Hall of Fame induction ceremony canceled

This year’s Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year’s inductees will instead be honored during next year’s ceremony, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame said on Thursday.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held every August in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., concurrent with the immensely popular live racing meet at Saratoga Race Course. This year’s event was scheduled for Aug. 7. The Hall of Fame has also canceled the Museum Ball, which was scheduled this year for Aug. 14.

“We are incredibly disappointed we won’t be able to have these time-honored special events this summer, but the health concerns we are facing right now take precedence,” said John Hendrickson, the president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, in a release. “The Hall of Fame ceremony is an experience we want to be able to share with the fans. With racing at Saratoga this summer likely to take place without spectators, we believe it is in the best interests of everyone involved and for the integrity of the event to postpone the ceremony for a year.”

Several weeks ago, the Hall of Fame announced its 2020 roster of inductees, which included the trainer Mark Casse, the jockey Darrel McHargue, and the horses Wise Dan and Tom Bowling. The Hall also announced earlier this year the induction of Alice Headley Chandler, Keene Daingerfield Jr., and George D. Widener Jr. as Pillars of the Turf.

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Those inductees will be honored during the 2021 ceremony, the Hall of Fame said, along with the inductees for that year.

The Museum itself is currently closed to the public and is undergoing extensive renovations.

The New York Racing Association, which operates Saratoga Race Couse, has said that it intends to run live races in Saratoga as of July 16, after running 25 cards spectator-free at Belmont Park on Long Island from June 3 to July 12.