Entry into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame is not achieved overnight, nor is the honor conferred on one-minute wonders. Staying power at the top of the sport is a prerequisite.

On August 6, trainer Richard Mandella, jockey Earlie Fires, trainer Tom Smith, and horses Holy Bull, Paseana (Arg), and Maskette will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in ceremonies in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion. Clearly, the new Hall of Fame members have earned their plaques.

Although a youthful 50, Mandella has been training on his own for more than a quarter-century after studying under trainers Farrell Jones and Victor J. "Lefty" Nickerson. Mandella grabbed the racing world's attention in 1993 when he won two Breeders' Cup races, with Phone Chatter and eventual Horse of the Year Kotashaan (Fr), and he has been among the sport's leading trainers since then.

Fires may not own a marquee victory in a Breeders' Cup or classic race, but the jockey has been a model of consistency in Midwest racing for decades. Smith, the selection of an old-timer's committee, trained the great Seabiscuit, currently the hot horse on best-seller lists this year because of Laura Hillenbrand's acclaimed book.

Holy Bull, owned and trained by Hall of Fame member Warren A. "Jimmy" Croll, was undefeated at two and Horse of the Year at three in 1994 before an injury ended his racing career early in his four-year-old season. Paseana, superb on two continents, was a two-time champion in North America, in 1992 and '93, and maintained her quality over six racing seasons. James R. Keene's great filly Maskette, the brilliant performer of yesteryear, was a two-time champion who never lost to a member of her sex and regularly trounced her male opponents.

Following are the profiles of the new Hall of Fame members, all models of consistency at the pinnacle of the sport.-Don Clippinger

Earlie Fires
Birthdate: March 19, 1947
Birthplace: Riverdale, Arkansas
Residence: Palatine, Illinois
Record: 6,148 career victories through July 15; 45 wins in 2000; 10 victories in 2001 through July 15
Career accomplishments: Leading apprentice rider, 1965; winner of six riding titles at Arlington Park; has won meet titles in each of four decades through the 1990s; rode his 5,000th winner in 1999 and ranks 12th on all-time list by wins; won the 1967 Florida Derby and Jersey Derby with In Reality

When Earlie Fires came to the Churchill Downs press box during Kentucky Derby (G1) week for the announcement that he was to be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame, a Turf writer asked him which of his achievements made him the most proud.

"Standing here today," replied the 54-year-old rider whose roots reach back to the family farm outside Riverdale, Arkansas.

Fires, who has not won either a Triple Crown or a Breeders' Cup race, feared that as a consequence his many accomplishments might be overlooked. "I've been let down a few times," he admitted. "I thought maybe my time had passed because a lot of people now weren't doing their writing when I was on a roll and don't know much about me."

His record speaks for itself. Fires is the Chicago circuit's all-time leading rider, with more than 6,100 visits to the winner's circle in a career that began in 1965. Only 11 other North American jockeys have won more races.

The six-time Arlington Park champion also has won championships at Hawthorne Race Course, Keeneland Race Course, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, Hialeah Park, Calder Race Course, and the now-defunct Miles Park, earning at least one title in each of the last four decades.

The three greatest performances of Fires's career came in Chicago. He won with seven of his eight mounts at Arlington on August 16, 1983, and again on May 25, 1987, and he won with all six of his mounts at Hawthorne on July 19, 1989.

"I love Chicago," said Fires. "My wife Kathy's family lives here, and we raised our children (Keith, Kimberly, and Shannon) here. This is where I started working. I came up here in the summer with my brothers when I was a little boy and I would get on some horses. I got to knowing the place and knowing the people. For me, this always will be home.

"I guess they consider me a Midwest rider, but I've probably won more races in Florida than anybody riding today. I've ridden a lot of real good horses once or twice. In Reality was probably the best three-year-old I ever rode regularly. He just had the poor luck to be in the same year (1967) as Dr. Fager and Damascus."

Fires has twice been close to the winner's circle in the Derby. He finished third on a mutuel-field horse, Blue Skyer, in 1966. In 1968, he was aboard Francie's Hat, a 23.50-to-1 longshot promoted from third to second after first-place Dancer's Image tested positive for the then-prohibited medication phenylbutazone.

"Probably the race I remember most is Abe's Hope losing by a jump to Buckpasser in the (1966) Flamingo (Stakes)," continued Fires, who was North America's champion apprentice rider in 1965 and recipient of the George Woolf Memorial Award in '91.

"When I set out, I never set any goals. I just wanted to win them all. I've always been a hard-working rider on a horse. I ride as hard as anyone can ride. I may not be the best rider, I may not be riding the best horse, and I may not win, but I give that horse every chance to win.

"And, if I don't win, and some jockey or trainer or owner who hasn't been doing much good is the one who beats me, I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing that, too. I probably love the people as much as I love winning."

Fires has eight brothers and two sisters, and all the brothers have had jobs on the racetrack at some point in their lives. Earlie's older brother, William "Jenks" Fires, is a successful trainer, and a younger brother, Jackie, was an outstanding young jockey before suffering a crippling injury at River Downs in the early 1970s.

Two of Fires's first and foremost patrons were owner-breeder Leonard Lavin and trainer Willard Proctor. "Mr. Proctor helped me as much as it's humanly possible to help a bug boy," said Fires. "I was under contract to Harbor View Farm for awhile, and I went to New York, but it wasn't my cup of tea."

The same was true of California. "Willard and I brought him from Arlington one of those first years," Lavin said. "Guys like Charlie Whittingham and Buddy Hirsch were putting him on horses, and he was winning a lot of races. If he'd have stayed, I think he'd have been a Gary Stevens or a Chris McCarron. But he wanted to go back to Chicago."-Neil Milbert

Richard Mandella
Birthdate: November 5, 1950
Birthplace: Altadena, California
Residence: Bradbury, California
Career record (1974-July 20,2001): 8,506 starts, 1,497 wins, $83,159,954 in earnings; 60 wins in 2000; 45 wins in 2001 through July 20
Champions and major stakes winners: Kotashaan (Fr), 1993 Horse of the Year; Phone Chatter, 1993 champion two-year-old filly; major winners Gentlemen (Arg), Siphon (Brz), Sandpit (Brz), Malek (Chi), Dare and Go, Dixie Union, Phone Trick, Puerto Madero (Chi), Wild Rush, Atticus, Romarin (Brz), Soul of the Matter, Afternoon Deelites, Advancing Star, Reluctant Guest, Matiara, Virginie (Brz), Bel's Starlet, Likeable Style, Golden Treat, Devil's Orchid, Stop Traffic, Lexicon

Trainer Richard Mandella enjoyed a preview day of sorts on July 7 when Hollywood Park saluted him for his induction into the Racing Hall of Fame. Mandella's life and career whizzed by on an infield screen video. He was feted for the three Hs-"Hard work, honesty, and horsemanship"-and lauded for "professionalism that has served as a shining light."

A bit overwhelmed in the winner's circle, Mandella replied as sincerely and directly as always: "It's