Racing fans will be able to pay tribute to their heroes on both sides of Union Avenue this summer. For the first time since 2019, The National Museum of Racing will be opening up its Hall of Fame induction ceremony to the public, with the event taking place on Friday, August 6 at Fasig-Tipton. Doors will open at 9:30am, and the ceremony will begin at 10:30am (it will concurrently be streamed live on the museum’s website). While it’s free to attend, public seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This year’s induction ceremony will honor both the Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021, and legendary track announcer Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies. The 2021 class is a stellar one, with the Triple Crown–winning American Pharoah (a 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale graduate) and award-winning trainers Todd Pletcher and Jack Fisher all set to be enshrined in the Hall. Last year’s inductees include racehorses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan; jockey Darrel McHargue; trainer Mark Casse; and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr.
“The museum would like to thank Fasig-Tipton for their longtime support and use of their beautiful facility for the Hall of Fame ceremony, especially as they celebrate their 100th year of the Saratoga Sale this summer,” says Cate Masterson, the museum’s director. “It’s a special place to host such an important event as the Hall of Fame ceremony. We are really looking forward to honoring the 2020 and 2021 inductees on August 6.”