About Jerry Hollendorfer
Jerry Hollendorfer, an American trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses with an estimated net worth of $2 million, was born on June 18, 1946. When Jerry Hollendorfer sent out Just Tappin It to win the sixth race at Golden Gate Fields on September 3, 2011, he won his 6,000th race.
Following Dale Baird, Jack Van Berg, and King Leatherbury as the only other trainers to ever accomplish the accomplishment, he is the only one in history. He stated: “It seems to take some time to understand, huh? I believe I still have a few excellent years in me. If I can maintain my health and keep winning races, I’d like to continue. I would be overjoyed if I were to win 7,000.” Russell Baze, the jockey riding Just Tappin It, said: “I’m overjoyed that I could accomplish it for him. Jerry has been incredibly kind to me.”
The formative years
Hollendorfer was born in Akron, Ohio, on June 18, 1946. He first worked under Jerry Dutton and Jerry Fanning before obtaining his trainer’s license in 1979 after visiting friends in San Francisco in the late 1960s. Only 59 races did he win in his first six years. He won 56 races in 1985 and more than doubled that number in 1986 with 117. From that point on, he kept his win rate at a constant 25 percent for 20 years and won every training championship in the Bay Area between 1986 and 2008. With fellow Hall of Famer and enduring leader Russell Baze in the irons for around 1/4 of his openers, he continues to rule the northern fairs.
Notable equines
He has made more than $100 million from his horses. The champion filly he most recently trained, Blind Luck, gave him his third Kentucky Oaks victory (after Lite Light and Pike Place Dancer), trailing only D. Wayne Lukas‘s four victories and Woody Stephens’ five. Other noteworthy songs include Fleet Lady, City to City, Variety Road, Yougottawant to, Indian Gracey, Chocolate Candy, Tuxedo Junction, Event of the Year, USS Tinosa, Eye of the Tiger, Bwana Bill, Cause to Believe, Rendezvous, Somethinaboutlaura, Skipshot, Trickey Trevor, Adreamisborn, Ninebanks, and Yougottawant to. Novel Sprite, a $16,000 claimer who won more than $400,000, became his first stakes winner.
Awards and victories:
As the most successful trainer in Northern California history, Hollendorfer dominated major Bay Area meetings from 1986 until 2008, when William Morey narrowly defeated him at Golden Gate Fields. At Golden Gate, he has won 33 successive training championships, while at Bay Meadows, he has won 37 straight. He finished third nationally in 2004 after winning a career-high 308 games. He was second in wins in 1998 and 1999. Additionally, he has won training competitions at Thistledown and Arlington Park. In August 2011, he became the lone inductee of that year’s class into the Hall of Fame. The final kick in the pants that got me in this place was blind luck.
Grade One winners:
Along with the above-mentioned stakes winners, Hollendorfer also trained the Grade 1-winning horses Blind Luck, Dakota Phone, Heatseeker, Hystericalady, King Glorious, Lite Light, Pike Place Dancer, Tuscan Evening, and Hystericalady. He stated: “Being in the right location at the right moment is a big part of it. People see you at sales, and since I run numerous horses, I’ve drawn some attention. When you take home some major victories, people usually pay attention.” Regarding Blind Luck, he continued, “Since the day we adopted her, she hasn’t changed. She has been running for one and a half years and still bounces and is eager.”
Private Life:
His wife Janet has worked as his assistant in his stable for a very long time. In 2009, she had a brain tumor that was removed just before the Kentucky Derby. He stated: “Unfortunately, creating a stable takes a lifetime. I wouldn’t be content if I wasn’t doing that. My appreciation for having the chance to accomplish these things is the source of my passion for it. Everyone desires to win the major competitions, and most likely the bigger the competition, the more you want to prevail. I have nothing to justify to myself. I’ve shown that, given the chance, I’m capable of finishing the job.”
In 2016, the horse owned by Hollendorfer, Songbird, won seven races, four of which were Grade I competitions. Jerry Hollendorfer’s net worth is projected to be $2 million as of 2023. 2011 saw Hollendorfer’s induction into the US Racing Hall of Fame.
