Voting is underway for the 2025 Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame class. Nine horses, from classic winners to Eclipse Award winners to modern superstar millionaires, are on the final ballot. The finalists (in alpha order) are Bee Bee Bee, Brilliant Brass, Cathryn Sophia, Caveat, Cherokee's Boy, Eighttofasttocatch, Heros Reward, Include and Smart Angle
In order to be considered for induction into the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame, a horse must have been bred in Maryland and be retired for at least five years. Voting is done by a committee of Maryland racing industry members and coordinated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Media Association, which jointly created the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2013. There are now 36 members of the Hall of Fame, ranging, alphabetically speaking, from Awad to Youth. Most years two horses are added, though last year's class numbered three.
This year's inductees will be announced in the coming weeks, and an induction ceremony will take place at the Timonium meet, Friday, Aug. 29, in the grandstand
A brief summary on each finalist follows:
BEE BEE BEE. The seventh Maryland-bred in history to win the Preakness when he took Pimlico's 3-year-old classic in 1972 in an upset over overwhelming favorite Riva Ridge, he earned honors as 1972 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old, which followed a championship year at 2.
BRILLIANT BRASS. Compromised early in her career by knee problems and colic, the roan mare finally came into her own at age 5 in 1992. That season she won nine stakes, had three stakes placings, and earned $659,080, and was named Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older mare. Five of her wins were graded stakes. Only Challedon and Cigar, both in the national Hall of Fame, had as many stakes wins for a Maryland-bred in one year
CATHRYN SOPHIA. In less than a year she earned more than $1 million in nine starts, and accounted for six wins -- five in stakes. Named Maryland-bred champion of her division at 2 and 3, she won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, had three Grade 1 placings in 2016, was a finalist for an Eclipse Award and earned the title of Maryland-bred Horse of the Year.
CAVEAT. Winner of the 1983 Belmont Stakes and third in the Kentucky Derby, he made 21 starts in less than a year while competing at 10 different tracks, from his first start as a 2-year-old at Belmont Park to his final start in the Belmont Stakes, which he exited with an injury which forced his retirement
CHEROKEE'S BOY. A stakes winner each of the five seasons he raced, he retired a millionaire with 19 wins from 48 starts, while scoring 14 stakes wins and 14 stakes placings. The Maryland-bred champion juvenile of 2002, he was Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male of 2005. His career average-winning margin was more than four and a half lengths
EIGHTTOFASTTOCATCH. Winner of a dozen stakes, including three victories in the Maryland Million Classic, even though he didn't make his stakes debut until the fall of his 4-year-old season. He retired a millionaire after recording his fourth consecutive win in the historic Jennings Handicap.
HEROS REWARD. Racing for nine years, he took home eight Maryland-bred championship titles, including Horse of the Year of 2007, and retired a millionaire. A three-time graded stakes winner, his most important victories came in Canada, in Woodbine's Nearctic-G2 and Scotts Highlander Stakes-G3.
INCLUDE. Only the fourth Maryland-bred in history to win the Grade 1 Pimlico Special, he bankrolled $1,435,400 that season, with eight top-three finishes in nine starts, and earned the honors of Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older horse. The three Maryland-bred Pimlico Special winners who came before him -- Challedon, Vertex and Cigar -- are all in the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.
SMART ANGLE. The 1979 Eclipse Award-winning champion 2-year-old filly, she captured six stakes that year, four Grade 1s -- the Selima, Frizette, Matron and Spinaway -- and was on the board in all nine starts.
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