Dozen to be Inducted Into Hall as Pillars of the Turf
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Pillars of the Turf Committee has elected 12 members to the Hall of Fame.
The 2018 Pillars of the Turf inductees are: Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, August Belmont I, Cot Campbell, Penny Chenery, John W. Galbreath, Arthur B. Hancock Sr., Hal Price Headley, John Morrissey, Dr. Charles H. Strub, William Collins Whitney, Harry Payne Whitney, and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney.
The 12 Pillars join the previously announced selections of the racehorses Heavenly Prize and Preakness and trainer William Lakeland in the class of 2018. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m. at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion. The event is open to the public and free to attend.
The museum’s executive committee approved a measure in January allowing the Pillars of the Turf Committee to select as many as 12 inductees in both 2018 and 2019 to address the significant backlog of worthy candidates, as this Hall of Fame category was established only five years ago.
Baldwin (1828-1909), a native of Hamilton, Ohio, relocated to California during the Gold Rush and became successful in numerous business ventures. He owned several top Thoroughbreds and was one of the first prominent breeders in California. Racing under the name Santa Anita Stable, he campaigned champions Emperor of Norfolk (a Hall of Fame member) and Los Angeles, among others. Emperor of Norfolk won 21 of 29 starts, including the American Derby at Chicago’s Washington Park in 1888, arguably the most prestigious race in the country at the time. Baldwin horses also won the American Derby in 1885 (Volante), 1886 (Silver Cloud) and 1894 (Rey el Santa Anita).
Belmont (1813-1890) who was born in Alzey, Germany, was introduced to Thoroughbred racing in 1866 by Leonard Jerome, who convinced him to be one of the incorporators of the American Jockey Club at Jerome Park, which Belmont helped finance. When Jerome Park opened that fall, Belmont became track president and won his first race as an owner with the filly Maid of Honor. In 1867, Belmont began his breeding operation by purchasing several broodmares and around 1,000 acres on Long Island, N.Y., for his Nursery Stud. In 1870, Belmont was one of six founders of Long Branch Racetrack in New Jersey, which was later renamed Monmouth Park.
Campbell, born on Sept. 27, 1927, in New Orleans, began syndicating racehorses in 1969 and created Dogwood Stable as a partnership venture shortly after. Based in Aiken, S.C., Dogwood partnerships produced more than 80 stakes winners, including 1990 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall. Summer Squall went on to sire dual classic winner Charismatic and the Dogwood-owned Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Storm Song. Palace Malice delivered a second victory in the Triple Crown series for Dogwood when he won the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1). Campbell’s partnership concept paved the way for numerous other groups that followed, providing a successful model and making Thoroughbred ownership more attainable and inclusive.