Wright and Tom Ochiltree in Hall of Fame

The 19th century racehorse Tom Ochiltree and jockey Wayne D. Wright have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame by the Museum's Historic Review Committee. Wright won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in separate years and was America's leading rider in 1934 and 1936. Tom Ochiltree won the 1875 Preakness Stakes and numerous prestigious handicap events.

Wright and Tom Ochiltree join contemporary selections Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Ramon Dominguez and Steve Asmussen in the Hall of Fame Class of 2016 and will be honored in the induction ceremony scheduled for Aug. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Saratoga's Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion.

Wright was born Aug. 21, 1916, in Rexburg, Idaho, and began riding at the age of 15 in 1932. He finished sixth nationally in wins that year with 146. His success grew from there, as he followed the year of his debut with 228 victories, second only to Hall of Famer Jack Westrope's 301 wins.

Wright's 1933 earnings of $168,225 placed him fourth nationally and marked the first of six consecutive years he was represented in the top five nationally by earnings. In 1934, Wright led all riders in earnings with $287,185 and was fifth in wins with 174. He also won his first Triple Crown race that year at 17 when he piloted Joseph E. Widener's Peace Chance to win the Belmont Stakes, defeating that year's Preakness winner, High Quest.

In 1942, Wright won the Kentucky Derby aboard Greentree Stable's Shut Out and added a victory in the Preakness three years later with Polynesian for owner Gertrude T. Widener. Consistently among the top riders of his era, Wright finished in the top 15 in earnings eight times overall. He also finished in the top 10 in wins in four consecutive years from 1932 through 1935.

Along with his wins in the Triple Crown races, Wright won three races aboard Triple Crown winner War Admiral, including the Whitney Handicap and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also won the Dwyer and Arlington Classic with Triple Crown winner Omaha. He rode a third Hall of Famer, Eight Thirty, to victory in the 1938 Flash Stakes.

Other major wins for Wright included two editions each of the Champagne Stakes, Arlington Classic, Fashion Stakes, Rosedale Handicap, Saranac Handicap, Withers Stakes, and Yonkers Handicap, and victories in a wide array of other major graded stakes races over the course of his career, including the Travers Stakes in 1937 and the Santa Anita Handicap in 1936.

Wright retired as a rider in 1950 with 1,492 career wins from 9,764 mounts, a winning percentage of 15.3. He worked as a trainer from 1950 through 1956. Wright died in Yerington, Nevada, at age 86 in 2003.

This year's other historical inductee, Tom Ochiltree, also rose to prominence early in his career, just as Wright did.

Tom Ochiltree was a bay colt foaled at Kentucky's famed Woodburn Stud in 1872. A son of the celebrated sire Lexington out of the Voucher mare Katona, Tom Ochiltree was named for Col. Thomas P. Ochiltree, who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and later became a United Sates Congressman. The equine Tom Ochiltree started 33 times, racing from 1875 to 1877, and posted a record of 21-5-3 with earnings of $41,445.

Originally purchased for $500 by J. F. Chamberlain, Tom Ochiltree did not race as a 2-year-old while growing into his massive frame. Arriving at the races as a 3-year-old in May 1875, Tom Ochiltree won his career debut at Pimlico. Two days later, he followed with a victory in the third running of the Preakness at 1 1/2 miles for trainer future Hall of Fame trainer R. W. Walden and future Hall of Fame jockey Lloyd Hughes. Following the Preakness, however, Tom Ochiltree wasn't the same. He finished behind Calvin and Aristides in the Belmont Stakes and could not catch Calvin and Chesapeake in the Jersey Derby. After finishing last and appearing disinterested in the Ocean Hotel Stakes in July, Tom Ochiltree was given some time off. When he returned in October, in the care of new trainer Anthony Taylor, Tom Ochiltree was rejuvenated, winning the Annual Stakes and Dixie Stakes before closing out the year by finishing third in the Breckenridge Stakes.

Prior to the 1876 racing season, Chamberlain sold the promising Tom Ochiltree for $5,000 to the famous sportsman George Lorillard, who put the horse back in the barn of conditioner Walden. Tom Ochiltree proceeded to become arguably the best Thoroughbred in the East, winning seven of nine starts as a 4-year-old, including the Baltimore Cup, Jockey Club Handicap, Centennial Cup, Capital Stakes, and Saratoga Cup. His victory in the Saratoga Cup came over Parole, who carried 21 less pounds, and all five of those victories were achieved before the end of July. After a well-deserved rest, Tom Ochiltree returned in the fall to win the Maturity Stakes and the Centennial Cup and finished the year with a record of 8-1-1 from 10 starts. Each of those races he won ranged in distance from 2 miles to 4 miles.

Tom Ochiltree continued to excel as a 5-year-old in 1877. His wins included the Westchester Cup, Grand National Handicap and the All-Aged Sweepstakes, the last two both finding him victorious over familiar rival Parole while carrying high weight. He also won a second Baltimore Cup as part of his record of 9-4-1 from 14 starts that year. At ages 4 and 5, he raced against the future Hall of Fame member Parole six times and finished ahead of his rival in four of those contests, carrying higher weight each time.

Tom Ochiltree concluded his career by finishing third behind Parole and Ten Broeck, another future Hall of Fame member, in a celebrated sweepstakes at Pimlico in October of 1877.