Hall of Fame announces 2005 nominees

Nick Zito, left, trained Strike the Gold and Go For Gin to wins in the Kentucky Derby (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

Trainer Nick Zito, jockey Eddie Maple, and champions Open Mind and Silver

Charm are among the 20 nominees for induction into the National Racing Hall of

Fame later this year.

This year's newly revised voting procedure is similar to the one used by the

Baseball Hall of Fame. The 163-member Voting Panel will be asked to vote for as

many as three finalists in each category. In order to be elected, an individual

nominee must receive a "yes" vote on at least 75 percent of the ballots. In the

event that more than one candidate attains the 75 percent level, the one with

the highest percentage will be the sole inductee in that category.

If no candidate receives "yes" votes on at least 75 percent of the ballots,

then that category will not have an inductee. In prior years, voters selected

one of three finalist in each category and inductees were elected by a majority

or plurality of the votes received.

The results of the voting will be announced during a teleconference on May

31.

Zito, who last year completed a personal Triple Crown by adding Birdstone's

Belmont S. (G1) to his earlier Kentucky Derby (G1) victories with Strike the Gold and Go

For Gin and his Preakness (G1) score with Louis Quatorze, is one of five trainers

nominated for induction along with Dale Baird, who in 2004 reached the

unprecedented milestone of 9,000 victories; John Veitch, trainer of Hall of

Famer Alydar; Mel Stute, trainer of 1986 champions Brave Raj and Snow Chief; and

Gary Jones, trainer of champion Turkoman and popular Californian Best Pal.

Maple, whose accomplishments include more than 4,000 wins, two Belmont Stakes

victories and

the mount aboard Secretariat in his final race, is one of five jockeys nominated along with Kentucky

Derby winner Craig Perret, who is still active nearly four decades after being the

leading apprentice of 1967; Randy Romero, regular rider of Hall of Fame fillies

Personal Ensign and Go for Wand and a three-time Breeders' Cup race winner; Jose Santos, four-time national leader in

earnings and winner of seven Breeders' Cup races; and Ismael (Milo) Valenzuela,

renowned in the 1950s and 1960s as partner of champions Tim Tam and Kelso.

In the Contemporary Female Horse category, the nominees are Open Mind,

champion two-year-old filly of 1988 and champion three-year-old filly of 1989;

Mom's Command, champion three-year-old filly of 1985; Sky Beauty, champion older

filly or mare of 1994; Inside Information, champion older filly or mare of 1995;

and Silverbulletday, champion two-year-old filly of 1998 and champion

three-year-old filly of 1999.

In the Contemporary Male Horse category, the nominees are Silver Charm,

winner of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness as champion three-year-old and

subsequent victor of the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1); Best Pal, winner of 17 stakes races,

including three $1 million events, from two to seven and an earner of more than $5.6 million; Housebuster, champion

sprinter in both 1990 and 1991 and a 14-time stakes hero; Lure, consecutive

winner of the Breeders' Cup

Mile in 1992-93; and Manila, champion turf horse in 1986 and winner of both the

Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) and Arlington Million (G1).

The nominees in the contemporary horse categories include runners active

within the last 25 years whose last start occurred at least five years ago.

The 2005 ceremony marks the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Fame. The event

is free and open to the public and will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales

Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) on August 8.