Hall has whole new look
Hall of Fame makes $13M in renovations to update the facility
A few years ago, John Hendrickson heard the whispers. There were those who would not be opposed to moving the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame from its anchored spot in Saratoga Springs to Kentucky, either Louisville or Lexington.
That did not sit well with Hendrickson, who has served as president of the museum since 2017.
“All I will tell you is that they were higher-ups in the business,” Hendrickson said about those who wanted to move the Hall of Fame to the Bluegrass state. “They were saying we were not staying current. People weren’t talking about it. People weren’t going there. They said it’s a beautiful institution, but where was the buzz? Well, I said that we’ve got to get the museum moving.” And that is what he has done. The Racing Hall of Fame, which has been a constant on Union Avenue across from Saratoga Race Course since 1955, has had eight months of cosmetic surgery. When the Hall came out of it in September, the museum seemed almost brand new with a sparkling array of toys and gadgets that will appeal greatly to horse racing fans.
And those who aren’t, well, they will come away impressed as well.
That’s the hope of Hendrick
son and the rest of the staff at the Museum, which includes director
Cate Masterson, communications director Brien Bouyea and education experience campaign manager Cathy Marino.
“We want this to be the best hall of fame in the country,” Hendrickson said. “This is a destination, a must-see when you come to Saratoga, even for people who don’t know anything about horse racing.”
The museum reopened on Sept. 5 after undergoing the major facelift. That started in January but hit some snags when the coronavirus pandemic slowed things down. For those who have waited, the wait for the sparkling, new state-of-the-art Hall of Fame experience has been well worth it.
The most identifiable space in the old Hall of Fame was the one full of the plaques of the trainers, jockeys, horses and pillars of the turf that adorned the walls of the hallowed room. The room is still there, the physical plaques are gone. Instead, visitors will be greeted by a 16-minute film that gives each visitor a unique theatrical experience.
The viewer will feel as though he or she is watching a race at Churchill Downs, or seeing horses frolic on a farm during a winter snow or walking with horses through the trees on the backstretch at Saratoga. The film is shown on a 360-degree screen.
The film was produced by Donna Lawrence Productions of Louisville, Ky., and narrated by broadcaster Bob Costas. A bushel full of Hall of Famers can also be heard: from jockeys Jerry Bailey, Mike Smith and Angel Cordero Jr. to trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Shug Mcgaughey.
The film is called “What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame.”
“I have seen the film 18 times and,
almost every time I see it, I choke up,” Hendrickson said. “I am very proud of it. They were saying the museum was kind of sleepy before. We have brought it to life.”
When the film is done, nine interactive stations are available in the room and visitors can navigate their way through to find any of the 459 Hall of Fame inductees. They all have a digital plaque, media gallery and achievements page. For those still active, their digital plaques can be updated when necessary.
There are more than 100 videos and 2,100 photos to go along with the new visual experience. The old plaques, Hendrickson said, will be out on loan to race tracks around the country. The first stop is Belmont Park.
There are also exhibits around the museum with artifacts from the past, including trophies and jockey silks and other assorted items. Want to see the silks worn by jockey George Woolf when he rode Seabiscuit? They’re there. So are vintage racing programs. And so much more.
All told, the renovations cost approximately $13 million. All of the money came through donations. The
hope is to raise another $7 million.
Trainer Nick Zito, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, admits he’ll miss the plaques. He saw the new Hall before he left town for Kentucky and loved the film.
“I don’t like that the plaques are gone,” Zito said. “I guess I’m too old fashioned. People go to the baseball Hall of Fame, they want to see Babe Ruth’s plaque. But I know why they did it. They want to bring in new fans to the game and I get that. I hope it works.”
Jockey Ramon Dominguez, who was inducted in 2016, has been through the new museum three times. He also had reservations about the disappearance of the plaques on the wall, but he is over that.
“This is something equally as good, if not better,” Dominguez said of the digital plaques. “I didn’t have any expectations when I went in there for the first time. I went in with an open mind. I was extremely pleased with how it was done. It’s a great way to tell the story of our sport.