SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There was hardly elbow room in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion as start time for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame approached. The building filled up with old friends reuniting for the annual event, and fans, many wearing gear sporting the silks or likenesses of their favorite Thoroughbreds, taking advantage of the opportunity both to rub elbows with current members of the Hall of Fame – more than a dozen received a standing ovation at the start of the ceremony – and to celebrate the Class of 2023. This year’s class included the immensely popular California Chrome, the star-crossed Arrogate, fellow champion Songbird, and prominent jockey Corey Nakatani as this year’s contemporary inductees. Jockey Fernando Toro was voted in by the Historic Review Committee and John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome, and Stella F. Thayer were inducted as Pillars of the Turf. Esteemed announcer Tom Durkin served as emcee, calling the ceremony “our annual reaffirmation of our affection, regard, and respect for horse racing.” But despite a convivial atmosphere in the full house, there were still some huge empty seats metaphorically, and a few bittersweet moments during the annual induction ceremony just up the street from Saratoga Race Course. Rick Porter, who raced two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird in the colors of his Fox Hill Farm, died in 2021 at age 80, following a long battle with cancer. His wife of nearly six decades, Betsy Porter, was accompanied by Fox Hill’s Victoria Keith to accept honors for Songbird, who won 13 of 15 starts, including nine Grade 1 races. The filly’s only losses were runner-up efforts to fellow Eclipse champions. “She brought joy and love to thousands of racing fans, and she was the clear bright spot through health issues for Rick Porter,” Keith read off Fox Hill’s prepared remarks, as the two women stood together onstage. “For all that she gave us, our love for this horse is palpable. It is bittersweet, because we dearly wish that it was Rick on this stage today.” Also inducted were racetrack rivals Arrogate, an Eclipse Award champion and North America’s all-time leading money-winner, and two-time Horse of the Year and dual classic winner California Chrome. Arrogate died in June 2020 following three seasons at stud at his owner’s Juddmonte Farm, after an illness led to the onset of neurological symptoms. A bit more than seven months later, Juddmonte’s founder, Prince Khalid bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, died at age 85. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. “It’s very sad that Prince Khalid himself, unfortunately, had passed away a couple of years ago,” said Juddmonte’s Dr. John Chandler as he accepted Arrogate’s Hall of Fame plaque. “Really, he would have liked to have been here, and [would have] appreciated the recognition that his horse has.” Chandler said that the success of Arrogate, whom Juddmonte purchased as a yearling, “brought the prince more pleasure than anything else I’d seen in a long time.” The immensely popular California Chrome was sold to continue his stud career in Japan, arriving there in January 2020, to the chagrin of many of his fans, many of whom attended Friday’s ceremony wearing his original purple and green racing colors. The sale to Japan by the California Chrome Syndicate marked the most recent in the ownership shifts that marked California Chrome’s career. The California-born runner was co-bred and originally campaigned by Steve and Carolyn Coburn and Perry and Denise Martin. Later, Taylor Made Farm bought out the Coburns’ interest and raced him with the Martins until his initial retirement to Kentucky. Coburn was there to speak on California Chrome’s behalf. “I don’t know how to express the love people gave to this horse. The Chromies are here,” he said, gesturing to the fans with his signature 10-gallon hat. In from California for his Hall of Fame induction was Nakatani, 52, a 10-time Breeders’ Cup race winner whose mounts earned $234,554,534 – ranking 14th all-time – in a career that spanned from 1988 through 2018. “Each and every person in here, I believe, has touched my life,” Nakatani said, beginning by thanking his family, sitting in the front row wiping their eyes. The other jockey inducted Friday, Toro, 82, was unable to travel from his home in California to attend the New York ceremony. The Hall of Fame plans to travel to him instead, as it is set to hold a local recognition ceremony on Aug. 19 at Del Mar, where he will be presented with his plaque and blazer. Jerome (1818-1891) and Hanes (1892-1987), who both played significant roles in the New York racing landscape, are, of course, long-departed. But Thayer, 82, was on hand to be celebrated as a Pillar of the Turf. Her milestone ownership and leadership of Tampa Bay Downs has helped elevate the track in the national landscape. Among her other leadership roles in the industry, Thayer has been a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame since 1994, and served as its ninth president from 2005 to 2014, the first woman to hold the position in the institution’s history. “I receive calls from time to time from [museum chairman] John Hendrickson,” Thayer said. “But I was more than surprised to receive the call I would be inducted as a Pillar of the Turf. I’m more than honored, and very, very appreciative.” The Museum also recognized longtime trustee Ed Bowen, an Eclipse Award-winning journalist who has served in a number of roles, including on the Hall of Fame’s nominating committees. He was presented with the inaugural Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Award, which will be presented periodically to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Museum. “If it has been judged that I have served this institution well, that’s very, very gratifying,” Bowen said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.