Hialeah Park will add four well-known racing personalities to its Hall of Fame March 30 when Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame jockeys Jerry Bailey, Angel Cordero, Jr., and Jose Santos join recently retired track announcer Tom Durkin for induction ceremonies at the iconic South Florida racetrack.
All four will be the featured guests of Hialeah Park owner John J. Brunetti Sr. at an evening dinner event starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Citation Room at Hialeah.
Bailey, Cordero, Santos, and Durkin all have strong personal ties to Hialeah Park. The three riders enjoyed success here during their many stays and aboard their numerous mounts at Hialeah Park, while Durkin spent time in the announcer’s booth at this track before settling in for his long and historic tenure at the New York Racing Association.
Bailey, who has shined in a successful post-riding career as a network commentator on major racing television broadcasts, was active between 1976 and 2006. He won with 5,893 of his 30,855 mounts and included 216 grade I stakes scores and 15 Breeders’ Cup victories in his win total.
Cordero has plotted a successful path as a jockey agent since hanging up his saddle in 1992. He won just over 7,000 races from 38,646 mounts during his legendary 32-year riding career.
Santos tallied almost 4,100 victories from 25,928 mounts from 1984-2007. He won seven Breeders’ Cup races and won the first two legs of the Triple Crown aboard Funny Cide in 2003.
Durkin, who was honored with the Eclipse Award for Merit in January of this year, called races at Hialeah Park and six other thoroughbred tracks before moving full-time to NYRA in 1990.
All interested horsemen are invited to attend the Hall of Fame event on March 30. For tickets and additional information, contact Bill Hirsch at (954) 454-9375 or billhirsch@bellsouth.net.
