Hendrickson named president of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – John Hendrickson, the manager of his wife’s Marylou Whitney Stables, has been named the president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame here, the museum announced Thursday.

Hendrickson, who has a residence in Saratoga Springs, will succeed Gretchen Jackson, the co-owner of Lael Stables, who has served as president since 2014. Hendrickson is a former board member of the New York Racing Association and served as a special adviser to NYRA’s board on matters pertaining to Saratoga. He married Marylou Whitney in 1997.

“I’m honored to be named president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and carry on in the great tradition of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, who was one of the museum’s founders and its first president,” Hendrickson said in a statement. “The museum is an important institution with a great history and a bright future.”

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney is Marylou Whitney’s former spouse of 34 years. He died in 1992.

The museum is one of the more popular equine-themed attractions in Saratoga Springs. Located across the street from the racetrack, the institution holds an annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion, and its collections include racing trophies, artwork, photographs, and memorabilia.