Familiar Ring to Hall List

Some names familiar to local fans are among the finalists for induction into the Racing Hall of Fame later this year.

Mike Smith, now a regular on this circuit after spending most of his career in the East, is among three finalists in the jockey category, with retired riders Eddie Maple and Randy Romero.

Among the trainers, Mel Stute, who saddled his first winner in 1947 and continues to train in California at 75, is joined on the list of finalists by John Veitch and the late Sonny Hine.

The versatile Precisionist, Ancient Title and Manila are the candidates in the male horse category. Flawlessly, Dance Smartly and Sky Beauty are the female horse choices.

The inductees will be announced on April 29 and induction will be Aug. 4 at the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Smith, 37, had two Breeders’ Cup victories last year, with Vindication in the Juvenile and Azeri in the Distaff. They pushed his Breeders’ Cup total to nine.

Maple finished his career with 4,398 victories, among them the great Secretariat’s last race, the 1972 Canadian International Championship at Woodbine.

Romero, currently facing life-threatening liver and kidney problems, finished with almost 4,300 victories.

Stute had a Triple Crown victory with Snow Chief in the 1986 Preakness and Breeders’ Cup victories with Brave Raj in the 1986 Juvenile Fillies and Very Subtle in the 1987 Sprint.

Veitch trained champions Davona Dale, Our Mims and Before Dawn, but his most notable horse, Alydar, is best remembered for his second-place finishes to Affirmed in all three legs of the Triple Crown in 1978. Hine’s best student was Skip Away, horse of the year in 1998.

Precisionist won at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles. Ancient Title was a five-time Grade I winner and Manila was the 1986 turf champion. Flawlessly was a two-time Eclipse champion.