The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1977 as a tribute to the famous

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

and steeplechase

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horses that trained in

Aiken, South Carolina Aiken is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, in western South Carolina. It is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the S ...

. The museum was a project of the local Jaycees, aided by

horse racing expert

Whitney Tower Whitney Tower (June 30, 1923 – February 11, 1999) was an American journalist reporting on Thoroughbred horse racing and a president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Career From 1948 to 1954, Tower worked as a sports reporter ...

, horse racing editor for ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

'' and Vice President of the National Racing Museum and Chair of its Hall of Fame. The museum is located on the grounds of Hopelands Gardens, the former home of

Charles Oliver Iselin Charles Oliver Iselin (June 8, 1854 – January 1, 1932) was an American banker and yachtsman who was captain of racing yachts that won the America's Cup three times. Early life Iselin was the son of Adrian Georg Iselin and Eleanora O Donnell ...

and

Hope Goddard Iselin Edith Hope Goddard Iselin (January 17, 1868 – April 5, 1970) was an American heiress and sportswoman who was the first American woman to compete as a crew member in the America's Cup yacht race. She also owned thoroughbred racehorses. Early ...

that is now owned by the City of Aiken. The museum occupies the Iselins' former carriage house and stables. The Hall of Fame commemorates 40

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

-winning horses that trained in Aiken; the museum also includes a variety of other exhibits.

Inductees

Assagai Assagai was an Afro-rock band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the late 60s/early 70s in Britain" after Osi ...

* Barnaby's Bluff * Blue Peter *

Bowl Game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...

* Candy Éclair * Capot * Christmas Past * Conniver * Conquistador Cielo * De La Rose * Demonstrative *

Devil Diver Devil Diver (1939–1961) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was twice voted American Champion Older Male Horse. Background Devil Diver was foaled at Mrs. Payne Whitney's Greentree Stable in Lexington, Kentucky. A bay colt by S ...

* Elkridge * Forty Niner *

Gallorette Gallorette (1942–1959) was a Maryland-bred chestnut thoroughbred filly who became a Hall of Fame race horse. Sired by Challenger II, out of Gallette, Gallorette's damsire was Sir Gallahad III. Breeding Trainer Preston M. Burch bought Gal ...

Gamely Gamely (February 10, 1964 – 1975) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who was voted the champion filly of her age group on three occasions. Background Gamely was bred and born at Claiborne Farm outside Paris, Kentucky. Her dam was the st ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

Heavenly Cause Heavenly Cause (foaled May 22, 1978 in Maryland) was an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse. Background Bred by Adele W. Paxson, Heavenly Cause was sired by Grey Dawn, the 1964 French Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and 1990 Leading broodmare ...

* Kelso * Lamb Chop * Late Bloomer * Midshipman * Neji * Oedipus * Open Fire *

Pleasant Colony Pleasant Colony (May 4, 1978 – December 31, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was named the 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old. Background A big, gangly horse stan ...

* Pleasant Stage *

Pleasant Tap {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Pleasant Tap , image = , caption = , sire = Pleasant Colony , grandsire = His Majesty , dam = Never Knock , damsire = Stage Door Johnny , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1987 , country = United States , ...

Politely Politely (foaled 1963 in Maryland) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. She was bred by Allaire du Pont and raced under her Bohemia Stable banner. Her sire, Amerigo, a son of the great Nearco, was a stakes winner of races in England and the ...

* Quick Pitch * Relaxing * Sensational *

Shuvee Shuvee (January 22, 1966 – April 1, 1986) was an American Thoroughbred Eclipse Award, Champion National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame horse racing, racehorse. Background Shuvee was a chestnut mare bred in Virginia by Whitney ...

* Smart Angle *

Snow Knight Snow Knight (28 February 1971 – 15 September 1992) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won Britain's most prestigious race in 1974, the Derby, then the following year earned an Eclipse Award as the American Champion Male Turf Horse. Backgrou ...

* Stage Door Johnny * Storm Song *

Swale Swale or Swales may refer to: Topography * Swale (landform), a low tract of land ** Bioswale, landform designed to remove silt and pollution ** Swales, found in the formation of Hummocky cross-stratification Geography * River Swale, in North ...

* Tea Maker *

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. B ...

References

External links

OfficialSiteGallery: Thoroughbred Museum"
''

Aiken Standard Aiken Standard is a daily newspaper published from Aiken, South Carolina, United States. It was established in 1867. It was called the ''Aiken Press''. The newspaper passed through the hands of several owners during the 1800s. One of the paper's ...

'', March 12, 2015 Dead link {{Use mdy dates, date=March 2020 Horse racing organizations in the United States Horse racing museums and halls of fame Equestrian museums in the United States Sports museums in South Carolina Halls of fame in South Carolina Museums in Aiken County, South Carolina Museums established in 1977 Buildings and structures in Aiken, South Carolina Awards established in 1977 1977 establishments in South Carolina

Inductees

See also

References

External links