Eight new Hall of Famers

As always, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion across the street from the track was a memorable event. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino gave a great keynote address and the inductees told some unique and touching stories.

Jose Santos received the biggest ovation for his accomplished career (including Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes wins aboard New York-bred Funny Cide), and thanked every trainer he rode for and every agent who worked for him. John Veitch, a former trainer and now the state steward for Kentucky, spoke pointedly about doing the right thing for horses and Abigail Fuller-Catalano held off tears just long enough to thank the Hall of Fame for accepting her father's filly, Mom's Command, into its record books.

A great part of every induction ceremony is the list of past inductees who attend the event. A large group of trainers and jockeys (including Affirmed's Steve Cauthen and Secretariat's Ron Turcotte) were in attendance and were honored before the inductions began.

The crowd was fair - I thought perhaps this lineup would have pushed the pavilion to its limit - and the receptions for each inductee were heartfelt. In addition, the Hall of Fame deserves credit for fitting a keynote speech and eight inductions into a two-hour window, giving everyone more than enough time to get back to the track for the first race of the day.