[3] Named after a sports editor for a newspaper in Buffalo, Billy Kelly was a small, lightly made gelding and "as plain as a horse could be.

A narrow loss to Eternal in a match race at Laurel led to the two sharing the honor of the season's juvenile champion.

[3] His wins at ages three and up included:[3] Out of the money just six times, Billy Kelly might have had an even better record if he had not been the victim of race fixing.

Billy Kelly finished unplaced and in obvious distress in three straight races before the sponge was discovered and removed.

This may have done permanent damage to Billy Kelly's lungs and heart, for although he won three straight races after the sponge was removed, he bled heavily in his next outing.

He was found dead in his stall at Ross's farm in Canada in the summer of 1926: the autopsy revealed an enlarged heart.

The finalists are required to receive 75% approval from the Historic Review Committee to gain election to the Hall of Fame.