One
of horse racing’s
premier trainers, breeders, and owners, Hirsch Jacobs
saddled 3,569 winners in his lifetime,
more than anyone in the history
of thoroughbred racing.
He was known as the “voodoo
veterinarian,” having been incredibly
successful at turning confirmed losers into winners for
nearly 50 years. Unlike
other great trainers, Jacobs bred
and trained horses he owned, with his
career-long partner, since 1931, Isidor “Beebee” Bieber.
His finest year was 1936, when he saddled 177 winners.
Some of the horses Jacobs brought
into prominence are Action, Paper
Tiger, Hail To Reason, Affectionately,
Palestinian, Straight Deal, Regal
Gleam, and Stymie, a horse he bought
for a $1,500 claiming price. Stymie
raced 131 times and won $918,485 by
the time he retired in 1949—that era’s
all-time money winner.
Horses Jacobs trained earned more
than $12,000,000 in purses. He was the
top money-winning trainer in the United
States in 1946 and 1960—one of only
17 trainers to hold the annual top position
more than once. Jacobs led the
United States in total number of yearly
winners 11 times from 1933 to 1944, except
1940, when he finished second.
Jacobs was elected to the National
Horse Racing Hall of Fame as a trainer
in 1958.
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