Racing Hall of Fame announces 87 nominees for class of 2006

A total of 87 horses, trainers and jockeys have been nominated for the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.

All of the nominees have been active since 1980 and were chosen by Hall of Fame

voters, fans and people who work in the racing industry.

There are four categories of nominees: contemporary female horse,

contemporary male horse, jockey and trainer. Horses become eligible for

nomination after they have been retired for five full calendar years. Trainers

must have 25 years of participation in Thoroughbred racing as a head trainer.

Jockeys must have been licensed for at least 20 years.

Finalist from the previous three years are automatically included on the

nomination list.

The nominees for contemporary female are Banshee Breeze, Brown Bess,

Estrapade, Hollywood Wildcat, Inside Information, Landaluce, Life's Magic, Mom's

Command, Nastique, Open Mind, Royal Heroine (Ire), Safely Kept, Sharp Cat,

Silverbulletday, Sky Beauty and Soaring Softly.

The nominees for contemporary male are Artax, Awesome Again, Best Pal, Black

Tie Affair (Ire), Chief's Crown, Criminal Type, Da Hoss, Dave's Friend, Favorite

Trick, Ferdinand, Giant's Causeway, Gulch, Housebuster, Kotashaan (Fr), Lemon

Drop Kid, Lure, Manila, Paradise Creek, Real Quiet, Silver Charm, Smoke Glacken,

Snow Chief, Spend a Buck, Swale, Theatrical (Ire), Thunder Gulch, Unbridled and

Victory Gallop.

Jockeys receiving nominations are Cash Asmussen, Jorge Chavez, Patti Cooksey,

Jean Cruguet, Robbie Davis, David Gall, Carl Gambardella, Mark Guidry, Eddie

Maple, Herb McCauley, Craig Perret, Don Pierce, Edgar Prado, Randy Romero, Jose

Santos, Larry Snyder, Alex Solis and Fernando Toro.

The nominated trainers are Roger Attfield, Dale Baird, Frank Brothers, John

Campo, John Gosden, Bruce Headley, David Hofmans, Jerry Hollendorfer, Neil

Howard, Gary Jones, Patrick Kelly, King T. Leatherbury, M. E. (Buster) Millerick,

Jim Morgan, Gasper Moschera, Carl Nafzger, Willard Proctor, Virgil (Buddy)

Raines, John Russell, William E. (Doc) Schmitt, Mel Stute, Warren Stute, Billy

Turner, John Veitch and Robert L. Wheeler.

Biographies and past performance records of the 87 nominees will be examined

by a 14-member committee, which will then select the three finalists in each of

the four categories by secret ballot.

In the next step of the process, a panel of approximately 190 people will

receive Hall of Fame ballots in April. A finalist must receive at least 75

percent of the votes cast, as well as the most votes in the category, in order

to be inducted.

The inductees will be announced during the final week of May. The 51st class

of Hall of Fame members will be formally inducted into National Museum of

Racing's Hall of Fame on August 7.