Remembering Bobby Frankel on his 72nd Birthday

In 1986, I was a naïve, horse-crazy 18-year-old living in Manhattan focused on a Wall Street career.  I spent Monday through Friday at Eisenberg & Sons learning to trade options and understand things like arbitrage. The weekends were reserved for my true loves – Aqueduct, Belmont, and the Meadowlands, the trio enveloped my every upright moment. On Saturday and Sunday, I traded stock charts for RagozinSheets.

This was also the year I put together my first racing partnership. The horse, a stunning gray son of Graustark, the trainer Bobby Frankel.

Jerry Castle, father of my dear friend Willy, recommended Bobby. Mr. Castle, was a leading owner in the 1970s with the notorious Buddy Jacobson, and later Jose Martin.  Willy, now goes by William. He is the agent for jockey David Cohen. Bobby Frankel had apprenticed with Jacobsen [father of David Jacobson].  Castle knew Frankel well.

Sounded good to me, but, seriously -- how is a California-based trainer going to train horses in New York?  Why Anthony Dutrow of course! Young Tony, brother to another notorious racing figure [Richard Dutrow], earned Frankel’s confidence and headed-up the New York division. My beautiful grey boy was front and center in the Frankel shedrow at Belmont Park [in my mind J]. Really, the star of the time was Garthorn, aka “the Believe It colt”.

In May [1986], Garthorn was prepping for the prestigious Met Mile at Belmont. Bobby was en route from California with owners Jerry and Ann Moss.  I was so excited at the thought of meeting Bobby Frankel in person. 

Tony introduced me to Bobby. Bobby was gracious and reserved, later I learned what a good mood he was in – lucky for me! I tracked Bobby to learn as much as I could during his weekend on the east coast. 

It was an unforgettable experience….

Garthorn won the Met Mile. Bobby, Jerry, and Ann invited me to join them in the NYRA Trustee’s room to celebrate with champagne and delectable hors d’ouevres . I didn’t know such a room existed at NYRA – wow, it was an eye opener. The celebration continued into Manhattan…limos, penthouses, fine-dining and drinks…until the wee hours of the morning.

Bobby was a perfect gentleman.  Although, it didn’t surprise me to learn years later, he was quite the ladies man. He was endearing and charming; he spent most of his time speaking about his daughter Bethenny.

Ann was so sweet and so gorgeous, I believe she was a model before becoming Mrs. Moss. And Jerry, I learned was the 'M' of A & M Records. Amazingly, we had a friend in common, New York music man Morris Levy. Zenyatta couldn’t have happened to nicer people.

It is funny how certain conversations rattle about in the mind for decades. Truly, it is like yesterday I remember Bobby sitting at the dinner table bragging on his daughter. She was 15 at the time. We were three years apart. It wasn't the age though, it was the name.  Bethany Blaisdell was one of my very best friends in grade school, she was the only Bethany I knew.

When I first saw Bethenny Frankel, I saw Bobby; her beautiful smile and kind eyes are a gift from her father.

Today [09.July.2013] is Bobby Frankel's 72nd Birthday. Though he is not here physically, I will raise toast tonight and remember the good time he showed me in the Big Apple. 

In 2004, I officially interviewed Bobby for Unbridled TV. He candidly spoke about his rise to success, love of horses, and how he'd like to be remembered.

I hope this post gives you pause to take a moment today to recall a win, a memory, good times, and happy trails with Bobby Frankel -- he was a good man, and he left us too soon.... Susan.

Buy for the next 5 days, get 100% Depreciation, Race for the Richest purses in the country with hardly any competition...in a New York minute....

In New York $39,000,000 is up for grabs:

•  600-plus restricted New York-bred races with $35-plus million in NY-Bred purses
• Over 40 stakes races with total purses exceeding $4 million scheduled annually

According to the Jockey Club, ONLY 4,287 foals were born and registered in NY over the past 3 years:

• 2008: 1,741 Registered (4YOs of 2012, 5YOs 2013, 6YOs 2014, and so on)

• 2009: 1,638 Registered (3YOs of 2012, 4YOs 2013, 5YOs 2014, 6YOs 2015, and so on)

• 2010:   908 LF Report (2YOs of 2012, 3YOs 2013, 4YOs 2014, 5YOs 2015, 6YOs 2016, and so on)

 

ONLY these horses are eligible to race in company restricted exclusively for NY-Breds.

 

According to Jockey Club statistics only about 2/3rd of live foals reported actually start in a race.  So, about 3,000 thoroughbreds will be competing annually for $39,000,000 in purses designated for NY-Breds.

 

Translated: THE SMALLEST CROPS IN THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK BREEDING WILL RACE FOR THE RICHEST PURSES IN THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK RACING.

 

THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN IS NOW. All the buzz and reality of increased purses already has resulted in horses shipping into NY from all over the country. I do not believe that we will ever again see such small crops in New York as 2008-2011.

 

Why New York-Breds Now?

 

VLTs at Aqueduct generate a $40-million increase in prize money distributed at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga.  Here is an example of the effect of VLTs on NY-purse money:

 

New York-bred races:

 Maiden Special Weight - $55,000 for routes, $50,000 for sprints, up from $39,000 and $38,000

 Allowance N1X - $57,000 for routes, $52,000 for sprints, up from $41,000 and $40,000

 Allowance N2X - $59,000 for routes, $54,000 for sprints, up from $43,000 and $42,000

 

Open Company races: NY-Breds earn an 20% extra prize bonus winning in open company!

 Maiden Special Weight - $65,000 for routes, $60,000 for sprints, up from $43,000 and $42,000

 Allowance N1X - $67,000 for routes, $62,000 for sprints, up from $45,000 and $44,000

 Allowance N2X - $69,000 for routes, $64,000 for sprints, up from $47,000 and $46,000

 Overnight Stakes - $80,000 for routes, $75,000 for sprints, up from $60,000

 Claiming $10k - $31,000 for routes, $30,000 for sprints, up from $21,000 and $20,000

NY-BRED RESTRICTED RACES: In NY there are 600-plus restricted New York-bred races with $35-plus million in NY-Bred purses. Unlike "open company" races which allow horses from anywhere in the world to compete for the purse, "restricted races", like their very name, are restricted to a specific group of uniquely qualified horses -- and the level and number os competitors is substantially smaller. This is the real NY-Bred advantage, more money, less competition -- and that's before we even get to stakes races and open company bonuses!

Another plus for NY-Breds is that all restricted wins, including those in NY-Bred races, DO NOT count against open company Allowance conditions. This means a NY-Bred can win the NY-Bred Maiden Special Weight, the NY-Bred N1X, and the NY-Bred N2X and then still be eligible for the open company N1X, etc. Non-NY-Breds do not have this loophole and must move into the open company N1X immediately after its maiden win. A NY-Bred that has the ability to get through the NY-Bred N2X should have earned in excess of $100,000 BEFORE running in open company N1X. This is a WIN-WIN-WIN when it comes to racing NY-Breds in New York.

 

NY-Bred Stakes Races: NYRA and Finger Lakes (4 tracks throughout the State) present 40 stakes race with total purses exceeding $4 million. Races are offered for different age groups, on dirt and turf, from 6 furlongs to a mile and an eighth.

 

Every October, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders and Belmont Park conduct New York Showcase Day -- a card of stakes races exclusively for registered NY-Breds designed to showcase NY’s best state-bred runners. In 2011, over $900,000 was paid out in seven races for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds and up run from 6 furlongs to 1 1/8 mile on both dirt and turf. It culminates with the $200,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 mile. Read about in Forbes!

 

Sales Prices for NY-Breds up, up, and away...

OBS August – All horses +15% - New York-breds +40%

Keeneland September - All horses +18% - New York-breds +3%

Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall - All horses +16% - New York-breds +37%

Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall - All horses +76% - New York-breds +62%

You don't have to be a math whiz to see the awesome opportunity NY-Breds born in 2009, 2010, and 2011 have to win the most money of any NY-Breds past.

 

Investors who have substantial income that they want to shelter, and who want to invest in the horse business with the intention of making a profit can take 100% depreciation if the buy their horses in the next 5 days ...read more (Equine Law Journal).

 

 

Unbridled Racing is pleased to offer a NY RACING TEAM of 15 sound, solid thoroughbreds for outright sale as a business opportunity:

• 7 yearlings (2010)
• 4 Two-year-olds (2009)
• 1 Three-year-old (2008)
• 1 Four-year-old (2007) 2x winner.
• 2 Stakes-producing mares.

 

 

All are proven race families, stakes pedigrees, sired by top stallions including BIG BROWN, all will pass vet inspection.

 

Ready to live your dream and dominate the Sport of Kings? Email and get a NY-Bred today!

 

Belmont puts Mott back on top in June -- That's Life in the world of thoroughbred racing

Bill Mott revealed the long and arduous process of winning his first Triple Crown race in a recent NYRA Live Chat, "The preparation that goes into a win starts six months or a year before the horse actually runs and wins. The preparation is a gradual. It takes a long time to get them up to the level of winning a race like the Belmont Stakes." Click here to read the full transcript on NYRA site.

While filming the first few seasons of Unbridled I galloped horses at Saratoga for Bill Mott. Of all the horsemen I have worked for he was by far the most particular about how his horse's were ridden -- the stride, the rhythm, the timing, the cadence. His perception from the ground as to what a rider feels atop a horse is exquisitely accurate. I learned more from Bill in the handful of tutorials he gave me on galloping than in many previous years going round-and-round the historic oval on Union Avenue. 

In my unbridledTV interview with Bill Mott he shared his goal to win Triple Crown races. For a deeper look inside the Mott Racing Stable and the guiding philosophy to this trainer's success -- click here to watch Bill Mott on YouTube.

Congratulations to WinStar and all of the Drosselmeyer connections.