Bobby Frankel to be honored by Santa Anita

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (Sports Network) - The late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel will be remembered with the renaming of a stakes race at Santa Anita Park.

The track has announced that the $150,000 San Gorgonio Handicap is to be renamed the Robert J. Frankel Memorial Handicap. The 1 1/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares will be run on Saturday, January 1.

Frankel, who died in November, 2009 from cancer, was an eight-time winner of the San Gorgonio Handicap. The five-time Eclipse Award winning trainer sent out the winner of the stakes in 1973, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007.

The Brooklyn-native holds the record for most career wins at Santa Anita, 917, and captured 146 stakes at the track. He was the track's top trainer during five meets, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1980-81 and 1981-82.