Jockey Chris Antley, trainer King Leatherbury and the racehorses Lava Man and
Antley, who was born in Florida, and grew up in South Carolina, won 3,480
The leading North American rider by wins in 1985 with 469, Antley was a
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On October 31, 1987, Antley won nine races when he had four victories at
Aqueduct and five at the Meadowlands. He also had a streak of 64 consecutive
days with at least one win in 1989.
Leatherbury, 82, who was born in Baltimore, won his first race at Florida’s
Sunshine Park (now Tampa Bay Downs) in 1959 and currently ranks fourth all time
with 6,454 wins. He has won 52 training titles in Maryland (26 each at Pimlico
and Laurel) and four at Delaware Park with career purse earnings of $62,910,371.
Leatherbury led all North American trainers in wins in 1977 and 1978 and won 300
or more races each year from 1975 through 1978. He ranked in the top three in
North American wins each year from 1975 through 1980 and has finished in the top
10 nationally in wins 18 times and in earnings four times. Leatherbury has won
23 graded stakes races and 153 overall stakes.
In 1987, Leatherbury won the Hempstead H. (G1) with Catatonic and in 1994 he
won the Philip H. Iselin H. (G1) with Taking Risks. Leatherbury also bred, owns
and trains Ben’s Cat, a winner of $2.3 million. Ben’s Cat has won 22 stakes to
date, including four graded events.
“This is quite an honor. This is the top honor in our industry,” said
Leatherbury on Monday at Pimlico. “I’ve had many honors and awards, which is
more than anyone could ever dream of in their profession but, of course, this is
the top one. I’m truly very honored by it.”
Lava Man was bred in California by Lonnie Arterburn, Eve Kuhlmann and Kim
Kuhlmann. Arterburn trained Lava Man until he was claimed during his
three-year-old season for $50,000 by trainer Doug O’Neill for STD Racing Stable
and partner Jason Wood.
A winner of seven Grade 1 races — more than any other California-bred in
history — Lava Man posted a career record of 17-8-5 from 47 starts with
earnings of $5,268,706. Among California-bred horses, only Hall of Famers Tiznow
and Best Pal and 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome have higher career
earnings. Lava Man won three consecutive editions of the Hollywood Gold Cup
([G1] 2005-07), matching a feat Hall of Famer Native Diver accomplished from
1965 through 1967. Lava Man also won back-to-back runnings of the Santa Anita H.
(G1) in 2006 and 2007.
Lava Man’s other significant wins included the Pacific Classic (G1),
Californian (G2), Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1), and Goodwood H.
(G1). In his first Hollywood Gold Cup victory, Lava Man won by a record eight
lengths. With his victory in the Whittingham in 2006, Lava Man became the first
horse since Vanlandingham 21 years earlier to win a Grade 1 race on both dirt
and turf in the same year. Lava Man was also the first horse to win the
Hollywood Gold Cup, Santa Anita H. and Pacific Classic (G1) in the same
year (a feat since equaled by Game On Dude).
Xtra Heat was bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm and sold as a
two-year-old for $5,000 at Maryland’s Timonium sale to trainer John Salzman Sr.
and partners Ken Taylor and Harry Deitchman.
The champion three-year-old filly in 2001, Xtra Heat compiled a career record
of 26-5-2 from 35 starts and earnings of $2,389,635. Xtra Heat won a total of 25
stakes races, 11 of which were graded events. She registered two six-race win
streaks and had two victories in the Barbara Fritchie H. (G2) and Endine S.
(G3). Xtra Heat’s wins included the Prioress ([G1] setting a stakes record of
1:08.26), as well as the Vagrancy (G2) and Genuine Risk (G2) handicaps and the
Astarita (G2) and Beaumont (G2).
The contemporary electees were chosen from a nationwide voting panel
comprised of 180 racing writers, broadcasters, industry officials and historians
from a group of 10 finalists selected by the Hall of Fame’s Nominating
Committee. The top four vote-getters among the finalists are elected.
Results of the Hall of Fame’s Historic Review and Pillars of the Turf
committees will be announced in May.
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