National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

Gainesway Farm's three-time North American champion sire Tapit will be the featured stallion for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's Foal Patrol Season 4, which will debut online at www.foalpatrol.com on Dec. 29. One of the most influential and breed-shaping stallions of the past half-century, Tapit has sired 27 Grade I winners, 31 yearlings to bring $1 million or more at auction, and earners of more than $162 million on the racetrack. He stands at historic Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., for a 2021 fee of $185,000. Foal...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will open a new interactive exhibit, Champions of Racing, to coincide with the 2020 Breeders' Cup, to be held at Keeneland Nov. 6-7. Champions of Racing will showcase the history of both the Breeders' Cup and the Eclipse Awards. The National Museum of Racing is located in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Visitors can access a searchable race footage archive, which contains replays of every Breeders' Cup race since the event began in 1984. There are also interactive touchscreens in the lobby that...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will reopen to the public Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. The museum has been closed since January for the installation of a new state-of-the-art Hall of Fame experience, as well as multiple new and updated exhibitions. The new signature film, What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame, will initially be shown at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. daily. Narrated by sports broadcaster Bob Costas, the 16-minute film features original footage shot in 8K resolution from...

The uber-talented Decorated Invader returned to the scene of his graduation last summer to earn his third graded victory from as many tries this season. He was reined in to sit second as Get Smokin zipped to the front and opened up a double-digit advantage. The favorite began to creep closer after six panels in 1:13.52, and looked to have the frontrunner in his sights as they straightened for home. Get Smokin wasn't done yet, and offered up some resistance to midstretch, but Decorated Invader found more in reserves and...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present a summer virtual children's program series beginning Thursday, July 16, geared toward ages three through eight. These free online programs will be prerecorded and posted to the Museum's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NMRHOF each week for families to experience at their convenience. A new program will be posted every Thursday through Aug. 27. The Museum is also launching a summer virtual programming series Wednesday, July 15 at 1 p.m., headed by a comprehensive preview of the 2020 Saratoga Race Course...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will debut its online summer program series July 15. The first program in the series is a comprehensive preview of the upcoming Saratoga meet. The discussion and analysis will be moderated by Brien Bouyea, the Museum's Hall of Fame and Communications Director, and will include the editorial staff of The Saratoga Special newspaper. The program is free and begins at 1 p.m. The event can be accessed here. Additional Museum virtual programs this summer include: - Museum Exhibit preview: Friday, July...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame recently resumed construction on the new Hall of Fame Education Experience after a two-month delay because of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent "New York State on PAUSE" executive order. The Museum, which has been closed for the renovations since January, was originally scheduled to open to the public on July 16 coinciding with opening day at Saratoga Race Course. A new opening date for the Museum will be announced later this summer. "We're excited that we are able to move forward...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced the 2020 Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the Museum Ball has been canceled as a result of the ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are incredibly disappointed we won't be able to have these time-honored special events this summer, but the health concerns we are facing right now take precedence," said John Hendrickson, president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. "The Hall of Fame ceremony is an experience we want...

His thoughts, on Wednesday, turned naturally to his late father. How could they not? Mark Casse was only 11 or 12 when he toured the Hall of Fame in Saratoga with the man whose passion for the Thoroughbred was already lighting a path for his whole future. "I'm going to be in here someday," the boy announced. Most fathers think they know how to respond to a remark like that. "Sure you will. You'll be the janitor." But Norman E. Casse was different. As usual, they were camping in their...

Seven new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The class of 2020 is comprised of trainer Mark Casse and racehorse Wise Dan (Wiseman's Ferry) in the contemporary category; jockey Darrel McHargue and racehorse Tom Bowling via the Historic Review Committee; and Pillars of the Turf selections Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Aug. 7 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga. The Museum is monitoring...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame opened in 1959, and it was showing its age. With out-of-date plaques, no interactive exhibits and new technologies, it was a 20th-century museum in a 21st-century world. That, however, is about to change. An effort to modernize started when John Hendrickson was named the museum's president in 2017. He vowed to improve the facility and the fan experience. Some three years later, and after $12 million was poured into the project, future visitors will find a new, better and more modern...

Six racehorses, four trainers, and one jockey make up the 11 finalists to be included on the National Museum of Racing's 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. The list, released Monday, includes racehorses Blind Luck, Game On Dude (first year of eligibility), Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Rags to Riches, and Wise Dan (first year of eligibility); trainers Mark Casse, Christophe Clement, Doug O'Neill, and David Whiteley; and jockey Corey Nakatani. The finalists were selected by the Hall of Fame's Nominating Committee from a total of 91 initial candidates suggested by...