The National Musuem of Racing and Hall of Fame will induct a dozen new members this year for its “Pillars of the Turf” category in an effort to reduce a “backlog” of individuals who have made substantial contributions to the sport and racing industry but have not yet been enshrined, the Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday. The dozen individuals include three members of the Whitney family – William Collins Whitney, Harry Payne Whitney, and Cornelius Vanderbilt "Sonny" Whitney; the founder of Claiborne Farm, Arthur B. Hancock Sr.; and the New York racing icons August Belmont I and John Morrissey. Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat, is going in, as well as Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, Hal Price Headley, John W. Galbreath, Dr. Charles Strub, and Cothran “Cot” Campbell, the only inductee who is alive. The Pillars of the Turf category was formed in 2013, and 11 members have been inducted over the past five years, with two each in every year from 2013-2016 and three in 2017. The inductees have included some of the most influential names in Thoroughbred history, including Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps, John Hay Whitney, Paul Mellon, and Alfred G. Vanderbilt. The new individuals will be inducted during a ceremony scheduled for Aug. 3 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion adjacent to the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Williams Collins Whitney (1841-1904), a secretary of the U.S. Navy under President Grover Cleveland, was the first member of the Whitney family to establish a top-class racing stable, operating under the name Westbury Stable, named after his Long Island estate. He bred 26 stakes winners, some from his stallion Hamburg, and he won the 1901 Derby in England with a horse he leased, Volodyovski. Harry Payne Whitney (1872-1941) was a son of W.C. Whitney, and he inherited his father’s breeding and racing operation. Married to Gertrude Vanderbilt, of the enormously wealthy Vanderbilt family, Harry Payne Whitney bred nearly 200 stakes winners, many on a farm that he established in Lexington, Ky. His horses won the Kentucky Derby twice, the Preakness Stakes six times, and the Belmont Stakes four times. Among his best were Horses of the Year Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby, and Burgomaster. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1899-1992) was a son of Harry Payne, and he acquired his father’s stable in 1930. While he had his own major successes on the racetrack, breeding more than 175 stakes winners, he also was the founder of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and was given a Special Eclipse Award in 1984 to recognize his contributions to the sport. His widow, Marylou Whitney, continues the family tradition. August Belmont I (1813-1890), an influential businessman and political fixer of the 19th century, is the namesake of both Belmont Park and the Belmont Stakes, which was first contested at Jerome Park in 1867 and is now the third leg of the Triple Crown. He owned two large horse breeding farms, and was one of the founding stewards of the National Jockey Club, the predecessor of The Jockey Club, serving also as its president from 1866-1877. John Morrissey (1831-1878) was a colorful bare-knuckle boxer and professional gambler who somehow managed to also serve in New York’s Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives despite being born in Ireland. Morrissey operated a number of casinos, and is credited with being one of the co-founders of Saratoga Race Course, with help from some downstate financiers. He died at age 47 of pneumonia in a room at the Adelphi Hotel on Saratoga’s main street. Hal Price Headley (1888-1962) was the owner of Beaumont Farm and La Belle Farm in Lexington, Ky., inherited from his father. He took over the farms shortly after returning from college in 1908 and over the next 50 years became one of the most successful breeders in the U.S. He was a co-founder of Keeneland Racetrack and Breeders Sales Company outside of Lexington (now known just as Keeneland), and served as its president from 1935-1951. Arthur B. Hancock Sr. (1875-1957) founded Claiborne Farm in 1908 after his marriage to Nancy Tucker Clay resulted in the inheritance of a large tract of land outside Paris, Kentucky. Hancock imported a number of horses from Europe, including several prominent stallions, most notably Sir Gallahad III, who was leading sire four times. Through Hancock's descendants, Claiborne is still one of the most successful breeding operations in the U.S. Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin (1828-1909) was one of the most important California businessmen of the 19th century, a flamboyant real-estate developer and gambler. He owned and bred a number of top racehorses, including the filly Los Angeles. Four of his horses won one of the most important stakes races in the country at the time, the American Derby at Washington Park in Chicago. He raced under the name Santa Anita Stable, named after his California farm, Rancho Santa Anita. Dr. Charles Strub (1884-1958), was the founder of Santa Anita Park, established on land owned by Baldwin in what is now known as Arcadia. The track opened on Christmas Day in 1934, and “The Great Race Place,” as it is known, is now considered one of the top-tier racetracks in the country. For years it has anchored the Southern California racing circuit, and its importance in the region has only grown stronger with the closure and demolishing of Hollywood Park. For many years, a three-race stakes series at Santa Anita was run in his honor. John W. Galbreath (1897-1988), an Ohio native who amassed a fortune as a building contractor, founded Darby Dan Farm in Galbreath, Ohio, in 1935, and then 14 years later transferred the name to a 650-acre property in Kentucky, where he built a highly successful breeding and racing operation. As an owner, Galbreath is one of four people to have campaigned both a Kentucky Derby winner and an Epsom Derby winner. He was also tabbed in the 1950's to serve as chairman of the New York Racing Association, where he oversaw the renovation of Belmont Park and the construction of Aqueduct racetrack. In addition to 1972-1973 Horse of the Year Secretariat, Penny Chenery (1922-2017) bred and owned the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Riva Ridge. Although her direct participation in horse racing waned after Secretariat’s record-setting run through the Triple Crown in 1973, she remained a staunch advocate for racing throughout her life, and was heavily involved in the marketing and promotion of Secretariat’s legacy. Her father, Christopher Chenery, founded Meadow Stable in Virginia. She died in 2017 at the age of 95. Cothran “Cot” Campbell is the founder of Dogwood Stable, created in 1969 to manage partnerships in racehorses. The concept was a first of its kind, and it now has countless imitators. Dogwood-campaigned horses include more than 70 stakes winners, including Summer Squall, the winner of the 1990 Preakness Stakes; Palace Malice, the winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes; and two champions, Storm Song, the champion 2-year-old filly of 1996, and Inlander, the 1987 steeplechase champion. Campbell nominally retired in 2011, though he still frequents the racetrack. Dogwood was merged with another partnership entity in 2013.