1/ST Things 1/ST: Corey Nakatani's Hall of Fame Celebration

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00:00It's this race? The Corey Nakatani Pass, Hall of Fame?

00:14We're here today to celebrate you, Corey. How are you feeling?

00:18Just kind of like overwhelmed, actually. It's something that you, you know, when you're

00:21a little kid, you work for. I always say that the Hall of Fame is for your family because

00:25your family always takes a backseat to your career and without a strong support. But,

00:29you know, obviously my wife Lisa and the kids. It just makes it that much sweeter.

00:36Lisa, what's it been like living with Corey over the years?

00:39Very difficult. Very difficult.

00:40I need an award.

00:42Yeah, that's the word for her.

00:44For him, I was just so happy for him, honestly, because I know how hard he worked. I know

00:48how he dedicated his life to this. So it was so rewarding. He's like, I'll probably be

00:52dead before I get in. To actually watch him shed a tear that he was, it was really rewarding

00:58because, again, he put his life out there every day and gave 100%.

01:06I ran all the way up to the roof to find Frank Miramardi because we just had the Corey Nakatani

01:11Hall of Fame purse.

01:13He was in the very first race I ever called. I just thought about that live. I knew he

01:18was in some of those races with a Frankel horse or two, but he actually rode a horse

01:23named Gold Digger's Dream. I get goosebumps. It was the first race I ever called. He finished

01:28second. Stats don't lie. Corey is pure greatness. He deserves this. And at Santa Anita Park,

01:33we certainly celebrate and honor him. But as a racing fan, he was a friend of the $2

01:38better. He rode the hair off those horses and he tried to get him home first.