Roger Attfield an honoured member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was further honoured with the announcement of his election to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame located in Saratoga, New York.
Attfield who is based at Woodbine in Toronto won his first race in Canada in 1972, has saddled a record 8 Queen’s Plate winners and has been voted Canada’s Champion trainer 6 times. He has also trained 3 Canadian Triple Crown Champions – With Approval, Izvestia and Peteski. Eight times Attfield trained horses have been named Canadian Horse of the Year.
At the 2012 Breeders’ Cup held in Louisville, Ky, Attfield sent out Charles Fipke’s Perfect Shirl to score a shocking upset in the Grade 1, Filly and Mare Turf Stakes. He also trained Miss Keller to win the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes in 2012.
In his career, Attfield has won 1,731 races, including 369 stakes races, with purse earnings of more than $88-million.
Joining Roger Attfield in the class of 2012 are: Ghostzapper, the Frank Stronach owned 2004 Horse of the Year, jockey John Velazquez and trainer Robert Wheeler.
During a press conference with the inductees, Roger Attfield expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the honour. “I was so proud to be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame at the minimum age of 60. Now to be honoured to go into the US hall as well when I have so much pride and respect for the sport means a great deal to me. I am absolutely ecstatic, especially to be inducted at the same time as so many people I have respected over the years, Johnny Velazquez rode for me, and Frank Stronach I have known for years, and admire and respect him. It is a wonderful honour and I am very touched by it.”
His entry into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was accomplished on his first ballot appearance, a true testament to his accomplishments and record. Attfield was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1999.
When asked for his thoughts on Attfield’s most recent honour, John Stapleton, President of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame said, “Canada has known for decades that Roger Attfield stands at the very pinnacle of his craft. We congratulate our Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member on this singular achievement”
Attfield is only the second trainer to be recognized by both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the National Museum of Racing, the other being Lucien Laurin, trainer of the great Secretariat. Attfield also shares the dual honour with an elite group of jockeys and horses:
Jockeys – Ted Atkinson, Russell Baze, Thomas H. Burns, Avelino Gomez, Sandy Hawley, John Longden, Ron Turcotte, George Woolf
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