Before the Aug. 1 induction ceremony for the 2025 class of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame began Aug. 1 at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds, a fan in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey in the crowd and a poster hanging from the balcony with the words “Smarty’s Party” in Someday Farm blue told the story of the day.
Tag: Legends
A Tribute to One of Racing’s Great Families: The History of the Whitney Stakes
Stakes races like the Belmont or the Woodward stand as tributes to those who make significant contributions to horse racing, their names reflective of what those Pillars of the Turf have given the sport.
Bold Ruler: A Star On and Off the Track
To truly understand the importance of Bold Ruler, it should be pointed out that he is best known for his accomplishments in the breeding shed rather than the racetrack. As innocuous as that might seem, it actually speaks volumes because Bold Ruler enjoyed an exceptional career on the racetrack. He won the 1957 Preakness Stakes. He was a consensus Horse of the Year choice in 1957 as well as the year’s top 3-year-old. In 1958, he was voted champion sprinter. He set or matched four track records.
Dominant at Del Mar: Bill Shoemaker’s Greatest Summer
On opening day of the 1954 Del Mar meet, a young rider named Bill Shoemaker was less than a month from turning 23 years old. Though still in the early chapter of what would become a storied career, the native Texan found himself the engineer of the most dominant run by any jockey that had ever competed at the seaside track.
