Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eight new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The class of 2023 is comprised of jockey Corey Nakatani and the racehorses Arrogate (KY), California Chrome (CA), and Songbird (KY) in the contemporary category; jockey Fernando Toro via the Historic Review Committee; and Pillars of the Turf selections John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome, and Stella F. Thayer. 

Arrogate, California Chrome, and Songbird were all elected in their first year of eligibility. 

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be enshrined on Friday, Aug. 4, at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Museum website at www.racingmuseum.org. The event is open to the public and free to attend. 

Corey Nakatani, 52, a native of Covina, CA, won 3,909 races with purse earnings of $234,554,534 in a career that spanned from 1988 through 2018. His 341 graded stakes victories included 10 Breeders’ Cup races. Nakatani ranks No. 14 all time in career earnings and finished in the top 20 in annual earnings 16 times, including 11 times in the top 10. A winner of 10 riding titles on the Southern California circuit, Nakatani ranks in top 10 in overall wins and stakes wins at both Santa Anita and Del Mar. He won 1,033 races at Santa Anita (No. 9 all time), including 131 stakes (No. 8), and 705 races at Del Mar (No. 6), including 104 stakes (No. 2). 

Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song—Bubbler, by Distorted Humor) compiled a record of 7-1-1 from 11 starts while racing from 2016 through 2017. His earnings of $17,422,600 represent the highest total in history for a horse with at least one start in North America. Winner of the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 2016, Arrogate was bred by Clearsky Farms and purchased for $560,000 by Juddmonte Farms at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Arrogate finished third in his career debut in April 2016 at Los Alamitos before winning seven consecutive races, including the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup. 

California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit—Love the Chase, by Not For Love) was bred and owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn. Taylor Made Farm later joined in the ownership, purchasing Coburn’s share. Trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome raced from 2013 to 2017 with a record of 16-4-1 from 27 starts and earnings of $14,752,650. He was voted Horse of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and earned additional Eclipse Awards for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 2014 and Champion Older Male in 2016. 

Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro—Ivanavinalot, by West Acre) was bred by John Antonelli and purchased for $400,000 by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird raced from 2015 through 2017 with a record of 13-2-0 from 15 starts and earnings of $4,692,000. Winner of Eclipse Awards for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2015 and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2016, Songbird won a total of 12 graded stakes, including nine Grade 1 events.  

Fernando Toro, 82, a native of Santiago, Chile, won 3,555 races with purse earnings of $56,299,765 during his North American riding career of 1966 through 1990. Toro won his first race in his native country at the age of 15 in 1956 and topped the Chilean national jockeys’ standings twice. Before arriving in America, Toro won three editions of the prestigious Gran Premio, as well as the 1964 Clasico St. Leger, a race in the Chilean Triple Crown series. Based in Southern California, Toro won 80 graded stakes in North America. At the time of his retirement, he ranked in the top 10 in stakes wins at Del Mar (No. 6), Hollywood Park (No. 8), and Santa Anita (tied at No. 8). 

John W. Hanes II (1892 —1987), a native of Winston-Salem, NC, graduated from Yale University and served in the Navy during World War I before becoming a bond salesman on Wall Street. He eventually became a senior partner in a brokerage firm and a governor on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Hanes to the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission. Two years later, he was named Under Secretary of the Treasury. 

Hanes played a key role in the revitalization of New York racing in the 1950s. He was elected a steward of The Jockey Club in 1953 and tasked by the organization to chair a special committee to improve New York’s tracks and quality of racing. Along with committee members Christopher T. Chenery and Harry F. Guggenheim, Hanes secured $109 million to revitalize Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. He also helped obtain legislation to establish the management corporation that eventually became the New York Racing Association. Hanes served as the organization’s president from 1954 through 1960 before transitioning to the role of NYRA chairman. He remained a NYRA trustee until 1973. 

Leonard W. Jerome (1818 —1891) was born in Pompey. He originally enrolled in Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey) before leaving for Union College in Schenectady, where he graduated with a law degree. Jerome went on to practice law in New York for a time in both Albany and Rochester, then moved to New York City, where he became a stock speculator, financier, and patron of the arts. The flamboyant Jerome eventually built a significant fortune and became known as the “King of Wall Street.” Thoroughbred racing began to pique his interest in the mid-1860s. Jerome was a driving force in the creation of three major racetracks in the New York City area. He also helped establish the American Jockey Club (not affiliated with the modern Jockey Club) and served as the first vice president of Saratoga Race Course upon its opening in 1864. Jerome also partnered with William Travers, Saratoga’s first president, in what became a powerful financial firm on Wall Street.

Stella F. Thayer, 82, a native of Tampa, FL, purchased Tampa Bay Downs with her brother, Howell Ferguson, in 1986. She currently serves as the track’s president. Thayer was elected the ninth president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2005. The first woman to hold the position in the institution’s history, Thayer served as Museum president until 2014. She has been a Museum trustee since 1994.

DOHA, QATAR — Five athletes from the Glenville-based Jason Morris Judo Center have qualified to compete for Team USA at the World Judo Championships in Doha, Qatar, May 7-14.

Ari Berliner, Kell Berliner, Alex Knauf, Hannah Martin and Nicole Stout all were named to the team. Ari Berliner will be the 66kg representative and be competing in his second straight Worlds. Kell Berliner (81kg) will also be going to his second worlds, having made the team for the first time in 2017.

This will be Knauf’s second time attending the Worlds, as he qualified last year. Stout (78kg) is making her third trip to Worlds, having made it in 2022 and 2017. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School graduate Hannah Martin (63kg) is making a JMJC record eighth appearance at the worlds, with her best results coming in 2013 when she finished ninth.

The JMJC has now placed an athlete in 14 straight worlds, starting in 2005, with five representatives this year being the most since having five athletes in 2011. The JMJC has placed a remarkable 54 athletes on the world team since its inception in 2000. Ari Berliner, Alex Knauf & Hannah Martin also represent the New York Athletic Club. Knauf trains at the Cohen Brothers Judo Club when he is home in Chicago, Illinois.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It was certainly a year to remember for Saratoga Springs sophomore bowler Macallan Gagne.

Gagne finished the year as the team’s top bowler, threw a perfect game, and made an appearance at the New York State Championships for the Blue Streaks. 

Gagne began the season as Saratoga’s #2 bowler, but quickly earned the team’s top spot. He said it “felt great” to become the team’s #1 option.

“I was going up against the top bowlers, and I had a chance to beat them or even come close with some of the greater bowlers,” said Gagne. “That was pretty cool.”

Gagne’s regular season was highlighted by a perfect game, bowled during an 18-14 win over Averill Park on Dec. 1. Gagne’s 300 came in the second game of the night, just after he had lost a perfect game in the ninth frame of his first game.

“That was fun. The first game, I shot like a 266,” Gagne said. “Ninth frame, I messed up, and I was upset. I just reset, see if I could try again. … Their coach was actually kind of saying, ‘It’ll come soon, just try to get it next game.’ I just stuck with it, figured out a line and threw the same shot.”

He said the final frame was “very nerve-wracking,” but Gagne finished the perfect game and celebrated with his coaches and teammates.

“Both of my coaches were behind me and stuff like that, and it was pretty fun,” said Gagne. “To see my friends and stuff like that behind me, it was also really fun.”

As a team, Saratoga finished as Section 2 runner-ups this season, one year after winning the sectional title. Although the Blue Streaks did not advance to states as a team this year, Gagne qualified individually as a composite bowler.

While he said it “would’ve been nice” for the team to earn another section championship, Gagne said it still felt great to return to states individually.

“I enjoyed it. It was tough, but I stuck through it,” said Gagne of states. “Our team did pretty well, and I enjoyed the overall experience.”

Gagne, who also plays JV baseball for Saratoga, said he will be competing in bowling tournaments across the country in preparation for next season. He said his early goals for next season are to shoot another perfect game, and qualify for states once again.

“Just doing that, and then when the season starts to come, I’ll probably get in (Strike Zone) once or twice a week, just to practice, sharpen up skills and stuff like that, and work on anything I need to,” Gagne said.

ALBANY — Coach Rich Johns recently took his Act With Respect Always message to Sage College. Invited to speak to his good friend Bob Stulmaker’s class, titled “Current Trends and Topics in Sports Leadership”. 

This also gave Rich a chance to visit with Bob, who was his athletic director while at Saratoga Springs. Pictured is Coach with some of the student-athletes following his presentation. All students received an AWRA tie-dye shirt. 

Contact Coach Johns at www.actwithrespectalways.com