The day before Calvin Borel was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I chose ten people at random at Saratoga to interview about their favorite favorite Hall of Famer. Each person was asked to pick only one horse, trainer, or jockey from the current roster. Some did find it a bit tricky to limit themselves to one selection, understandably.

Gathering the answers provided an interesting microcosm into who is popular and why they appeal to people. Only one person chose a horse, somewhat surprisingly, and Bill Mott was mentioned rather frequently. Several people who were not from the U.S. were not familiar with those elected to the Hall of Fame, and one person only knew of soon-to-be-inducted Calvin Borel.

These are the responses to who the favorites are, and why they were meaningful to the people who
chose them.

“Twilight Tear was a filly in the 1940s, and she was a filly who beat older horses in the Pimlico Special. It wasn’t a very big field, but she beat Devil Diver, a pretty special horse. The year that Rachel Alexandra had her amazing campaign, there was a lot of talk of historical precedents, of fillies beating colts and older males. Twilight Tear is thought to be the first three-year-old filly to have beaten older males en route to being Horse of the Year.
She was a Calumet horse, and she had a stablemate named Pensive. Pensive won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and he lost the Belmont by a nose. So he was a nose away from winning the Triple Crown, and she beat him that day. That’s why I love her.”

– Teresa Genaro, turfwriter

“My favorite in all the years of watching is probably Charlie Whittingham, because he could train horses to go a distance and seemed to be more patient and kept them going longer.”

– Mandy Pope, owner

“I’d have to say Carl Nafzger, for sure. Not only do I work for him, he’s just an all-around great bloke – willing to talk to you; willing to help you; he’s got a great sense of humor; fantastic with the horses. He’s great for people that are non-racing people too. He attracts new people into the game, and anyone that’s good for people in racing is brilliant. For sure, he’d have to be my favorite Hall of Famer.”
– Brennan, groom for Carl Nafzger and Ian Wilkes

“One that is great is Billy Mott. He’s a very hands-on trainer. He’s out there every day. He’s got a lot of horses and knows every one as individuals. He’s my favorite because he is very hands-on , and a lot of people that have so many horses are not around them. He’s the real deal.”
– Gerry Carwood, trainer

When D. Wayne Lukas’ assistant trainer Sebastian Nicholl was asked who his favorite was, he replied, “I’m a little bit out of touch.” When told D. Wayne Lukas is in the Hall of Fame, he said, “Obviously, I’m very fond of D. Wayne Lukas. But until I moved to America, I’d never even heard of Secretariat. I mean, in Europe things are totally different. So I haven’t really thought about it, and there are so many in the Hall of Fame. But you know, Wayne Lukas is tremendous.” It was interesting to see that perspective on one of America’s most popular runners, and how the exploits of some of the legends of American racing may not have been as well-known outside this country as you might think.

“Jockey John Velasquez would be my favorite jockey, even before he was in the Hall of Fame. He was always my favorite jockey. When I first came over to America, I actually rode a race for Leo O’Brien, which is his father-in-law. And when I first came to America, I decided I wanted to ride races and I was pretty heavy. So I had to get my weight down a lot. I struggled with my weight.
When I rode my first race for Leo O’Brien, I wasn’t over here very long but Johnny Velasquez helped me out in the jocks’ room – he gave me some of his gear to ride. He was just so nice, and I really liked his style of riding. He’s a very good horseman.
That was my first impression. He was the first jockey that helped me in America.”

– Damien Rock, exercise rider

“Earlie Fires is my favorite. The year he got in the Hall of Fame was really emotional; he really deserved it. I trained and he rode for me. He rode hard for everybody, and was a quality person.”

– Jim Schenk, bloodstock agent

“Calvin Borel, because he’s a Louisiana jockey, though he’s based out of Kentucky. He gives a decent ride on all the horses he rides, and he’s a real good guy who works hard.”

– Bob (also from Louisiana), hotwalker for Dave Donk Stables

“I would have to say Roger Attfield for the trainer, because he’s an unbelievable horseman and great guy and he was special. For jockey I would say Laffit Pincay because when I fell in love with horse racing it was the year Swale won the Derby in 1984, and I picked him. From that day on Laffit Pincay became my hero and I had his posters all over my room. He came to Minnesota to ride in the St. Paul Derby a few years later, and my dad took me out to the airport to see him, when I was about 8 years old. So he’s always kind of had a special place in my heart.”

– Erin McMahon Rock, exercise rider

“My favorite trainer in the Hall of Fame would be a toss-up between Bill Mott and Mack Miller. Mack was like a second father to me when I came to New York, and of course my relationship is still ongoing with Billy. Tremendous trainers. And Cigar is my favorite horse – he’s one of the only horses I actually did have a relationship with while I was riding.”

– Jerry Bailey

Thank you to Tom Law for the story idea, and to all the racetrackers who shared their stories with me. It was enjoyable to hear everyone’s stories of racing greats, and what they personally meant to them.

And as a bonus, a few photos from the week I spent in Saratoga writing for the Special. When time allows, more will be added.

To read more about my week at Saratoga, and horses racing against Wise Dan:

http://thisishorseracing.com/news/index.php/this-is-horse-racing/2207-beat-wise-dan

http://thisishorseracing.com/news/index.php/this-is-horse-racing/2267-student-soaks-in-spa-experience

Trainer Gerry Carwood got on 2-year-old filly Malibu Angel to take her to the gate for schooling during an August morning at Saratoga, as he does with all his horses a day prior to their races. When asked about her chances, he said, “You never know how a baby runs, but schooling in the paddock and standing well in the gate is important.” He thinks highly of this daughter of Malibu Moon, and that has given her a spot in a stall at his tidy barn overlooking the track. “I came with a small stable – I could have brought more if I wanted, but I was realistic about what kind of horses need to run here. I’m enjoying myself. We have a handful of horses here that can run here, and if we can make some money, I’ll give it a shot.” He came to Saratoga because it is a chance to compete with the best, and a chance to get noticed.

Carwood’s path to this spot in Saratoga initially began in Ireland, where he grew up on the Curragh. He left school around the age of fifteen and began working with horses. “I worked in Ireland for about twelve years, and then I immigrated to England for about seven years. I worked in Lambourn and Newmarket, and then I moved up to the north of England, where I started riding jump races. I rode around the north of England as an amateur for about two years, I think, and then I came over here to America. I came over for two months and sixteen years later…” He laughed at the way the two months had stretched out so long.

What brought him to America initially was that things were quiet where he was. “I basically came to have a look and see what was going on. I liked the way the operation was run out here and I said I’d stay for awhile. But I stayed with the steeplechase circuit, so I pretty much lived in Pennsylvania, Middleburg, Camden in the winter, and I rode that circuit all around Virginia over the jumps for about three years. Then I decided I wanted to get back into the flat horses, and I went back to the flat track. I worked as an assistant for about eight years, and then I went out on my own public.”

He trains privately now, and Lynn Alexander of Texas is his main owner. The shingle outside of Carwood’s barn reads Alastar Thoroughbred – as Alastar is also the name of Alexander’s farm in Kentucky. This operation has given Carwood the opportunity to be more involved in the game and to have more input. “I am a very hands-on trainer. Twenty horses is perfect. I like to be around them and know what’s going on.” He also rides when his string is small, as he did the morning Malibu Angel went to the gate. Getting on the horses himself gives him good input and an edge, though he doesn’t breeze them.

As he did bring a small stable to Saratoga, one key element that helped dictate which horses he brought here, and looks for to have in his stable, is also one that was influenced by his background growing up in Ireland and working in England. “The background I come from is the old line of old grass horses, and that’s why I love to have old grass horses in the barn, a horse like Tahoe Lake and one like that type I grew up with.” Tahoe Lake is a seven-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding who joined Carwood’s barn in April after being trained by Kenny McPeek. He has multiple graded-stakes placings, and first ran for Carwood in June at Churchill Downs, making his first start after a 9-month layoff. He finished fifth, though only beaten by two lengths. He said when Tahoe Lake retires, he’d like to make him a steeplechaser or his track pony, but before that there’s more flat racing to be done.

Tahoe Lake was entered in a race at the distance of a mile and three sixteenths the day after the Whitney, five races after Malibu Angel’s first start. From there, he hoped to run Tahoe Lake in the Sword Dancer. “He needs to go a lot further, but it’s a good spot to get fit for the Sword Dancer, going 1 ½ miles. He’s a route horse, all on the grass.”

Another factor that brought him to Saratoga with his own string, while previously racing in Kentucky, at Gulfstream, and at Tampa, was that the horses tell you where to go. Where Malibu Angel, Tahoe Lake, and the rest of his stable have brought him is a great place to be. While their races on August 4th didn’t result in wins, it was still another step in laying that foundation for future success. After they returned to the barn, he said, “Tahoe Lake needed more pace, and the filly ran good for a first-timer. She’ll improve ten lengths off that.” With the training regimen and the focus on each horse that Carwood has, no doubt she will. It’s just a matter of time.

A special thanks to Sean Clancy for arranging this interview, and providing the story focus for this article.