Robert J. Frankel

Robert Julian Frankel (July 9, 1941 – November 16, 2009) was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer whom ESPN called "one of the most successful and respected trainers in the history of thoroughbred racing." He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1995, and was a five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer. Often referred to as "Bobby" by others, he preferred and always used "Robert." Frankel set the single-season world record for most Grade/Group I victories in 2003 with 25 Grade I wins, a record he still holds.

Early life and education

Frankel was born July 9, 1941 to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the son of Merrill and Gertrude Frankel. His parents were in the catering business. His interest in horses was piqued when his parents took him to Belmont Park while a child. After high school, he enrolled at C.W. Post College on Long Island but soon quit after getting into a fight. Thereafter, he worked construction by day and gambled at the tracks by night eventually volunteering as a hot walker so he could get a free pass to the evening races.