Sports

Famed Racing Trainer Allen Jerkens Dead

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published March 19, 2015 at 4:38 PM EDT

Thoroughbred racing loses a legend.

Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens, died Wednesday in a south Florida hospital due to complications from an infection. He was 85.

New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association President Rick Violette Jr. said Jerkens, nicknamed “The Chief,” was "larger than life" and called it "a sad day for racing" -

In 1975, Jerkens was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He was the leading trainer on the New York Racing Association circuit four times from 1957 to 1969.

Tags

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

See stories by Dave Lucas