Three Horses, One Jockey Inducted into Hall of Fame

Azeri, Best Pal, and Point Given, plus jockey, Randy Romero, were voted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. There were ten finalists on this year's ballot: mares Open Mind, Safely Kept, and Sky Beauty; jockey Alex Solis; and trainers Gary Jones and Robert Wheeler.

Azeri was foaled May 6, 1998 by Jade Hunter, out of Zodiac Miss. She won 17 of her 24 starts including 10 Grade I. Her racing career kicked off November 1, 2001 when she won a six-furlong maiden.

At four in 2002, Azeri dominated. She won the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff, G1 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, G1 Apple Blossom Handicap for the first time, G1 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap, G1 Vanity Handicap, G2 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, G2 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap, and finished second in the G2 La Canada Stakes. She received Horse of the Year and Champion Older Mare honors for her four-year-old season. She was the first mare to receive Horse of the Year honors without facing down the colts.

At five, Azeri returned to take the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap for the second time, G1 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap, G1 Vanity Handicap, G2 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, and finish second in the G2 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap. She received Champion Older Mare honors for the second time that year. Going for her win in the Lady's Secret at Santa Anita, she suffered a tendon injury and continued to run on for a second place finish. It was believed that she would not race again. She was laid off with the hope that she would return the next year.

And return she did. Six months after her injury, Azeri romped to her third consecutive Apple Blossom Handicap win, a feat no other filly had ever accomplished. She went on to lose her next three races, including the Met Mile where she took on the colts for the first time, and once again her racing career was in question. But she went on to the Go for Wand Handicap where she faced multiple grade I winner, Sightseek. They came to the top of the stretch together, but when they hit the wire, Azeri was two lengths in front. She was the early favorite for the 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff, but instead went to the Classic and ran fifth.

She retired from racing in December 2004 after her Classic loss. She was barren after her first attempted breeding to Storm Cat in 2005, but delivered a chestnut cold by A.P. Indy in 2007. That colt, a very rare foal by two Horse of the Year winners, is Take Control who won his first race, a maiden, in December 2009.

She delivered a Giant's Causeway foal in 2008 and a Ghostzapper (who ironically enough was the horse that beat her in the Classic) in 2009. She was sold to Japan ownership in fall 2009.

Point Given is a now twelve-year-old stallion by Thunder Gulch out of Turkos Turn. At two, he won the G3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile and G1 CashCall Futurity. He finished second to AP Valentine in the G1 Champagne and Macho Uno in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

At three, he lost only one race, probably the most important of his career. He began his Triple Crown campaign with wins in the G2 San Felipe and G1 Santa Anita Derby. The Kentucky Derby was the one mark on an otherwise spotless career. Point Given was sixth early on, staying four or five wide and out of trouble throughout the race while Songandaprayer made Derby history by setting record fractions for the half and three-quarter mile. The chestnut colt moved up as they went around the final turn and tried to rally between horses with Congaree but was overtaken by the rush of closers and faded to fifth. Point Given came away from his Derby loss with a vengeance, winning his next four races. He redeemed himself in the Preakness where he broke last from the far outside post and stayed on the outside going three and four wide throughout the race. He was near the back of the pack early on and picked off horses one by one through the backstretch. He surged up entering the final turn to move up to the third. Coming into the backstretch, Point Given took the lead, dueled briefly with Congaree and drew away to win by almost two. He then went on to absolutely dominate in the Belmont. He broke from hsi customary outside post and went up to settle in third throughout. He made his move heading for the far turn, claimed a two-length lead going into the turn, and then drew away in the homestretch to an eleven length victory. He closed out his racing career with wins in the G1 Haskell Invitational and G1 Travers Stakes. One week after his Travers victory, he was discovered to have a strained tendon that ended his racing career.

He stands at stud at Three Chimneys Farm.