Jerry Hollendorfer strikes his 6000th win at the Golden Gate with Just Tappin It
Jerry Hollendorfer turned to become the fourth trainer in thoroughbred racing history to reach 6,000 wins when his trainee, Just Tappin It, crossed the finish line by 3 ¼ lengths in the sixth race this Saturday at the Golden Gate Fields.
Born in Akron, Ohio, he is now 65 years old and became a member of the National Racing Museum’s Hall of Fame on 12th August, 2011, in Saratoga Springs, New York.
He is the fourth trainer in the thoroughbred racing history to have reached 6,000th win.
Besides the fourth ranking, he ranks eighth on the all time earnings list for trainers. His horses have been reported to have earned $122,369,199 in purses through June 29th, 2011. He won his first Breeders’ Cup victory on 6th November
at Churchill Downs winning the $1 million Dirt Mile with Dakota Phone.
His career revolves around various of his trained horses; namely Life Light, Pike Place Dancer, Chocolate Candy, Bwana Bull, Cause to Believe, Eye of the Tiger and others too. Yet some of the most prestigious titles in his career were brought to him by
Blind Luck.
She has won Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes, Grade 2 Fantasy, Grade 2 Delaware Oaks and then the Eclipse award as champion three year old filly. In 2011 she again took away the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park
which was another Grade 1 stakes.
In 1996 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields marked the first time a filly had won the race since Miz Clementine defeated the colts in the 1954 California Derby.
Jerry Hollendorfer won the 5,000th race of his career on 22 December, 2007 represented by his four year old gelding Political high who won the 11th race at the Hollywood Park.
From 1986 till May 2008, he was able to win the training championship at every major Bay Area meeting, enlisting 37 straight titles at Bay Meadows and 32 consecutive crowns at Golden Gate Fields.
Most recently he was awarded the training crown at the 2010-2009 winter/spring meeting, making his career championships at Golden Gate Fields reach 38. He has also set records in his runners’ earnings, stable earnings, national victories and barn earnings.
He is also known for winning a career high 308 races in 2004 when he finished third in the nation in races won. Even in 2001 he ranked third in the nation victories with 263 wins and then again in 2005 with 281 wins.
Dale Baird, who passed away in 2007, is the all time leader with 9,445 winners followed by Jack Van Berg who has 6,406 wins and is being chased by King T. Leatherbury with 6, 324 wins to date.
This time Jerry had eight chances in total to get to his 6,000; three at Golden Gate and five at Del Mar.
In the end it was the Golden Gate that went in his favour.
He has said:
“I’d like to keep going as long as I can, I don’t know if I can make 7,000, but I’d like to keep going as long as I’m healthy. We’re very lucky and very fortunate”.
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