all in Legends

Fans standing at the rail will see a myriad of people working around the racing ovals before them. Outriders on their mounts will stand by the rail as they wait for the field for the next race. Assistant starters will mill around the starting gate as the field comes on to the track for their warmups. As those professionals work, another group takes up position at certain vantage points around the racetrack. Laden with a camera or two and maybe a sizable telephoto lens as well, these pros find the right spot, their focus on this all-important task: getting the right shot.

After losing the first race of his career July 4, 1972, Meadow Stable’s Secretariat finished first in his eight remaining tests as a 2-year-old, although he was disqualified and placed second in the Champagne Stakes for allegedly causing interference.

Nine racehorses, six trainers, and one jockey account for the 16 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing's 2023 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.

In each champion’s life comes a turning point, a small moment that presages bigger ones, laying the groundwork for the greatness to come. It could be a decision to change a piece of equipment, a hiccup that alters a schedule, or a new face that shifts the perspective on a horse and what they are capable of. For America’s first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, this small something led to a simple decision that resulted in a historic achievement.

Into each decade comes a handful of horses that help define that time for the fans who experience it. Alongside these familiar names are those who make their mark then but might fall by the wayside as years go by and their moments fall away. Remembering their accomplishments allows fans to put those periods in perspective, a new look at some horses who deserve recognition, in this case even a century after they competed.

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