Calvin Borel (Brien Bouyea photo) 

Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel and the racehorses Housebuster, Invasor, Lure, McDynamo, and Tuscalee have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Borel, Housebuster, Invasor, and Lure were selected in the contemporary category, while McDynamo and Tuscalee were chosen by the Museum’s Steeplechase Review Committee. The electees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion.

Borel, 46, has won 5,012 races and has purse earnings of $120,859,986 in a career that began in 1983. He is the only jockey to win the Kentucky Derby three times in a four-year span, accomplishing the feat with Street Sense (2007), Mine That Bird (2009), and Super Saver (2010). His three victories in the Run for the Roses are surpassed only by Hall of Famers Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack with five each, and Hall of Famer Bill Shoemaker with four.

One of only two riders with more than 1,000 wins at Churchill Downs (Hall of Famer Pat Day is the other), Borel won the Preakness, Woodward, Haskell, Mother Goose, and Kentucky Oaks with 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Among Borel’s other major victories are the Travers, Alabama, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Sword Dancer, Florida Derby, and Stephen Foster. He also won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2010. Borel has won riding titles at Churchill Downs, Oaklawn Park, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs, and Delta Downs, among others.

Housebuster (Mt. Livermore—Big Dreams, by Great Above) won 15 times in 22 career starts and earned $1,229,696. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprinter in 1990 and 1991. Bred in Kentucky by Blanche P. Levy and owned by her son, Robert P. Levy, Housebuster won the Jerome Handicap, King’s Bishop, Spectacular Bid, Swale, Hutcheson, Withers, Lafayette, and Derby Trial in 1990 at age 3 en route to an 8-for-10 campaign. A winner of eight consecutive races at one point in his career, Housebuster won the Carter Handicap, Forego Handicap, and Vosburgh Stakes at 4 in 1991. Eleven of his 15 wins were in graded stakes races. He was trained by Hall of Famer Warren A. Croll, Jr.

Invasor (Candy Stripes—Quendom, by Interprete), was bred in Argentina and won 11 of 12 career starts with earnings of $7,804,070. He was named Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male in 2006 when he won the Pimlico Special, Suburban Handicap, Whitney Handicap, and Breeders’ Cup Classic. At age 5 in 2007, Invasor won the Donn Handicap and Dubai World Cup. He was trained at ages 4 and 5 by Kiaran P. McLaughlin. Prior to that, Invasor won the Uruguayan Triple Crown in 2005 for trainer Anibal San Martin. Following the Uruguayan Triple Crown victories, Invasor was purchased by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum to run for Shadwell Stable. Nine of his wins were in Grade/Group 1 events.

Lure (Danzig—Endear, by Alydar) won 14 of 25 career starts with earnings of $2,515,289. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm (Seth Hancock, president), Lure won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1992 and 1993. He won nine graded stakes, including three Grade 1 events. Trained by Hall of Famer Claude R. McGaughey III, Lure set track records at 5 furlongs and 1 mile. He also won the Gotham, Kelso Handicap, Turf Classic, Dixie Handicap, Caesars International Handicap, Elkhorn, Fourstardave Handicap, Bernard Baruch Handicap, and Daryl’s Joy. 

McDynamo (Dynaformer—Rondonia, by Monteverdi (IRE)) won 17 of 34 career starts and retired as the all-time leading earner among steeplechase horses with $1,310,104. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase Horse in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Owned by Michael J. Moran and trained by Sanna Hendriks, McDynamo won five consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Grand National (2003 through 2007), the final one at age 10, to become the oldest horse to win the race. McDynamo set course records in each of his first two Grand National victories. He also won the Colonial Cup three times, including a record performance in 2003. McDynamo’s victory in the 2006 Grand National allowed him to surpass Hall of Fame member Lonesome Glory’s career record for steeplechase earnings.

Tuscalee (Tuscany—Verna Lee, by British Buddy) won 39 of 89 career starts with career earnings of $130,917 while racing from 1963 through 1972. He remains the all-time leader in steeplechase victories with 37. Tuscalee also set the single-year record for steeplechase wins with 10 in 1966. Tuscalee’s 1966 campaign of 10-2-0 from 13 starts garnered him recognition as the Champion Steeplechase Horse by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations. Bred and owned by Alfred H. Smith, Sr., and trained by Joe Aitcheson, Sr., Tuscalee won four editions of the National Hunt Cup, including his final career victory at age 12 in 1972. Tuscalee also won the Georgetown Steeplechase Handicap and the Indian River Steeplechase twice each. Other notable victories included the Midsummer Hurdle, Clark Cup, and Manly Steeplechase Handicap.

The contemporary electees were chosen from a nationwide voting panel comprised of 179 racing writers, broadcasters, industry officials, and historians from a group of 10 finalists selected by the Museum’s Nominating Committee. The Museum’s Steeplechase Review Committee, which meets once every four years, requires 75 percent approval from its members for a candidate to gain election to the Hall of Fame. Following the changes made to the contemporary voting system in 2010 that eliminated a mandate of the top vote-getter in a particular category (i.e. jockey, trainer, male horse, and female horse) being elected to the Hall of Fame, the Steeplechase Committee received approval from the Museum’s Executive Committee to select a maximum of three candidates of their choosing without regard to whether or not the candidate is human or equine.

The Museum will announce as many as two inductees as inaugural selections to the Pillars of the Turf category for the Hall of Fame in May. Pillars of the Turf is a new Hall of Fame designation approved by the Museum’s Executive Committee to honor esteemed individuals who have made valuable contributions to the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

Five jockeys, four Thoroughbreds, and one trainer comprise the 10 finalists on the National Museum of Racing’s 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, as selected by the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The candidates are: jockeys Chris Antley, Calvin Borel, Garrett Gomez, Craig Perret, and Alex Solis; Thoroughbreds Ashado, Housebuster, Invasor, and Lure; and trainer Gary Jones.

Hall of Fame voters may select as many candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. The four candidates with the highest vote totals will be elected.

The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame’s 16-member Nominating Committee from a total of 86 candidates suggested throughout the year by turf journalists, Thoroughbred industry participants, and racing fans. To be eligible, trainers must have been active for 25 years, and jockeys must have been active for 20 years. Thoroughbreds must have been retired for five years. All candidates must have been active within the past 25 years. The 20- and 25-year requirements for jockeys and trainers, respectively, may be waived, but a five-year waiting period is then observed before they become eligible. Candidates not active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review Committee.

The results of the voting on contemporary candidates will be announced on April 26. The induction ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs on Friday, Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

Antley won 3,480 races and had purse earnings of $92,261,894 in a career that spanned from 1983 to 2000. He won 127 graded stakes races and 293 overall stakes. The leading North American rider by wins in 1985 with 469, Antley was a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, taking the Run for the Roses with Strike the Gold in 1991 and with Charismatic in 1999. He also won the Preakness with Charismatic.

Other major victories for Antley included the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward, Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Derby, Alabama, Wood Memorial, Manhattan Handicap, Carter Handicap, Louisiana Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Jerome Handicap.

Borel, as of today, is one victory shy of 5,000 for his career and has purse earnings of $120,044,775. In a career that began in 1983, he has won 286 stakes races and is the only jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby three times in a four-year span, accomplishing the feat with Street Sense (2007), Mine That Bird (2009), and Super Saver (2010). His three victories in the Run for the Roses are surpassed only by Hall of Famers Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack with five each and Hall of Famer Bill Shoemaker with four.

One of only two riders with more than 1,000 wins at Churchill Downs (Hall of Famer Pat Day is the other), Borel won the Preakness, Woodward, Haskell, Mother Goose, and Kentucky Oaks with 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Among Borel’s other major victories are the Travers, Alabama, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Sword Dancer, Florida Derby, and Stephen Foster. He also won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2010.

Gomez has won 3,713 races and has purse earnings of $200,291,954 in a career that began in 1988. He has won 308 graded stakes and 550 overall stakes. Gomez won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 2007 and 2008 and led all North American riders in earnings each year from 2006 through 2009.

Gomez won a record 76 stakes races in 2007 and has 13 Breeders’ Cup wins to his credit, including the 2010 Classic with champion Blame. Among Gomez’s major victories are the Pacific Classic, Travers, Santa Anita Derby, Whitney Handicap, Stephen Foster, Kentucky Oaks, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2011.

Perret won 4,415 races and had purse earnings of $113,837,299 in a career that spanned from 1967 through 2005. He was the leading apprentice jockey in earnings in 1967 and won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 1990. Perret won the Kentucky Derby with Unbridled in 1990 and the Belmont Stakes with Bet Twice in 1987.

Along with four Breeders’ Cup victories, Perret also won the Travers, Florida Derby, Haskell Invitational, Coaching Club American Oaks, Jerome Handicap, Withers, Carter Handicap, Wood Memorial, Hopeful, Clark Handicap, and Queen’s Plate. He won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1988.

Solis has won 4,938 races and has purse earnings of $230,959,903 in a career that began in 1982. He has won 319 graded stakes and 629 overall stakes. Solis has won three Breeders’ Cup races, including the 2003 Classic with Pleasantly Perfect. He won the 1986 Preakness with Snow Chief.

Major victories for Solis include the Santa Anita Derby, Florida Derby, Hollywood Derby, Malibu, Pacific Classic, Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Handicap, Dubai World Cup, Bing Crosby Handicap, Manhattan Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1997.

Ashado (Saint Ballado—Goulash, by Mari’s Book), bred in Kentucky and owned by Starlight Stables, Paul Saylor, and Johns Martin, won 12 of her 21 career starts with purse earnings of $3,931,440. She was named Champion 3-Year-Old Female in 2004 and Champion Older Female in 2005. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Ashado won the Spinaway, Schuylerville, and Demoiselle at 2. At 3, she won the Kentucky Oaks, Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Coaching Club American Oaks, Fair Grounds Oaks, and Cotillion Handicap. In her final season, at age 4 in 2005, Ashado won the Go for Wand Handicap, Ogden Phipps Handicap, and the Beldame.

Housebuster (Mt. Livermore—Big Dreams, by Great Above) won 15 times in 22 career starts and earned $1,229,696. He was named Champion Sprinter in 1990 and 1991. Bred in Kentucky by Blanche P. Levy and owned by her son, Robert P. Levy, Housebuster won the Jerome Handicap, King’s Bishop, Spectacular Bid, Swale, Hutcheson, Withers, Lafayette, and Derby Trial in 1990 at age 3 en route to an 8-for-10 campaign. A winner of eight consecutive races at one point in his career, Housebuster won the Carter Handicap, Forego Handicap, and Vosburgh Stakes at 4 in 1991. Eleven of his 15 wins were in graded stakes races. He was trained by Hall of Famer Warren A. Croll, Jr.

Invasor (Candy Stripes—Quendom, by Interprete), was bred in Argentina and won 11 of 12 career starts with earnings of $7,804,070. He was named Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male in 2006 when he won the Pimlico Special, Suburban Handicap, Whitney Handicap, and Breeders’ Cup Classic. At age 5 in 2007, Invasor won the Donn Handicap and Dubai World Cup. He was trained at ages 4 and 5 by Kiaran P. McLaughlin. Prior to that, Invasor won the Uruguyan Triple Crown in 2005 for trainer Anibal San Martin. Following the Uruguyan Triple Crown victories, Invasor was purchased by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum to run for Shadwell Stable. Nine of his wins were in Grade/Group 1 events.

Lure (Danzig—Endear, by Alydar) won 14 of 25 career starts with earnings of $2,515,289. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm, Lure won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1992 and 1993. He won nine graded stakes, including four Grade 1 events. Trained by Hall of Famer Claude R. McGaughey III, Lure set track records at 5 furlongs and 1 mile. He also won the Gotham, Kelso Handicap, Turf Classic, Dixie Handicap, Caesars International Handicap, Elkhorn, Fourstardave Handicap, Bernard Baruch Handicap, and Daryl’s Joy.

Jones won 1,465 races and had purse earnings of $52,672,611 in a career that spanned from 1975 to 1996. He won 102 graded stakes and 233 overall stakes. Jones trained 104 stakes-winning horses, including Turkoman, the 1986 Champion Older Male. Jones trained Turkoman to victories in the Marlboro Cup, Oaklawn Handicap, and Widener Handicap. He conditioned Hall of Famer Best Pal to wins in the Santa Anita Handicap, Oaklawn Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Strub. Jones also trained Kostroma to a world turf record of 1:43 4/5 in the 1 1/8-mile Las Palmas Handicap.

Other major victories for Jones include the Mother Goose, Santa Barbara Handicap, Hollywood Oaks, Del Mar Futurity, Hollywood Futurity, Yellow Ribbon, Swaps, Apple Blossom Handicap, San Antonio Handicap, La Brea, San Felipe, and Norfolk.

Flatterer surpassed Count Fleet on Monday to become the oldest living Hall of Fame member of all time. (NYRA photo)

Flatterer, the dominant American steeplechaser of the 1980s, officially became the oldest Hall of Fame thoroughbred on Monday at 33 years and 265 days old, passing the former longevity standard of Triple Crown winner Count Fleet, who was 33 years and 264 days old when he died on Dec. 3, 1973.

Flatterer, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, won 24 of 51 career starts, and at age 8 in 1987 became the frist steeplechase Triple Crown winner when he took home the Grand National, Temple Gwathmey, and Colonial Cup. Flatterer won the Colonial Cup four times and was a four-time Eclipse winner, as well as the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase winner. He also set an American record when he carried 176 pounds in winning the 1986 National Hunt Cup.

Trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, Flatterer resides at owner Bill Pape’s My Way Farm in Pennsylvania. Flatterer will turn 34 on June 5.

John Nerud and Dr. Fager (NMR Collection)

Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud, who campaigned such legends as Dr. Fager, Ta Wee, and Gallant Man, will celebrate his 100^th birthday Saturday. Nerud, one of the founders of the Breeders’ Cup, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1972. He is the senior living member of the Hall of Fame.

Nerud trained 27 stakes winners and compiled more than 1,000 wins in a training career that began in 1935 and continued through 1978. He developed the great Tartan Farms breeding program and was instrumental in transforming Ocala, Fla., into a major Thoroughbred center.

“Mr. Nerud enjoyed one of the greatest careers of any trainer in the 20^th century and we wish him a happy 100^th birthday and continued good health,” said Christopher Dragone, the director of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. “Mr. Nerud built a reputation that has stood the test of time and he has been a tremendous ambassador for the sport of Thoroughbred racing.”

Born in Minatare, Neb., on Feb. 9, 1913, Nerud developed his first champion, the sprinter Delegate, in 1949. Nerud’s greatest horse was the Hall of Famer Dr. Fager, the 1968 Horse of the Year. Dr. Fager won an unprecedented four championships that year as Horse of the Year, as well as being named the top sprinter, turf horse, and handicap horse. Other champions trained by Nerud include Hall of Famer Ta Wee, Dr. Patches, and Intentionally.

Nerud, who still owns a few active Thoroughbreds, will celebrate his milestone birthday Sunday at the Sands Point Golf Club near his home in Old Brookvillle, N.Y. In an effort to preserve Nerud’s legacy and to allow his friends and admirers an opportunity to send Mr. Nerud a birthday greeting, a website at www.johnnerud.com was developed by LGB, LLC. The site allows its visitors to post comments, anecdotes, tales, myths, stories, and a greeting to the soon-to-be centenarian. The developers are actively encouraging friends and fans alike to pay tribute to one of the living legends of our time.

“It feels good to get the milestone victory and it was nice that happened at Delaware Park,” said Sheppard.

Sheppard notched his first career winner in a steeplechase race with Haffaday in 1966. The 71-year-old native of Ashwell, England, was inducted into National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1990.  He has won six Breeder Cup’s and has trained 12 Eclipse Award champions, including Flatterer (1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986) and Forever Together (2008).

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present four jockey autograph signings in August with the proceeds to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Jockeys scheduled to appear and sign autographs are 2012 Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez, Hall of Fame members Edgar Prado and Kent Desormeaux, as well as standouts Javier Castellano, Ramon Dominguez, Rosie Napravnik, Julien Leparoux, Joel Rosario, Jose Lezcano, Mike Luzzi, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. The jockeys will sign color photographs provided by the Museum for $10 each.

The Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the PDJF has distributed more than $3 million to permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have sustained paralysis or brain injuries.

Here is the signing schedule:

• Monday, Aug. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — John Velazquez, Edgar Prado, and Irad Ortiz, Jr.
• Thursday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — John Velazquez, Edgar Prado, Joel Rosario, and Ramon Dominguez
• Monday, Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — Javier Castellano, Rosie Napravnik, and Jose Lezcano
• Thursday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Kent Desormeaux, Julien Leparoux, and Mike Luzzi

John Velazquez (NYRA photo)

By BRIEN BOUYEA, Communications Officer

One of the most accomplished and respected jockeys in the history of the sport, John Velazquez was still in the prime of his remarkable career when he was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

After attending jockey school in his native land of Puerto Rico, the 18-year-old Velazquez journeyed to the United States in March of 1990. His natural skill set caught the eye of Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., who mentored the young Velazquez and later became his agent.

Velazquez steadily worked his way into the upper echelon of the competitive jockey colony in New York and began to assert himself as a star in the late 1990s. Velazquez won the first of his five Saratoga riding championships in 1998 and set a Spa record with 65 victories in 2004. He has won a total of 22 riding titles at New York tracks and topped the national standings in wins from 2001 through 2004.

The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey in 2004 and 2005, Velazquez has always been at his best in the biggest races. He won a total of 50 Grade 1 races from 2006 through 2011, including the 2007 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Kentucky Derby. His Belmont victory with Rags to Riches marked the first time in 102 years that a filly was victorious in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

Velazquez has won 11 Breeders’ Cup races and multiple runnings of the Alabama, Beldame, Champagne, Clark Handicap, Dwyer, Flower Bowl, Frizette, Hollywood Derby, King’s Bishop, Metropolitan Handicap, Mother Goose, Personal Ensign, Remsen, Test, Vosburgh, Whitney Handicap, and Sanford. He has also won single editions of the Travers, Florida Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Blue Grass, Louisiana Derby, Wood Memorial, and Woodward, among others. Velazquez has also shined on the international stage with a victory in the Dubai World Cup and two stakes wins at the 2009 Royal Ascot meet in England.

At the time of his election to the Hall of Fame, Velazquez had won more than 4,800 career races and ranked fourth all time in earnings with more than $265 million.

Anthony Hamilton aboard Pickpocket, 1893 (Keeneland Collection)

By BRIEN BOUYEA, Communications Officer

Anthony “The Black Demon” Hamilton was a natural in the irons. Born in Charleston, S.C., in 1866, Hamilton was a complete rider, possessing a rare balance of strength and finesse, and the innate ability of knowing when to be aggressive and when to be patient throughout the course of a race.

Hamilton’s first notable victory was in 1881 when he piloted Sligo to victory in the Phoenix Handicap. Throughout the next 15 years, Hamilton won many of the most prestigious races in America, including all three of the major New York handicaps — the Brooklyn (twice), Suburban, and Manhattan. Hamilton is the only black rider to win all three of New York’s major handicaps.

In 1890, Hamilton won the third edition of the Futurity with the champion Potomac. The race was the richest event to date on the American turf with a purse of $67,675. Hamilton enjoyed a remarkable year in 1890, leading all riders with a 31.2 win percentage. The following year, Hamilton increased his win percentage to a staggering 33.8 and had 154 victories, which ranked second in the national standings.

Hamilton’s success in the major American races of his era was phenomenal. His prominent victories included the 1887 American Derby, back-to-back editions of the Monmouth Oaks in 1889 and 1890, the inaugural Gazelle Handicap in 1887, as well as the 1890 Gazelle, the 1891 Lawrence Realization Stakes, the 1888 St. Louis Derby, the inaugural Toboggan Handicap in 1890, the Monmouth Handicap in 1889 and 1892, the 1886 Nursery Stakes, the 1892 Great Trial Stakes, and five runnings of the Twin City Handicap (1886, 1888, 1889, 1892, and 1894), among others.

Many of the top owners in the sport sought out the services of Hamilton. He rode in the colors of Pierre Lorillard, Billy Lakeland, Mike Dwyer, J.R. Keene, and the Belmont family. Hamilton’s most famous mounts included Hall of Famers Firenze and Salvator, and the retrospective champions Potomac and Lamplighter.

Following his outstanding career in America, Hamilton enjoyed considerable success riding overseas. He won the Metropolitan Stakes of Vienna and the Karoli Memorial in Budapest, as well as the Ruler Stakes, the first leg of the Polish Triple Crown. Hamilton briefly rode in Russia during 1904, but his career came to an end there when he was thrown from a horse.

Hamilton then moved to France, where he died in 1907. Racing historian Fred Burlew, the son of a Hall of Fame trainer, ranked Hamilton third on his list of the 10 greatest African-American jockeys of all time behind only Hall of Famers Isaac Murphy and Willie Simms.

Ghostzapper, Javier Castellano up (NYRA photo)

By BRIEN BOUYEA, Communications Officer

Bred in Kentucky by owner Frank Stronach at Adena Springs, Ghostzapper (Awesome Again—Baby Zip, by Deputy Minister) was one of the most spectacular racehorses of the 21^st century’s first decade.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, Ghostzapper broke his maiden in his career debut at Hollywood Park in November of 2002. He made only one other start that year, finishing fourth in an allowance race at Santa Anita. It was the only time in his 11-race career in which Ghostzapper finished out of the money.

As a 3-year-old, Ghostzapper won an allowance at Belmont Park and one at Saratoga Race Course before finishing third in the King’s Bishop at Saratoga, which was his second and final career defeat. Ghostzapper closed out his 2003 campaign with his first Grade 1 victory in the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont in September.

An injury kept Ghostzapper off the track until July 4, 2004, but his return to the races was spectacular. Ghostzapper secured an easy victory in the Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap then romped by 10¾ lengths in the Grade 3 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park. His jaw-dropping performance in the 1⅛-mile Iselin earned Ghostzapper a Beyer Speed Figure of 128, the highest figure in the history of the American turf for a non-sprinting distance.

Ghostzapper followed the Iselin with a spectacular victory in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes over a strong field that included Saint Liam, the 2005 Horse of the Year. With regular rider Javier Castellano in the irons, Ghostzapper concluded his 4-year-old season with a remarkable effort in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in Texas. In a star-studded field that included Azeri, Funny Cide, Birdstone, Perfect Drift, Pleasantly Perfect, and Roses in May, Ghostzapper drew away and covered the 1¼-mile distance in 1:59.02 to set a track and Breeders’ Cup Classic record.

The 4-for-4 campaign garnered Ghostzapper Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male honors in the 2004 Eclipse Award voting. He returned to the races in late May of 2005, winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. Ghostzapper was retired a couple weeks later with a hairline fracture in his left front ankle. He closed out his career on a six-race win streak to finalize a record of 9-0-1 from 11 starts with earnings of $3,446,120. Ghostzapper currently resides as a stallion at Stronach’s Adena Springs in Paris, Ky.

Planet (from an Edward Troye painting)

By BRIEN BOUYEA, Communications Officer

Planet was one of the most spectacular American racehorses in the years leading up to the Civil War.

Foaled in Virginia at Major Thomas W. Doswell’s Bullfield Stable in 1855, Planet was sired by Revenue out of the Boston mare Nina. Planet was a sensation from the start. He made his debut with a victory over four others in mile heats for a purse of $10,750 in Fairfield, Va., on May 4, 1858, and went on to establish a record for career purse earnings that stood for 20 years.

Turf writer John Hervey described Planet as “In color a rich chestnut, 15.2½ (hands) tall, he was remarkable for his symmetry of mould and the excellence of his limbs.”

Planet displayed his remarkable skill and versatility by compiling a record of 27-4-0 from 31 starts and earning $69,700. Known as “The Great Red Fox,” Planet was regarded by many turf experts to be second only to the mighty Lexington among the greatest American racehorses prior to the Civil War.

Carrying Bullfield’s famed orange silks, Planet won at a variety of distances in Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana. He also traveled to New York, where he won a $20,000 sweepstakes on Sept. 25, 1860 at the Fashion Course on Long Island. Racing from ages 3 through 5, Planet defeated many of the top horses of his era, including Daniel Boone, Congaree, Socks, and Arthur Macon.

Further demonstrating his versatility, Planet was a natural trotter. He was able to trot a mile in three minutes, and most of his training was conducted in that gait. According to Hervey, this ability led to some trouble, as Planet was once ordered off a New York track by a racing official for “training at a flying trot before a meet.” The official declared that trotters were not allowed. Other horsemen jumped to the defense of the great Planet, as this was his traditional training regimen, and the official rescinded his order.

Planet was retired to stud at Bullfield in 1861. The Civil War and its aftermath curtailed racing in the South and interrupted several years of Planet’s career as a stallion. During those years, Planet and many of the other Bullfield horses were hidden in the woods to protect them from Yankee marauders.

In 1868, Doswell, sold Planet to R.A. Alexander of Woodburn Farm in Kentucky. Planet resided at Woodburn until he died at the age of 20 in 1875.