Hall of Fame inducts second woman to ranks of the great

The Hall of Fame annually inducts members who are the elite few that have contributed to the sport in ways that are above-and-beyond the ranks of even the greatest Eclipse winner. As in the Masters' Tournament, Hall of Fame inductees are given a blazer with a breast embroidery that states that this person is one of the greatest in the history of racing. They are navy, with red/white and blue trim, as befits the status as the American Racing Hall of Fame.

The August 14, 2009 ceremony began with an honor call of those living Hall of Fame members who were present that day: greats H. Allen Jerkens; D. Wayne Lukas and Angel Cordero, Jr. were among those called to the front so that they could be acknowledged and thanked for their contributions to the sport.

The absence of women in the ranks of those called forth was obvious: jockey Julie Krone, the sole female ever inducted into the Hall of Fame until this past Friday, could not attend.
 Steeplechase trainer Janet Elliot was welcomed into the club on Friday, making her only the second woman inducted in the 54-year history of the Hall.

Those brought into the fold with Elliot were trainer Bob Baffert; jockey Eddie Maple (a long-overdue recognition); jumper Ben Nevis II, winner of England's exhausting Grand National; double Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Tiznow and another brilliant female, Silverbulletday, winner of 13 graded stakes including the Kentucky Oaks and Saratoga's own Alabama.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the video presentation for each of the inductees. They were produced with music and narration which highlighted the accomplishments of each inductee. Each video and spoken presentation was original, sincere and offered the opportunity to pause to think about the achievements of these great heroes of the sport.

Retired jockey Chris McCarron was the keynote speaker, who fondly and emotionally recalled his own acceptance into the Hall 20 years ago. The video showed a young, curly-locked McCarron weeping openly as he thanked all those who'd loved and nurtured him to that moment. It was refreshing for the audience to see someone so esteemed as a great athlete and ambassador for the sport to wear his heart on his sleeve as he read his love letter to racing.

Elliot and Silverbulletday were the inductees who inspired the greatest admiration at the event and drew fans and friends from around the globe. Germany, England and Asia were well-represented in the ranks of well-wishers.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is the official museum of Thoroughbred racing. It was foaled in 1950, and has grown into a world-class museum and destination.  As women are acknowledged in the sport in which they comprise fully 51 percent of the fan base, the sport of racing Thoroughbreds and the museum that documents the history thereof will grow exponentially. As women like Julie Krone, Janet Elliot and Silverbulletday are acknowledged, the female fans will show their appreciation by becoming more involved with the  the museum and of the Committee that chooses Hall of Famers. Perhaps by 2015, the entire line of eight will be made up of women who nurtured the sport and are finally acknowledged by the industry that they love and helped grow to one horse at a time.