About Bobby Frankel
American thoroughbred race horse trainer Robert Julian Frankel (July 9, 1941 – November 16, 2009) had a $10 million estimated net worth. Frankel was a renowned trainer for more than 40 years and a five-time Eclipse Award winner for outstanding trainer. His stable earned at least $10 million in winnings for 8 of the last 9 years, including $11.7 million in 2008, his final full training year.
With total earnings of $227,947,775, Frankel finished second on the list of all-time money earned behind trainer D. Wayne Lukas, having won 3,654 races out of 17,657 starters. With the exception of the Kentucky Derby, he had won nearly all of the major stakes in North America. On October 17, 2009, Champs Elysees earned his final Grade 1 victory in the Canadian International.
Milestones:
He was the trainer of 10 horses who collectively won 11 Eclipse Awards, in addition to his own 5 Eclipse Awards. He was elected into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1995, and with 25 victories in Grade 1 races that year, he set a global record. Beginning in 1970 at Saratoga, Frankel also captured 30 victories in the individual meet training category, with many of them occurring at Southern California racetrack.
In 2004, he reached the milestone of 3,000 victories after winning 28 turf races valued at least $1 million.
Personal Information:
Frankel, who was raised in Brooklyn, was born in New York City on July 9, 1941, into a family of caterers. He was previously married twice, most recently to Bonita Boniface in 2003, though they eventually divorced. He only has one child, Bethenny, who is famous for appearing on the reality series “Real Housewives of New York.”
His Early Years:
Midway through the 1960s, he began working as a hotwalker at Belmont Park and Aqueduct. He was hired as a trainer in 1966, and on November 29, 1966, Double Dash at Aqueduct gave him his first victory. His first of 30 training championships, which included a record six at Oak Tree, came after he relocated to California in 1972 and won a record 60 races at Hollywood Park.
His Favorite Horses
Frankel has trained a lot of outstanding horses over the years. Aldebaran, Champ Elysees, Empire Maker, Ghostzapper, Ginger Punch, Intercontinental, Leroidesanimaux, Medaglia d’Oro, Milwaukee Brew, Possibly Perfect, Ryafan, Skimming, Squirtle Squirt, Starine, Tinners Way, Ventura, and Wandesta are a few of his best works. He worked as a trainer for well-known breeders as Juddmonte Farms, Stud TNT, Frank Stronach, Edmund Gann, and Stavros Niarchos.
Missed by Several:
Even though he had a reputation for being stern, he was actually a kind and fair man. Many of his reliable employees had worked for him for more than 20 years and were fiercely devoted to him. The jockey Garrett Gomez’s agent, Ron Anderson, said: “Because he was so polite and considerate, he hired grooms for countless years. The biggest mystery in horse racing was how soft and warm he was, even though he also gave the impression of being a rough, brazen sort.” Farm manager for Juddmonte, Gareett O’Rourke, added, “He was really smart. An era is coming to an end.” At all levels of the sport, he will undoubtedly be missed by many.
Additional Accolades
According to NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop, “He has been a dominant force in the sport for the past 40 years thanks to his exceptional horsemanship and deep understanding of the rules. His extraordinary talent and unwavering devotion to his horses will be dearly missed.” Bob Baffert, a different trainer, said: “He comes from the old school of training, where no one should be privy to your affairs. To him, everything was simple. He was an extremely skilled rider. He significantly influenced racing. He will never be forgotten.”
You Just Never Know
Frankel stated in 2000, “Life is humorous. Sometimes events just happen and dramatically alter your life. I did not inherit this. I simply followed my gut and arrived where I am.”
On November 16, 2009, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, trainer Bobby Frankel passed unexpectedly from complications from cancer, a condition he had defeated roughly ten years earlier. He hadn’t been seen in public since it happened again approximately six months prior, and Humberto Ascanio, who had been his assistant for 30 years, had been managing his stable. He left Cedars-Sinai Hospital on Saturday, according to a pal, after saying he wanted to spend his last moments at home with his Australian sheepdogs Ginger and Punch.
Bobby Frankel had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his passing in 2009. Only 68 years old, he was.
With 25 Grade I victories in 2003, Frankel set the previous record for the most Grade/Group I victories in a single season.
