Trainers of three Triple Crown winners, Carl Hanford, and Jack Westrope deserve a plaque

The induction ceremony for the Racing Hall of Fame on August 6 in Saratoga Springs honors the incoming class of 2001. I have always felt that the Racing Hall of Fame is a true plus for Thoroughbred racing.

But I have long been critical of the Hall of Fame because, since it began in 1955, it has enshrined only horses, trainers, and jockeys under its charter. Not only is that policy terribly restrictive, but it perpetuates inequities on many fronts.

I also have scolded the Hall of Fame for three exclusions that I consider scandalous. The first egregious omission (and the most painful to me personally) is that three men who trained Triple Crown winners have yet to be inducted. They are George Conway, who trained the brilliant War Admiral during his sensational year of 1937; Don Cameron, trainer of the very tough Count Fleet in 1943; and Billy Turner-still training and winning stakes races today-who trained the only unbeaten Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew, in 1977.

My second cause of upset and bafflement is the continued exclusion of Carl Hanford, trainer of the legendary Kelso, who was not only one of the greatest geldings in racing history but also a great handicap champion and weight-carrier par excellence. Kelso was Horse of the Year from 1960-'64.

I cannot comprehend what is keeping Hanford (now in his mid-80s and living in retirement in Wilmington, Delaware) out of the Hall of Fame. Does anyone out there realize how hard it is not only to keep a horse sound for five years-but maintain his mental and physical ability at the very highest level to keep finding the winner's circle year after year?

Last but certainly not least among my Hall of Fame complaints is the omission of the late Jack Westrope, who was a truly great rider. At his last public appearance (the National Thoroughbred Racing Association All-Star Jockey Championship at Lone Star Park in 1995) before he died, Eddie Arcaro said to me: "Anybody who rode with 'Rope' (as Eddie called him), or the owners and trainers who saw him, would tell you that he was probably one of the greatest riders that ever lived. You can put him right up there with the very best."

The other two glaring deficiencies have been the topic of Viewpoint in Thoroughbred Times and have generated many letters. First, there is the exclusion of scores of great owners, breeders, racing officials, writers, and benefactors whose contributions to racing are incontrovertible. And, second, the fact that until Julie Krone was inducted last year in the jockey category, not one of racing's distinguished women over its storied history has ever been admitted. Both are inexcusable and cry out for redress.

Just consider even a brief list of the many great people whose principal interest was always the welfare of both the horse and the sport itself. From the great families including the Keenes, Belmonts, Woodwards, Phippses, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and Wideners to such illustrious breeders as John Madden, A. B. Hancock Sr., A. B. "Bull" Hancock Jr., Paul Mellon, E. P. Taylor, Calumet Farm, and scores more.

And let's throw into the mix the long list of great racing officials, administrators, writers, and others too numerous to list here in a comprehensive way. A quick glance at any list would yield names that made formidable and lasting contributions such as Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Walter Vosburgh, Marshall Cassidy, Col. Matt Winn, Col. E. R. Bradley-and great writers such as Red Smith, Charles Hatton, and Joe Hirsch. To state it plainly: The time has come.

My other gripe is equally special given the magnitude of the contributions that women have made as owners and breeders. They absolutely deserve equal recognition so that any visitor to the Hall of Fame can fully understand and appreciate everything that they have done. No one can deny the influence, passion, and lasting legacy imparted by such accomplished women as Allaire duPont, Penny Chenery, Mrs. H. C. Phipps, Lucille Markey, Martha Gerry, Marion duPont Scott, Liz Whitney Tippett, Isabel Dodge Sloane, Ethel Jacobs, or Elizabeth Arden Graham. And that is just the tip of iceberg.

Though I realize that amending the Hall of Fame's charter and broadening the categories for election might cause consternation and some degree of administrative headache for the staff, there is still no question that its doors need to be opened to include everyone.