SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is overhauling its review process. Starting this year, the Historic Review Committee will only consider candidates for induction if they were active during a specific era. In prior years, the committee considered all candidates throughout racing history, as long as they had been out of competition for more than 25 years.
In 2024, only pre-1900 horses, jockeys, and trainers will be candidates for induction. In 2025, the period of 1900 through 1959 will be reviewed. In 2026, the 1960-2000 era will be up for consideration. Then in 2027, the process will cycle back to pre-1900. Each year, the Historic Review Committee is able to select a maximum of three inductees. All inductees need 75% approval from the committee.
“Based on feedback from members of the various Hall of Fame committees and the committee chairs, I believe these changes will make for a more effective evaluation process for historic candidates being considered for the Hall of Fame,” said Brien Bouyea, the Museum’s Hall of Fame Communications Director, in a statement. “These specialized review committees will no longer have to compare candidates from vastly different eras. Evaluating the achievements of a horse or human from before 1900 alongside one from perhaps a century later is an apples vs. oranges exercise that we wanted to improve upon.”
This year’s pre-1900 Historic Review Committee will include Michael Veitch, Edward L. Bowen, Ken Grayson, Jennifer Kelly, Dorothy Ours, Josh Pons, Mary Simon, and Gary West. The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be announced in late April.
For more on The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame visit racingmuseum.org.
