It's Post Time
REMEMBERING FRANKEL
Racing is continuing to mourn the loss of a true giant, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, who died Monday morning at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He was 68.
Frankel had not been seen publicly for more than six months while battling lymphoma. In recent months, according to the Daily Racing Form obituary written by Jay Privman, Frankel had been in contact with only a handful of people as he spent time shuttling between his home and Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles while being treated.
In the obituary for The Blood-Horse written by Steve Haskin, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, wife of Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs, and Frankel’s medical power of attorney, said that the last race Frankel ever watched was Zenyatta’s victory in the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“He fought such a tough fight right to the end,” Ingordo-Shirreffs said of Frankel. “His final words to John were, ‘What a helluva job you did with that horse, and to do it under that kind of pressure.’ ”
Frankel was born July 9, 1941, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His first success at the track was as a bettor.
“He’d go to a candy store in Far Rockaway every night around 8 o’clock to get the Daily Racing Form as soon as it came out, so he could get an early start on handicapping the next day’s races,” Haskin wrote.
Frankel was just like my father in that regard.
“One day in New York in the early 1960s,” Privman wrote, “Frankel took $40 to the track, got on a roll by hitting the daily double, and by day’s end made a successful $3,000 win bet on a 3-1 shot. He came home with $20,000.”
Frankel said he put the money on his mother’s bed.
“She thought I had robbed a bank,” Frankel recalled.
Frankel eventually found his way to the stable area. He figured “a few hours walking hots in the morning was worth it to get a free pass to the afternoon’s races,” Privman wrote.
On Nov. 29, 1966, Frankel won his first race as a trainer with Double Dash. At the time of his death Monday, he had won 3,654 races as a trainer, with his horses earning $227,947,775, second only to D. Wayne Lukas ($253,696,057).
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, Frankel was voted the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer five times (1993, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003).
In 2003, Frankel won a world-record 25 Grade/Group I races, breaking the mark of 23 set in 2001 by Europe’s Aiden O’Brien. Frankel’s horses earned $19,143,289 in 2003 to smash the previous earnings mark of $17,842,358 set by Lukas in 1988.
Frankel trained Ghostzapper, who won the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Lone Star Park while earning a 124 Beyer to tie Sunday Silence for the highest figure in the history of the race. Ghostzapper, who won nine of 11 career starts, was voted 2004 Horse of the Year.
The Kentucky Derby did elude Frankel. He finished second in the 2003 Derby with Empire Maker. But while Frankel did not win the Kentucky Derby that year, I think it’s a perfect example of just how much he cared for his horses. Frankel did not have a “win at any cost” philosophy, even when the race was of the magnitude of the Kentucky Derby.
Many, if not most, trainers would have gone ahead and pushed Empire Maker in his training up to the Kentucky Derby despite his bruised foot. But Frankel did not cross that line. He felt Empire Maker might even be good enough to win despite having his training compromised by the foot problem. But Empire Maker did not win the roses. Funny Cide, who had finished second to Empire Maker in the Wood Memorial, took the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths, with Empire Maker having to settle for second.
Funny Cide subsequently won the Preakness Stakes by 9 3/4 lengths and headed to the Belmont Stakes with a chance to sweep the Triple Crown.
Going into that Belmont, I was of the strong opinion that Empire Maker was better than Funny Cide. I also thought it was important that since Empire Maker skipped the Preakness, Frankel was able to train the colt up to the Belmont the way he wanted. I wagered on that Belmont accordingly.
Empire Maker won the Belmont by three-quarters of a length at 2-1 over Ten Most Wanted, with even-money favorite Funny Cide five lengths farther back in third.
“I wanted this so much for this horse,” Frankel was quoted as saying of Empire Maker’s Belmont in Haskin’s obituary. “Redemption -- they taught me a new word today.”
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where the most important race is the Longacres Mile. In 1973, I was in the crowd at Longacres when Frankel nearly won the Mile in a truly remarkable job as a trainer.
On June 23 that year, a Washington-bred son of Strong Ruler by the name of Pataha Prince joined Frankel’s barn after being claimed for $16,000 by owner Marion Frankel (no relation) at Hollywood Park.
Before Frankel had a stable full of graded stakes winners, he was one of the finest claiming trainers in the history of racing. He discussed the claiming game in a story that appeared in the 1981-82 Santa Anita media guide.
“You are playing a game,” Frankel said. “It’s like playing one of those little games kids play -- those computer games -- trying to figure out what the next guy’s move’s going to be. You know these guys -- you’re handicapping the trainers.
“Training, everybody can train. Some people are training okay, they’re just managing wrong, you know? You have to recognize what a horse is worth and recognize when to get rid of him. You gotta read the Form. You’ll learn more by reading the Form than you do by looking at a horse. Watch the pattern the horse is doing, how he’s training, where he’s running. It’s a psych game.”
In Pataha Prince’s first four starts for Frankel in 1973, the Washington-bred son of Strong Ruler registered three wins and a second. Included in those four starts was a win in Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Handicap. In less than two months under Frankel’s care, the 8-year-old gelding had gone from running in a $16,000 claiming race to winning the Bing Crosby in a rapid 1:08 flat under Bill Shoemaker.
Much like Presious Passion running too good to lose in the recent Breeders’ Cup Turf, Pataha Prince ran his heart out only to narrowly lose the 1973 Longacres Mile in his fifth 1973 start for Frankel. Pataha Prince battled for the lead the entire race and finished second, a neck behind Silver Mallet, whose 1:34 clocking tied the track record.
Silver Mallet took an impressive resume into the 1973 Longacres Mile. Earlier in the year, he had finished third at Aqueduct in a race won by Riva Ridge. Prior to that, Silver Mallet had defeated Onion, who is best known for upsetting Secretariat in the 1973 Whitney Handicap.
In 1976, while the nation was celebrating its bicentennial, Frankel did win the Longacres Mile with Southern California shipper Yu Wipi, a 4-year-old son of the great Dr. Fager. John Nerud, Dr. Fager’s trainer, bred Yu Wipi.
Earlier in 1976, Yu Wipi had been purchased privately from Nerud for a reported $150,000 by a partnership that included actor John Forsythe and producer/director Martin Ritt.
Ridden by Sandy Hawley, Yu Wipi won the 1976 Longacres Mile by one length in 1:34 4/5. Holding Pattern finished second. Two years earlier, Holding Pattern had won the Travers Stakes over Little Current and Chris Evert.
After Yu Wipi’s triumph, Bob Schwarzmann of The Seattle Times and a number of other reporters paid a visit to the winner’s circle to get quotes.
“Where’s the trainer?” the reporters kept asking. Frankel was nowhere to be found, even though it was known that he was at the track.
Finally, the reporters were told that they could find Frankel over at a concession stand not too far from the winners’ circle. So a group of reporters left the winner’s circle in search of Bobby Frankel. Sure enough, they found him and interviewed him at the concession stand. Frankel hanging out at the concession stand after saddling the winner became part of Longacres Mile lore.
Frankel won the Longacres Mile twice more. He took the race in 1988 with Simply Majestic and in 1991 with Louis Cyphre. Russell Baze rode Simply Majestic. Gary Stevens piloted Louis Cyphre.
Baze had ridden as an apprentice at Longacres in 1975. He would go on to become the dominant rider in Northern California and eventually the winningest jockey in the world.
Stevens won the riding title at Longacres in 1983 and 1984 before becoming a national star based in Southern California.
“I always said I wanted to win the Mile before my career was over,” Stevens was quoted as saying after guiding Louis Cyphre to a four-length Longacres Mile triumph over Captain Condo.
And it was a Bobby Frankel-trained Southern California shipper that would provide Stevens with his taste of a Longacres Mile victory.
Captain Condo, unquestionably one of the most popular horses to ever race at Longacres, won five stakes races at Longacres that year at the age of 9. Louis Cyphre and Frankel prevented Captain Condo from becoming the oldest winner of the region’s biggest race.
I saw Frankel in the stable area at Del Mar the morning after Louis Cyphre’s Longacres Mile triumph.
“Congratulations, Bobby, for winning another Longacres Mile,” I said.
“Thanks,” he replied. “But all my horse had to do was to beat that horse -- what’s his name? -- Captain Kangaroo.”
As Frankel walked off, I couldn’t help but chuckle. My brother, Ron, was at the Longacres Mile that year and was so disappointed when his all-time favorite horse, Captain Condo, didn’t make history by winning the race as a 9-year-old. Now here was the trainer of the winner calling my brother’s favorite horse Captain Kangaroo.
One reason I know Frankel was a great trainer is that another trainer I know, Tom Roberts, idolized him. Roberts is one of the best trainers I have ever been around. He once won 72 races in a 68-day meet at Playfair in Spokane, Wash. After that, Roberts won the training title at Longacres in 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1987. His 81 wins at the 1986 meet broke the record.
More than once when I was talking with Roberts at his barn, he would tell me that Bobby Frankel was a genius as a horse trainer.
And when Frankel sent horses to run at Northern California tracks in the late 1980s, he sent those horses to Tom Roberts. That’s how much Frankel thought of him.
As stated by many following Frankel’s death, he was intensely competitive. He loved winning and hated losing.
One of my most vivid Frankel memories was an incident that occurred in the press box elevator at Santa Anita on Apri1 11, 1982. In those days, Frankel was a frequent visitor to the press box.
On that particular occasion, Elemendorf’s Super Moment, trained by Ron McAnally, rallied from last in a field of five to win the Grade II, $131,700 San Bernardino Handicap by a neck at 2-1 under Chris McCarron. The Frankel-trained Mehmet, ridden by Sandy Hawley, finished second at 5-1. It’s the One, conditioned by Laz Barrera, ended up third as the even-money favorite.
Mehmet had led all the way on the sloppy track until Super Moment got up in the final strides. When I got into the press box elevator to go down to the winner’s circle to get quotes from the winning connections, Frankel also got into the elevator.
The door closed and on our way we went. As the elevator made its way down to the ground, I debated whether or not to mention to Frankel something I had seen during the race. Finally, I decided to go ahead and tell him.
“That was a tough loss, Bobby,” I said. “By the way, did you see that Hawley dropped his stick?”
Frankel had been looking at the floor. His head almost came off as he quickly to me and said, “What?”
“Hawley dropped his stick,” I repeated.
Frankel then proceeded to punch the elevator door with his right hand. When that happened, I regretted having spilled the beans. I was afraid Bobby Frankel had broken his right hand into a million pieces on the steel of the elevator door.
Just then we reached the bottom floor. Frankel bolted out of the elevator the instant the door opened.
“Poor Sandy Hawley,” I thought.
Mehmet would go on to win the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap, Monmouth Handicap, Carleton F. Burke and Meadowlands Cup. In both the Burke and Meadowlands Cup, Mehmet defeated mighty John Henry.
Speaking of John Henry, his Hall of Fame trainer was there for another of my favorite Frankel memories. One morning at Santa Anita early in 1994, I was chatting with McAnally when Frankel came over to us.
“Hey Ronnie, give me a horse,” Frankel said.
“What?” replied a perplexed McAnally.
“Give me a horse. Give me a horse. Give me the name of one of your horses you think is going to have a good year,” Frankel said.
“What?” again was the response from McAnally.
“Give me a horse, Ronnie. Come on, Ronnie. Just give me the name of a horse you expect to have a good year. Just one name, will ya?”
“Okay, Potridee,” McAnally said.
“Naw, I don’t like her,” Frankel said as he twirled around and walked off into the morning sun.
McAnally turned to me and said, “What was that all about? Do you have any idea?”
I told McAnally that Frankel was trying to get help for his horse racing fantasy league. I had been in a fantasy horse racing league consisting of people working in the Los Angeles office of the Racing Form since 1990. A similar league had come into existence, with Frankel involved in that league.
“But why didn’t he like Potridee?” McAnally asked. “He keeps asking me to give him a horse, but when I finally do, he doesn’t like the horse.”
“Well,” I said, “that’s Bobby.”
I couldn’t help thinking of that morning later in the year when McAnally won the Grade I Vanity Handicap with none other than Potridee.
After Mehmet captured the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap in 1982, Frankel won the race again the following year with Fighting Fit. I interviewed Fighting Fit’s owner in the winner’s circle after the Mervyn LeRoy. The owner? Jerry Moss.
“Gosh, this is my first hundred-grander,” an excited Moss said. “I’ve had this horse since he was a yearling. Monty and Pat Roberts got him for me at a Keeneland sale. I’ve been an owner for four or five years, all with Bobby Frankel, who’s been just fantastic to work with.”
Twenty-six years after Moss won his first hundred-grander with Frankel, the owner and his wife, Ann, would win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic with the John Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta in a moment considered one of the greatest in the storied history of the Great Race Place.
Frankel, as many have stated, had this gruff exterior. But I admired and respected him for many reasons. Look at the how long his assistants and grooms worked for him. Loyalty like that is rarely seen.
I admired Frankel because he was smart and never failed to tell you what he honestly thought. He was, to be sure, a straight shooter. And when he told you it was “this way” or “that way,” I noticed that, in time, he usually would be proved to be correct.
For instance, at the 2006 Breeders’ Cup press party, I thoroughly enjoyed the half hour or so I spent talking with Frankel. Attending a party really was not exactly his favorite thing to do. I could sense that he was happy to spend quite a bit time talking with me because, I surmised, at least he knew me. I was happy to take full advantage of the situation and talk with him for as long as he wanted.
One of the topics of our conversation was Rafael Bejarano. Frankel insisted that if Bejarano would come to Southern California, he would be a big success.
It wasn’t until about a year later that Bejarano did relocate to Southern California. Since joining the Southern California colony, Bejarano has won titles at two Santa Anita winter-spring meets, two Hollywood Park meets, two Oak Tree meets and a Del Mar meet.
In terms of what he had predicted for Bejarano, Bobby Frankel was right, as usual.
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