Baffert, Ramseys Named to KY Athletic Hall of Fame

Trainer Bob Baffert and owners/breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey are among the seven individuals selected as the 2018 class of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame powered by the Kentucky Lottery.

A selection committee comprised of 15 sports media members from throughout the Commonwealth selected this year's class. All votes were independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in Kentucky, with offices in Louisville and Lexington.

The 2018 KAHOF class members and their families will be honored Aug. 22 at the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville.

"The KAHOF class of 2018 recognizes seven outstanding individuals who have had a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and on the national stage," said Louisville Sports Commission president and CEO Karl Schmitt Jr. "As the new caretakers of this prestigious organization, we want to acknowledge the outstanding volunteers who created the KAHOF legacy and want to thank the selection committee members for their hard work and commitment to excellence."

An Arizona native, Baffert became a fixture at the Kentucky Derby (G1) with winners Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), American Pharoah  (2015), and Justify (2018). Baffert successfully conditioned American Pharoah to the first Triple Crown win in 37 years, followed by Justify's historic sweep earlier this month.

Natives of Artimus in Eastern Kentucky, the Ramseys are among the Commonwealth's most prolific Thoroughbred owners and breeders of all time. They have captured 28 titles as the leading owner at Churchill Downs and 20 titles at Keeneland, and have earned leading owner titles at Kentucky Downs, Turfway Park, Gulfstream Park, and Saratoga Race Course. The Ramseys have won four Eclipse Awards as owners and two as breeders. They own and operate Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.

Other comprising KAHOF class are: Sam Ball, a consensus All-American offensive lineman at the University of Kentucky and Super Bowl winner; Bob Beatty, 13-time state championship-winning football coach at Trinity High School in Louisville; Bernie Bickerstaff, 33-year veteran NBA coach, administrator, and scout; and the late Nicky Hayden, a MotoGP world championship motorcycle racer known as "The Kentucky Kid."