rode a record 76 stakes winners in 2007, and has piloted 13 Breeders’ Cup winners, including 2010 Classic winner Blame (Arch). Gomez also received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2011. 
    Perret, whose career lasted from when he won leading apprentice in 1967 to 2005, made it to the winner’s circle 4,415 times. His mounts earned $113,837,299. He rode 1990 GI Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, and earned the Eclipse for outstanding jockey that year. He won the Woolf Award in 1988, one year after piloting Bet Twice to victory in the GI Belmont S. 
    Solis, who is still active, has won no fewer than 4,980 races for earnings of $234,665,846. He began riding in North America in 1982, and has won 321 graded stakes, including the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Pleasantly Perfect and 1986 Preakness with Snow Chief. Solis won the 1997 Woolf Award. 
   The Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee is made up of 16 members, who chose from 84 potential contemporary candidates (individuals not active for the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review Committee). Voting results on the contemporary finalists will be announced Friday, Apr. 25. The induction ceremony will be held Friday, Aug. 8 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga.