Bethenny Frankel's Dad Dies at 68

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Nov 16th 2009 05:00PM

Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel has died after a long bout with cancer at age 68 and is survived by his daughter Bethenny Frankel, who stars on Bravo's 'Real Housewives of New York City.' Frankel died early Monday at home in Pacific Palisades. Frankel had been running his stable by phone for most of the year while he was undergoing treatment.

The reality star's famous horse-trainer father was out of the picture by the time she was four (via Harper's Bazaar).

Frankel began his training career by turning lowly claiming horses into stakes winners, and wound up with earnings of more than $200 million. "He started at the bottom and worked his way to the top of our profession," said Anderson, who booked riders on horses trained by Frankel over the years.

"He was a very kindhearted person that had people that worked for him for 20, 30 years, which is almost unheard of around the racetrack."

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Bethenny Frankel Snapshots

Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy attend the S. Kuhlman collection launch in late October. Dozens of Bethenny Pics >>>

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Bethenny Frankel Snapshots

Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy attend the S. Kuhlman collection launch at the S. Kuhlman Boutique on October 29, 2009 in New York City. S. Kuhlman Collection Launch S. Kuhlman Boutique New York, NY United States October 29, 2009 Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage.com To license this image (58777295), contact WireImage.com

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Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy attends the S. Kuhlman collection launch at the S. Kuhlman Boutique on October 29, 2009 in New York City. S. Kuhlman Collection Launch S. Kuhlman Boutique New York, NY United States October 29, 2009 Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage.com To license this image (58777292), contact WireImage.com

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Bethenny Frankel attends the S. Kuhlman collection launch at the S. Kuhlman Boutique on October 29, 2009 in New York City. S. Kuhlman Collection Launch S. Kuhlman Boutique New York, NY United States October 29, 2009 Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage.com To license this image (58777283), contact WireImage.com

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Natural foods chef and television personality Bethenny Frankel attends the S. Kuhlman Collection Launch at the S. Kuhlman Boutique on October 29, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bethenny Frankel

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Natural Foods Chef and TV personality Bethenny Frankel attends the launch of Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats at South Street Seaport on October 7, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bethenny Frankel

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Natural Foods Chef and TV personality Bethenny Frankel (L) and TV personality Alex McCord (R) attend the launch of Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats at South Street Seaport on October 7, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bethenny Frankel;Alex McCord

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"Real Housewives of New York" chef Bethenny Frankel celebrates the launch of Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats at the South Street Seaport on October 7, 2009 in New York City. Bethenny Frankel Celebrates The Launch Of Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats South Street Seaport New York, NY United States October 7, 2009 Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic.com To license this image (58581466), contact FilmMagic.com

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Frankel enjoyed his greatest success this decade, winning four consecutive Eclipse Awards as the nation's leading trainer from 2000-2003, and five overall. He oversaw a nationwide string of horses, with Khalid Abdullah-owned Juddmonte Farms as one of his major clients. Frankel won his only Triple Crown race with Empire Maker in the Belmont, dashing the Triple Crown bid of Funny Cide, who had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

The Brooklyn-born Frankel split his time between New York and California, where he first moved in 1972. He won a record 60 races at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on his way to the first of 30 training titles in Southern California, including a record six at Santa Anita.

He began his career cooling out horses after their workouts at Belmont Park and Aqueduct, and took out his trainer's license in 1966. He won his first race with Double Dash at Aqueduct that November.

He was the career leader in victories among trainers at Hollywood Park with 952 and at Santa Anita with 270.

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