On this Hall ballot, hit the ‘all’ button

The nominations were released Thursday for the Thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame, class of 2018, and the ballots have been mailed, which means it is time once again for the 170 or so voters to play God with the fate of the 10 candidates up for induction.

But wait. Is that really true? Do the voters need to go all Sophie’s Choice on the process, tearing their hair in agony while picking and choosing among a roster of the game’s most noteworthy players?

The answer is no. Emphatically no. In the Hall of Fame process, the part of supreme being is played by the Nominating Committee (of which this writer is a squabbling member). It is the committee that does all the dirty work, culling the unworthy chaff and winnowing the remaining wheat down to the names presented on the final ballot. Once finished, emotionally spent, the committee throws open the doors of its ivory tower and releases the list containing the chosen few to the electorate at large.

After that, the privilege to vote comes with what amounts to a blank check to decorate the walls of the Hall with as many of the candidates as the voters choose to bless. Unlike years past, there is no limit to the number that can be inducted. For entry, a candidate must receive 50 percent of the votes cast, plus one. And because the candidates are not competing against each other, a voter need not worry that one of their votes might have the unintended effect of impacting the chances of another.

As noted, there are 10 on the ballot this time around, and there is absolutely no reason all 10 could not enter the Hall. The rules say its okay. The Nominating Committee, by a super majority vote, all but said it’s okay. And, more importantly, the qualifications of the 10 candidates shout from the rooftops, “It’s okay!”

Craig Perret is back on the ballot, the most accomplished eligible jockey who is not in the Hall of Fame. He was a Louisiana version of bigmoney guys like Jerry Bailey and Mike Smith before they came along. Perret’s heyday spanned nearly three decades, from his breakout apprentice season of 1967 to the last of his four Breeders’ Cup victories in 1996. He just turned 67, so hopefully he’ll have plenty of time to enjoy his Hall of Fame jacket, if it is meant to be.

Remember, though, the rules say each candidate stands on his or her own merits, which makes it easy to embrace both Robby Albarado and Corey Nakatani along with Perret. Albarado, 44, has won 5,115 races, including a handsome cluster with Horse of the Year Mineshaft and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. Nakatani, 47, can count 10 Breeders’ Cup wins among his 3,893 victories. Both veterans have paid a steep price in physical trauma, but they’re both still going strong, currently ranked 12th and 13th on the alltime money-winning list. And before you ask, yes, jockeys 1-11 are all in the Hall, as well as numbers 14, 15, 16, and 17.

The ability of voters to anoint as many as they like for the Hall of Fame truly pays off when attention turns to the trainers on the ballot. Mark Casse is the hot item, fresh from training champions Tepin, Classic Empire, and World Approval, with undoubtedly more to come. John Shirreffs has had a career of consistent stakes quality while periodically rocking the game with the likes of Manistique, Life Is Sweet, Giacomo, and Zenyatta. Then there is David Whiteley, son of Hall of Famer Frank Whiteley Jr., who died last year all but forgotten by everyone except those who marveled at his jeweler’s precision and his disproportionately large impact with a very small barn, from which issued David’s classic winner Coastal and champions Waya, Revidere, and Just a Game.

As for the horses on the ballot, the mares are irresistible, and the stallion ain’t hay.

Despite her 3-year-old championship and record of 9-6-3 in 18 starts, Heavenly Prize labored in the shadow of her flashy Hall of Fame stablemate Inside Information. Now it should be her turn to shine. Heavenly Prize is accompanied on the ballot by Havre de Grace and Blind Luck, both foals of 2007, who were joined at the hip through six memorable encounters at the top of the game. Blind Luck ended up with the edge, but barely, and was an Eclipse Award champion, while Havre de Grace beat the boys and had to settle for 2011 Horse of the Year.

Voters have the opportunity to elevate all three mares along with Gio Ponti, winner of three Eclipse Awards who made 29 starts, 28 of them in stakes, and 19 of those at the Grade 1 level. Winning 11 stakes and $6.1 million should speak for itself, but were it not for the iconic Hall of Famers Zenyatta and Goldikova, Gio Ponti would have added two Breeders’ Cup wins to his Hallworthy résumé.

So there they are – the 10 who dare you not to vote for them. This reporter is looking forward to a run on bronze plaques and an induction ceremony that stretches deep into a lazy Saratoga afternoon. And who cares if it does? The Hall of Fame is more than a trumpeted announcement and few speeches on summer day. The Hall of Fame is forever.