(Tuesday, November 17) Hall of fame trainer Robert Frankel succumbed to leukemia Monday morning at his home in Pacific Palisades, Ca, ending a year long battle.

One of the most successful and outspoken trainers of his generation, Frankel battled his disease privately, many not knowing the extent of his illness until Jay Privman announced on ESPN that he was battling leukemia and was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he had been receiving treatment since early in the year.

His longtime assistant Humberto Ascanio has been running his stable, which was reduced in recent months, but still included Ventura, who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 6.

Frankel was nearly unstoppable between 2000 and 2003, winning the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer in each of those years and setting a record in 2003 with an incredible 25 Grade 1 victories.

His horses earned a record $19,143,289, breaking the previous mark set by fellow hall of fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who held the record at $17,748,340.

In 2007 he joined Lukas as just the second trainer ever to amass $200 million in purse earnings.

In his four decades as a trainer, he conditioned ten Eclipse Award winners: Ginger Punch, Aldebaran, Wandesta, Squirttle Squirt, Ryafan, Possibly Perfect, Leroidesanimaux, Intercontinental, Bertrando, and Ghostzapper.

For horseplayers, there was probably no trainer that was feared more in a graded stake. That is, if you were trying to beat him, which often seemed impossible.

For about a decade between 1993 and 2003, it seemed easier to just back his runners despite short prices, as his stock rarely ran poorly in big races, except in the Breeders' Cup

In 2003 when he won 25 Grade 1 races, there did not seem to be much of a need to handicap. Just scroll down the past performances, look for the Frankel runner, and head to the betting window.

He won the Pacific Classic six times including four times in a row between 1992-95 with Missionary Ridge, Bertrando, and Tinners Way (twice).

One chink in his armor up until 2001 was his 0 for 38 record in the Breeders' Cup. He had six live runners in the 2001 Breeders' Cup, and came away with his first win with Squirttle Squirt in the Sprint.

He went on to win five more Breeders' Cup races, with Starine (2002 Filly & Mare Turf), Ghostzapper (2004 Classic), Intercontinental (2005 Filly & Mare Turf), Ginger Punch (2007 Distaff), and Ventura (2008 Filly & Mare Sprint).

Frankel was very popular among horseplayers, probably because he was one himself.

He started as a hotwalker and groom in the mornings and a bettor in the afternoon in the early 60's. He took out his trainer's license in 1966, and his first winner was named Double Dash, who hit the winners circle at Aqueduct.

He moved to Southern California in 1972, but kept a string of horses most of the year in New York. He went from training claimers to training for some of the biggest names in the sport, including Juddmonte Farm, Edward Gann, Bert Firestone, Stavros Niarchos, and Frank Stronach.

Frankel's Empire Maker won the 2003 Belmont Stakes, ending Funny Cide's hope for Triple Crown glory.

The only blanks on Frankel's resume are the lack of a win in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

He trained Grade 1 winner Toussaud, who went on to drop four Grade 1 winners herself, and they were all trained by Frankel: Empire Maker, Honest Lady, Chester House, and Chiselling.

His 3,654 wins rank him 14th all time. His career earnings were $227,947,775, second only to Lukas.

While Frankel did not get a win in this year's Breeders' Cup with Ventura, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, wife of trainer John Shirreffs and Frankel's medical power of attorney told Bloodhorse "He fought such a tough fight right to the end. The last race he watched was Zenyatta's Breeders' Cup Classic."

Juddmonte summed up the life of Frankel perfectly in their statement on Monday:

"We at Juddmonte today mourn the loss of our friend and great trainer, Bobby Frankel.

The term Great may be used loosely in modern society but his record and accomplishments are humbling to even the most highly esteemed leaders of our sport. To use a racetrack phrase, Bobby went to the front and was never headed.

He could never ever have been termed a follower but good people followed him and we were privileged to be in their midst. We will retain great memories of him, of great horses he trained for us and of great races he won for us.

And we will always remember him for what he was: A Great Trainer."