Mon Apr 21 14:18:17 2008

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Racing Hall of Fame to induct six new members

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Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Officials of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame have announced that six new members make up the 53rd class of the Racing Hall of Fame.

The new members are jockeys Edgar Prado and Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela, trainer Carl Nafzger along with former champion thoroughbreds Manila, Inside Information and Ancient Title.

Prado gained international acclaim in 2006 with his Kentucky Derby-winning ride aboard Barbaro and his actions two weeks later in the Preakness Stakes when Barbaro suffered a career ending injury.

The 40-year-old Prado is a native of Peru and has compiled more than 6,000 victories and earnings of better than $202 million. He was the winning jockey of the 2002 and 2004 Belmont Stakes -- both times preventing Triple Crown sweeps by War Emblem and Smarty Jones, respectively.

This year, through Sunday, Prado has won 64 races in 353 mounts. He is second in earnings to Robby Albarado with $6,167,577.

"I'm just speechless. I'm shaking like a leaf," Prado said when told of his election. "Just to be nominated for the Hall of Fame among all my peers, was great. To win is amazing."

Valenzuela rode from 1951 through 1980. He finished in the top ten in purse money won in a season nine consecutive years, from 1956 to 1964. During his career, he rode 2,545 winners from 21,203 mounts to earn purse money of $20,122,760.

In 1958, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness with Tim Tam. Ten years later, he completed the Derby-Preakness double with Forward Pass. He was a regular rider of Hall of Famer Kelso and they won 22 stakes together.

"I am the happiest man today knowing that I have been recognized and accepted to the Hall of Fame," Valenzuela said. "It would have been even a happier moment if my wife Rosa could have been here to share this dream. This was my last chapter in my racing career that I wanted to complete. My last ride across the finish line, at 73 being inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Nafzger won the 1990 Run for the Roses with Unbridled and last year's Kentucky Derby with 2006 two-year-old male champion Street Sense. The 66-year-old Texas native is approaching 1,200 wins and has earnings of better than $50 million.

"That's good," Nafzger softly said when notified of his election. "That's really good. If you don't believe in God, study my life. It's been a miracle."

Manila won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf, which helped him to that year's Eclipse Award as champion male turf runner. He won 12 of 18 lifetime starts for $2.7 million for owner Bradley Shannon and trainer Leroy Jolley.

"I'm totally astounded to hear that he was elected," said Shannon of Lexington, Kentucky. "It's a great thrill."

Inside Information was the 1995 champion older filly or mare for owner Ogden Phipps. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Inside Information won the Breeders' Cup Distaff in 1995 and finished her career with $1.6 million in earnings with 14 wins in 17 races.

"She was a marvelous filly who had her problems," Phipps said. "She had some impingement in her neck and Shug trained her extraordinarily well and got around that. Her big race, of course, was in the Breeders' Cup, which she won by a greater distance than any filly has ever won the Distaff. She was a wonderful mare and she was a great racehorse."

Ancient Title was bred and owned by the late William and Ethel Kirkland. He competed for seven seasons, from 1972 to 1978, and won 24 of 57 starts - 20 of them stakes - earning $1,252,791. At the time of his retirement he ranked 10th in career earnings.

As a five-year-old in 1975, he won the Californian and Hollywood Gold Cup while spotting the competition weight. Though Ancient Title primarily raced in California, trainer Keith Stucki brought him to the East in 1975 for three major events. He won the Whitney Handicap by a neck over Group Plan, who was carrying 13 fewer pounds. He was third by two lengths to Wajima in the Governor Stakes while conceding 15 pounds and was third to Wajima and Forego in the Marlboro Cup while again conceding weight to the winner.

"I'm very proud of it," the 88-year-old Stucki said. "I thought he should have gone in there two or three years ago, but I'm glad to hear that's he made it."

Prado, Valenzuela and Nafzger and the horses Inside Information, Manila and Ancient Title will be inducted on Monday, August 4 in Saratoga Springs in a ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion.