California Chrome, Arrogate to Hall of Fame Together

Sometimes rivals on the track, California Chrome   and Arrogate  head a 2023 class of eight new members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame that also will include standout filly Songbird  and jockey Corey Nakatani.

Arrogate, California Chrome, and Songbird were all elected in their first year of eligibility.

While those three horses and Nakatani comprise the contemporary category, other inductees will include jockey Fernando Toro via the Historic Review Committee; and Pillars of the Turf selections John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome, and Stella F. Thayer.

Arrogate (Unbridled's Song—Bubbler, by Distorted Humor ) compiled a record of 7-1-1 from 11 starts while racing from 2016-17. His earnings of $17,422,600 represent the highest total in history for a horse with at least one start in North America. Winner of the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old male in 2016, Arrogate was bred by Clearsky Farms and purchased for $560,000 by Juddmonte Farms at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Arrogate finished third in his career debut in April 2016 at Los Alamitos before winning seven consecutive races, including the Travers Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup (all G1). 

In the Travers Arrogate broke the 37-year-old stakes and track record at Saratoga Race Course, covering the 1 1/4-mile distance in 1:59.36 en route to a 13 1/2-length victory. He followed by surging past California Chrome in the final yards to win the Breeders' Cup Classic by a half-length at Santa Anita Park to secure the Eclipse Award. Returning as a 4-year-old, Arrogate set a track record of 1:46.83 for 1 1/8 miles in winning the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park by 43/4 lengths. He then traveled to Meydan Racecourse for the Dubai World Cup. Despite missing the break and being squeezed early, he tracked down the field and defeated eventual 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner   by 21/4 lengths. With the victory, Arrogate surpassed California Chrome for the all-time North American earnings record.  

California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit—Love the Chase, by Not For Love) was bred and owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn. Taylor Made Farm later joined in the ownership, purchasing Coburn's share. Trained by Art Sherman, dual classic winner California Chrome raced from 2013-17 with a record of 16-4-1 from 27 starts and earnings of $14,752,650. He was voted Horse of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and earned additional Eclipse Awards for champion 3-year-old male in 2014 and champion older male in 2016. 

A winner of 10 graded/group stakes, California Chrome's signature victories included the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Santa Anita Derby (G1), and Hollywood Derby (G1T) in 2014. After injuries limited him to two starts in 2015, California Chrome won seven of eight races in 2016, including the Dubai World Cup, Pacific Classic (G1), Awesome Again Stakes (G1), and San Pasqual Stakes (G2). He won races at seven different tracks, and in 2016 surpassed Hall of Famer Curlin   for the North American earnings record, which was subsequently broken by Arrogate.

Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro  —Ivanavinalot , by West Acre ) was bred by John Antonelli and purchased for $400,000 by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird raced from 2015-17 with a record of 13-2-0 from 15 starts and earnings of $4,692,000. Winner of Eclipse Awards for champion 2-year-old filly in 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly in 2016, Songbird won a total of 12 graded stakes, including nine grade 1 events. 

As a juvenile, Songbird won the Del Mar Debutante, Chandelier, and Breeders'  Cup Juvenile Fillies (all G1). As a 3-year-old, her victories included grade 1s in the Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama,and Cotillion stakes, as well as grade 2s in the Las Virgenes and Santa Ysabel stakes. After 11 consecutive wins to begin her career, Songbird suffered a nose defeat to Hall of Famer Beholder in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). She returned as a 4-year-old to win grade 1s in the Ogden Phipps Stakes and Delaware Handicap before being retired after finishing second in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1).  

Corey Nakatani, 52, a native of Covina, Calif., won 3,909 races with purse earnings of $234,554,534 in a career that spanned from 1988-2018. His 341 graded stakes victories included 10 Breeders' Cup races. Nakatani ranks No. 14 all time in career earnings and finished in the top 20 in annual earnings 16 times, including 11 times in the top 10.

A winner of 10 riding titles on the Southern California circuit, Nakatani ranks in the top 10 in overall wins and stakes wins at both Santa Anita Park and Del Mar. He won 1,033 races at Santa Anita (No. 9 all time), including 131 stakes (No. 8), and 705 races at Del Mar (No. 6), including 104 stakes (No. 2). 

Nakatani's significant mounts included Hall of Famers Lava Man and Serena's Song, as well as champions Shared Belief, My Miss Aurelia, and Sweet Catomine. His 10 Breeders' Cup victories (all grade 1 unless noted) include the 1996 Distaff (Jewel Princess) and Sprint (Lit de Justice); 1997 Sprint (Elmhurst); 1999 Mile (Silic) and Sprint (Reraise); 2004 Juvenile Fillies (Sweet Catomine); 2006 Sprint (Thor's Echo); 2011 Turf Sprint (G2T) (Regally Ready), and Juvenile Fillies (My Miss Aurelia); and the 2012 Dirt Mile (Tapizar). 

Fernando Toro, 82, a native of Santiago, Chile, won 3,555 races with purse earnings of $56,299,765 during his North American riding career of 1966 through 1990. Toro won his first race in his native country at the age of 15 in 1956 and topped the Chilean national jockeys standings twice. Before arriving in America, Toro won three editions of the prestigious Gran Premio, as well as the 1964 Clasico St. Leger, a race in the Chilean Triple Crown series. Based in Southern California, Toro won 80 graded stakes in North America. At the time of his retirement, he ranked in the top 10 in stakes wins at Del Mar (No. 6), Hollywood Park (No. 8), and Santa Anita (tied at No. 8). 

So the other day the ⁦@nmrhof⁩ gave ⁦@JayHovdey⁩ and I the honor of informing Fernando Toro that he had been voted into the Hall of Fame.
Jay H. told Toro he needed some photos autographed. On the photos it said Toro was in the class of 2023.
Sorry, it’s dusty in here pic.twitter.com/maKolCURrK

— Jay Privman (@jayprivman) April 25, 2023

Although best known for his California success, Toro ventured throughout the United States and into Canada for several notable victories. He won the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) (1988) at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas; and the Arlington Million  (G1T) (1986) at Arlington Park in Illinois; along with stakes at Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky; Woodbine in Canada; Belmont Park in New York; Gulfstream Park in Florida; and Hialeah Park in Florida. 

In November 1983, Toro took over as the regular rider of Royal Heroine for emerging trainer John Gosden. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, Royal Heroine won a division of the Hollywood Derby (G1T), Inglewood (G3T), Beverly Hills Handicap (G2T), inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile, and Matriarch (G1T) with Toro aboard.

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be enshrined Friday, Aug. 4, at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Museum website at www.racingmuseum.org. The event is open to the public and free to attend.