Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
WHAT HASKELL INVITATIONAL STAKES WINNER WAS THE FIRST HORSE TO INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME?
7/27/2018
The Haskell Invitational Stakes will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Over this half century many of its winners are racing’s royalty. Ten of the past winners have gone on to win the Eclipse Awards as best 3-year-old colt or filly. Four of these ten have excelled to Horse-of-the-Year status. Eight of those ten have been inducted into the National Racing’s Hall of Fame. The colts include: Holly Bull (2001), Skip Away (2004) and Point Given (2010). Fillies include: Serena’s Song (2002) and Rachel Alexandra (2016). The first Haskell winner to be inducted into the Hall of Fame was Holy Bull in 2001. The very next year Serena’s Song was inducted. The most recent inductee was the filly Rachel Alexandra who was inducted in 2016. Because the rules for the Hall of Fame require a lag of 5-years from end of racing career for possible nomination, American Pharoah, winner of the 2015 Haskell and both 3-year-old champion (2015) and Horse-of the-Year winner (2015), will not be eligible until 2020. The Triple Crown winner’s induction should be rather quick after his eligibility.