Christophe Clement and John Shirreffs Honored at 2026 Racing Hall of Fame

The 2026 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held on August 7 in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ceremony honored two recently deceased trainers, Christophe Clement, who died in May 2025 after a battle with metastatic uveal melanoma, and John Shirreffs, who passed away in February at age 80. Their widows, Valerie Clement and Dottie Ingordo‑Shirreffs, delivered emotional remarks, recalling Clement’s 2,576 North‑American wins and his impact on the sport, and Shirreffs’s lifelong dedication to studying horses, including his work with owner Jerry Moss and the Hall of Fame mare Zenyatta. The event featured a tribute to Zenyatta’s historic 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic victory, with Dottie tossing her late husband’s ballcap into the crowd. Attendees from across the racing community gathered to celebrate the legacies of the two trainers and the broader heritage of the sport.