from Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — The Indiana Horse Racing Association, Inc. will hold its fourth annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Monday (Oct. 23) in Hoosier Park Racing & Casino’s Homestretch dining area.

The 2017 inductees include the Honorable Howard “Luke” A. Kenley, Lynn Wilfong, and Raymond J. “Steve” Panke (posthumously). Each inductee will be honored with a resolution and portrait presentation, followed by remarks made by industry professionals. The invitation-only event starts at 5:30 p.m. with a welcome reception, and is not open to the general public. The event will be hosted by Centaur Gaming President and COO Jim Brown.

A special Breeders Crown live post position draw will be conducted during the Hall of Fame event at 6:15 p.m. in The Terrace Showroom and will be open to the public. The 34th edition of the Breeders Crown is harness racing’s $6 million championship event and will be held for the first time in Indiana at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday (Oct. 27) and Saturday (Oct. 28).

Admission into the Indiana Horse Racing Hall of Fame is determined by a vote of the Directors of IHRA. To be eligible for admission, a person must have made long lasting and substantial contributions for the benefit and advancement of the sport of horse racing in Indiana.

In the first three years, the directors unanimously selected The Honorable Lawrence M. Borst, DVM, Michael G. Schaefer (posthumously), Senator Richard Thompson, Ralph Wilfong (posthumously), Harold Barnes, Mari Hulman George, The Honorable Robert Jackman, DVM and Don Myers (posthumously) as inductees into the Indiana Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Portraits of the 2017 inductees have been painted by Mark Dillman of Indianapolis and will be displayed in the mezzanine at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

The directors of the IHRA are Joe Davis, John Keeler, Jack Kieninger, Paul Martin, Rick Moore, Rod Ratcliff, and Jon Schuster.

The Honorable Howard “Luke” A. Kenley was born in 1945 and raised in Noblesville, Ind. He spent many summers on a ranch in West Texas, where he learned to ride, care for and love horses of all breeds — especially Quarter Horses.

Luke and his wife, Sally, reside in Noblesville and spend a great deal of time visiting and enjoying their ranch in Texas.

He graduated from Noblesville High School, Miami University and Harvard Law School. He honorably served as an officer in the United States Army and also served his local community as a judge for 15 years. He has been active in numerous community organizations, including the Noblesville Boys and Girls Club where he served as a director for 35 years.

An entrepreneur at heart, Luke grew his family grocery business tenfold and sold it to a competitor while retaining the real estate assets that he continues to manage today.

Luke recently retired from a 25-year career in the Indiana State Senate, where he chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee and was a member of the State Budget Committee. From this position, Luke skillfully guided the State of Indiana to financial solvency and gained the envy of a nation with a $2 billion surplus.

Indiana horsemen have had no better friend in the General Assembly than Senator Kenley. He has played a major role and been an unbridled champion for every piece of legislation favorable to the Indiana horse industry. Because of his leadership, vision and good judgment, the Indiana horse industry now contributes more than $1 billion annually to the state’s economy and provides Hoosiers with more than 10,000 jobs.

Luke and Sally are proud parents of three children and six grandchildren.

Lynn George Wilfong was born and raised in Willow Branch, Ind. When he was ten years old his father, George, took him to his first harness race. In the Fall of that year, his father purchased his first Standardbred.

At the age of 12, Lynn first cared for three of his father’s horses at the Old Speedway track at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds. Lynn, who eventually became an owner, trainer and breeder, won his first race as a driver in the early 1960s.

He spent his summers with his wife Barbara and their three children — Brent, Grant and Jennifer — racing at the county fairs in Indiana.

In 1965, Lynn purchased 20 weanling fillies and joined with Eli Lilly and Co. in a feed additive program. Most of the fillies, gathered from around the country, resulted in the foundation stock for Wilfong’s band of broodmares at their 160-acre Sunny Hills Stock Farm in Carthage, Ind.

Lynn served as first assistant to the director of racing at the Indiana State Fair, under three different directors. He also served as the youngest president of the Indiana Trotting and Pacing Horse Association for 12 years. During his tenure, activities intensified regarding pari-mutuel racing in Indiana, and the Standardbred Board of Regulations was created and funded to supplement county fair racing.

While president of the Indiana Sulky Club, Lynn obtained his charting license to chart races at county fairs in Indiana. In 1993, he received the very first Breeders Award given by the Standardbred Owners and Breeders of Indiana, now known as the Indiana Standardbred Association.

Lynn played a major role in lobbying for pari-mutuel racing in Indiana. After years of persistence along with many other key individuals, Hoosier Park became a reality in 1994.

Racing has continued at a fast pace, through four generations, as Wilfong horses have competed at tracks on the East Coast, the Midwest, Florida, and Canada. Lynn has served as a breeder/owner or co-breeder and co-owner of many outstanding performers, most of which were homebreds sired by family-owned stallions.

He still enjoys hands-on daily chores at his farm, raising weanlings and yearlings, and caring for broodmares and turnouts. Again, this year, Lynn will be at the yearling sales, checking out conformation, watching videos, and studying pedigrees while looking for his next great horse.

Raymond J. “Steve” Panke was born in 1919 in Josephville, Mo., and passed away on Oct. 9, 2006. His life’s passion was raising American Saddlebred horses on his Danville, Ind. farm, Woodlands Stud.

In 1963, Steve started Panke Machinery Corp., a distributorship for mining and heavy construction equipment. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Steve worked tirelessly in support of the Indiana State Fairgrounds, serving as board member and president of the Indiana State Fair Board, as well as project manager of the restoration of the Indiana State Fair’s historic speed barns in 1997.

His countless contributions to the horse industry included 36 years of managing the All Horse Classic National Show in Indianapolis and serving on the board of the Indiana Horse Council Foundation.

Steve will always be remembered as the tenacious industry champion of pari-mutuel horse racing in Indiana. His dogged resilience, unwavering persistence and sheer refusal to rest until legislation was enacted helped make pari-mutuel wagering a reality for Hoosiers.

Steve was preceded in death by his beautiful wife of 52 years, Helen, and is survived by his daughter, Claire, who, like her father, remains active in advancing Indiana horse racing.