Led by multiple Eclipse Award winner Royal Delta, appearing on the ballot in her first year of eligibility, and Rags to Riches, one of only three fillies to win the Belmont Stakes, a total of nine individuals – five horses, three trainers, and one jockey – were just announced as the finalists who will appear this year’s ballot for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

The other horses are Blind Luck, Gio Ponti, and Havre de Grace, all of whom were on last year’s ballot. The trainers are Mark Casse and David Whiteley – who also were on last year’s ballot – and ballot newcomer Christophe Clement. The only jockey is Craig Perret, who also was on last year’s ballot.

Those who were on the ballot last year, but are not finalists this year, are jockeys Robby Albarado and Corey Nakatani, and trainer John Shirreffs.

There were 10 finalists on last year’s ballot, but the only individual who received enough votes to be enshrined was the filly Heavenly Prize. The outcome was surprising, as the Hall of Fame last year changed its rules – which are still in place this year -- to allow any candidate who receives support from more than 50 percent of the voters to get in.

In prior years, even though voters could choose as many candidates as they felt worthy, only the four who received the most votes could get in, meaning that anyone who received support from more than 50 percent of the voters, but did not finish in the top four, was denied entry. The current system makes it a straight up-or-down vote for all finalists. The Hall of Fame does not release vote totals.

I'll have a full story up soon at www.drf.com