Triple Crown winner Justify tops the list of 17 finalists that will appear on the ballot for the National Museum of Racing’s 2024 Hall of Fame.
Finalists are chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame nominating committee.
Nine racehorses, six trainers, and two jockeys made the finalists list announced Tuesday.
The horses are Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Gio Ponti, Gun Runner, Havre de Grace, Justify, Kona Gold, Lady Eli, and Rags to Riches.
The trainers are Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, H. Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, John W. Sadler, and John Shirreffs.
The jockeys are Jorge Chavez and Joel Rosario.
Gun Runner and Justify, as well as Rosario, are in their first year of eligibility.
For induction, a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote from the electors, who can choose as many finalists as they want. The results will be announced April 23. The induction ceremony is Aug. 2 at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Eligibility for trainers is 25 years of being licensed; for jockeys, it’s 20 years of being licensed; for horses, it’s five years after retirement from racing.
2024 Racing Hall of Fame Finalist
Blind Luck: 2010 champion 3-yer-old filly; six-time Grade 1 winner (Kentucky Oaks, Alabama among them) with a career record of 22-12-7-2 and earnings of nearly $3.3 million. She was trained and co-owned by Jerry Hollendorfer. Beat finalist Havre de Grace three times.
Game On Dude: Eight-time Grade 1 winner with a career record of 34-16-7-1 and earnings of nearly $6.5 million from 2010-14, Trained by Bob Baffert, he won the Santa Anita Handicap three times; the Hollywood Gold Cup twice and the Pacific Classic once.
Gio Ponti: Three-time Eclipse Award winner – as champion turf male in 2009 and 2010 and champion older male in 2009. Seven-time Grade 1 winner had a career mark of 29-12-10-1 and earnings of $6.1 million. Trained by Christophe Clement.
Gun Runner: 2017 Horse of the Year and champion older male for trainer Steve Asmussen. Racing from 2015-2018, his record was 19-12-3-2 and earnings of $15,988,500 (second-highest total of any North American-based horse; Arrogate is first). In 2017, he won the BC Classic, Woodward, Whitney, and Stephen Foster. Won Pegasus World Cup in 2018.
Havre de Grace: 2011 Horse of the Year and champion older female. Trained first by Tony Dutrow, then Larry Jones. Beat Blind Luck (after two earlier runner-up finishes to her) in the 2011 Azeri, then won the Apple Blossom, Woodward (against the boys), and Beldame. Career record 16-9-4-2 and earnings of $2.5 million.
Justify: 13th Triple Crown winner with a sweep of the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert. 2018 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male, he won all six of his career starts over 111 days.
Kona Gold: 2000 champion sprinter, clinched with 6-furlong record time at Churchill Downs in BC Sprint victory, Career record of 30-14-7-2, and earnings of nearly $2.3 million.
Lady Eli: Won 2014 BC Juvenile Fillies for trainer Chad Brown. After more than a year battling laminitis, she returned, won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl, and finished second in the BC Filly & Mare Turf. In 2017, she won the Gamely, the Diana, and Ballston Spa, Career record of 14-10-3-0 with earnings of nearly $3 million.
Rags to Riches: 2007 champion 3-year-old filly who beat the boys in the Belmont Stakes. Won five in a row in 2007, beginning in Santa Anita, then victories in the Las Virgenes, Santa Anita Oaks, Kentucky Oaks, and the Belmont – beating two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. The first filly to win Belmont more than 100 years (and third overall). Career record of 7-5-1-0 and earnings of $1.34 million.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
