Leading ladies of racing Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) and Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) are two of the four Thoroughbred finalists for the Hall of Fame class of 2016, which also includes two trainers and four jockeys. Fellow finalists include top racehorses English Channel (Smart Strike) and Kona Gold (Java Gold); trainers Steve Asmussen and David Whiteley; and jockeys Ramon Dominguez, Garrett Gomez, Victor Espinoza and Craig Perret. Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, English Channel and Dominguez are all first-time nominees.
Rachel Alexandra was campaigned by L and M Partners LLC and trainer Hal Wiggins for the first 10 starts of her career, which included wins in the 2008 GII Golden Rod S. and 2009 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, GII Fantasy S. and GI Kentucky Oaks. Purchased privately by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick following her 20 1/4-length demolition of the Oaks, the bay was transferred to Steve Asmussen and entered in the GI Preakness S., where she went wire-to-wire to best that year's GI Kentucky Derby hero Mine That Bird (Birdstone) by a length.
In a race of her own when beating just two other rivals with a 19 1/4-length success in that term's GI Mother Goose S., Rachel Alexandra wired a field that included Munnings (Speightstown) and Summer Bird (Birdstone) by six lengths in the GI Haskell Invitational S. Concluding her sophomore campaign with a front running victory over older males in Saratoga's GI Woodward S., she earned the honor of 2009 Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. The now 10-year-old made just five starts in 2010, winning the GII Fleur de Lis H. and Lady's Secret S. and culminating in a runner-up effort in the GI Personal Ensign H. Retiring with a record of 19-13-5-0 and earnings of $3,506,730, Rachel Alexandra has also made a name for herself as a broodmare. Her first two foals of racing age, Jess's Dream (Curlin) and Rachel Alexandra (Bernardini), both earned “TDN Rising Star” status for impressive debuts and the latter also captured the GI Spinaway S. and finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss, Zenyatta spent her almost perfect career in the barn of John Shireffs. Capturing 19 of 20 starts, the dark bay earned her first Eclipse Award for Champion Older Mare in 2008 after seven straight victories, including wins in the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Vanity H., GI Lady's Secret S. and GI Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. A perfect five-for-five in 2009, she successfully defended her title in the Vanity and Lady's Secret, as well as the GI Clement L. Hirsch., which she won the year before as Grade II. Zenyatta capped off that season with a thrilling late rally to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in her first start against males, and many thought she deserved to be named Horse of the Year over Rachel Alexandra, who skipped the Breeders' Cup entirely. Rachel ended up with top honors, but Zenyatta did collect her second Eclipse for top older mare.
Kept in training as a 6-year-old, Zenyatta won her first five starts of 2010 in the GI Santa Margarita S., Apple Blossom, Vanity, Clement Hirsch and Lady's Secret. Taking on the boys once again in the Classic, the popular mare came flying late as she did in the 2009 edition, but came up a head short of Blame (Arch). It was still good enough to earn her Horse of the Year and her third straight Eclipse in the older mare division, and she retired with $7,304,580 in earnings.
James Scatuorchio's English Channel had impressive juvenile and sophomore seasons, but really hit his best stride as a 4-year-old, winning the 2006 GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S., GI United Nations S. and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. The Todd Pletcher pupil successfully defended his United Nations and Joe Hirsch titles in 2007 and concluded his career with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Monmouth Park, which earned him the Eclipse for top grass horse. Retiring with a record of 23-13-4-1 and earnings of $5,319,028, the chestnut currently stands stud at Calumet Farm and his top progeny include GI Arlington Million hero The Pizza Man, MGSW Heart to Heart, GI Travers S. winner V.E. Day and Canadian champion Strait of Dover.
Kona Gold was trained by Bruce Headley and owned by a partnership that included Headley, Irwin and Andrew Molasky and Michael Singh's High Tech Stable. The gelding captured four Grade II events in 2000 prior to a breakthrough success in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, which earned him champion sprinter honors. Kicking off 2001 with three straight victories, including the GI San Carlos H., the bay made just three starts in 2002 and retired in the summer of 2003 with a record of 30-14-7-2 and earnings of $2,293,384.
Winning the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in both 2008 and 2009, Asmussen currently boasts 7,248 wins and earnings of $237,490,264. With two Classic victories and five Breeders' Cup wins to his name, the 50-year-old is responsible for champions such as Curlin (Smart Strike), Rachel Alexandra, Untapable (Tapit) and My Miss Aurelia (Smart Strike). Asmussen also made the list of Hall of Fame finalists in 2014, but that nomination was revoked due to PETA allegations, which were later dismissed.
Whiteley, son of Hall of Famer Frank Whiteley, trained three female champions during his training career, which culminated with 678 wins and earnings of $11,837,823. Revidere was his first champion when taking top sophomore filly honors in 1976. She was followed by Waya, who was named champion older female in 1979, and Just A Game, who earned champion female turf horse in 1980. Whiteley also saddled 1979 GI Belmont S. winner Coastal, who upset the Triple Crown dreams of Spectacular Bid.
Dominguez, who retired in June 2013 after suffering a career ending injury at Aqueduct six months prior, just became eligible for Hall of Fame consideration last month. Jockeys are typically required to have a 20-year career for Hall of Fame induction and Dominguez's was just two years shy, but that requirement was waived due to his injury. Winning the Eclipse for Outstanding Jockey in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Dominguez set a single-season earnings record in 2012 with $25,639,432, a record just recently surpassed by Javier Castellano. Retiring with 4,985 wins, 41 of which were Grade Is, and earnings of $191,620,277, the Venezuela native piloted Horse of the Year Havre de Grace; Breeders' Cup winners Little Mike, Better Talk Now and Hansen; and GISW and top sire Tapit.
Espinoza earned his greatest success last term when becoming the first jockey to win the Triple Crown in 37 years courtesy of Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). The 43-year-old came close on two other occassions, first sweeping the 2002 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. with War Emblem (Our Emblem) and then taking the 2014 renewals of those Classics with California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Currently boasting 3,266 wins and $186,231,530 in earnings, Espinoza has also won three Breeders' Cup events, the most recent being aboard American Pharoah in last year's Classic.
With a career lasting from his win as leading apprentice in 1967 to 2005, Perret racked up 4,415 wins and earnings of $113,837,299. Honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award after winning the 1987 Belmont aboard Bet Twice, he earned the Eclipse for Outstanding Jockey in 1990 after capturing that year's GI Kentucky Derby with Unbridled.
Garret Gomez, who took home the Eclipse for top jockey in both 2007 and 2008, won a total of 3,769 races and earned $205,224,899. With 13 Breeders' Cup wins to his name, including handing Zenyatta her lone defeat aboard Blame in the 2010 Classic, the 44-year-old has ridden the likes of Beholder (Henny Hughes), Midshipman, Midnight Lute, Indian Blessing, Artie Schiller and Albertus Maximus.
The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame's 16-member nominating committee from a total of 82 initial candidates. The results of the voting on contemporary candidates will be announced Monday, Apr. 25 and the induction ceremony will take place at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Friday, Aug. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
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