Hall of Fame goes the extra mile for Valenzuela with Santa Anita ceremony

Hall of Fame goes the extra mile for Valenzuela with Santa

Anita ceremony

Retired jockey Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela, who was elected to the Hall of Fame

by its Historic Review Committee in March, is unable to travel to Saratoga

Springs,  New York, for the induction ceremony on August 4. So the Hall of

Fame is coming to him. The 73-year-old legend will receive his Hall of Fame

jacket and plaque during a special induction ceremony at Santa Anita Park in

Arcadia, California, on Sunday.

Valenzuela was the regular rider of the legendary Kelso, on whom he won 22 of

35 races, including 19 stakes. Valenzuela's other career highlights include

victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1958, courtesy of Tim Tam,

and in 1968, with Forward Pass.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame President Stella F. Thayer

approved the proposal to induct Valenzuela near his Arcadia home, marking the

first time since the institution of the Hall of Fame in 1955 that an induction

has taken place outside of Saratoga Springs.

Santa Anita President Ron Charles and Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice

president of the Oak Tree Racing Association, supported the plan to stage an

event to honor Valenzuela. Santa Anita is hosting the reception from 7 p.m. to

10 p.m. (PDT) in the Chandelier Room in the Turf Club. Mike Willman, Santa

Anita's director of publicity will be the master of ceremonies.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame trustee Beverly Lewis will present

Valenzuela with his jacket and plaque. Also scheduled to take part in the

ceremony are Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jay Hovdey, the executive

columnist of Daily Racing Form and a member of the Hall of Fame's

Nominating and Historic Review committees. A video of Valenzuela's career

highlights produced by Amy Zimmerman, HRTV's senior director of broadcasting,

will be shown.

Valenzuela was born in McNary, Texas, on December 24, 1934. He rode from 1951

through 1980, winning 2,545 races and earning purse money of $20,122,760.