HALL of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens has died at the age of 85 in Aventura, Florida. He had been hospitalised for several weeks with an infection.

Though recent reports suggested that Jerkens’ condition had improved, his son, Jimmy Jerkens, confirmed that his father had sadly passed Wednesday afternoon.

Long a fixture on the New York circuit and a native of Long Island, Jerkens began training horses as a teenager, working with his father, Joseph, who ran a stable of show horses and occasionally trained thoroughbreds.

Jerkens took out his training licence in 1950 and got his first winner on July 4th that year at Aqueduct, a horse named Populace.

In the early 1960s, he began training for Jack Dreyfus’ Hobeau Farm, beating Kelso three times with Dreyfus’ Beau Purple, which established Jerkens as the “Giant Killer,” a nickname of which he was never particularly fond. In 1973, he beat Secretariat twice - with Onion in the Whitney at Saratoga, and with Prove Out in the Woodward at Belmont.

Known for beating favourites with longshots, Jerkens often quipped: “If I knew where to place my horses, Secretariat would have retired with two more wins.”

Dominant in New York, Jerkens led all trainers in New York four times. In 2010 the New York Racing Association named its Saratoga training title for him.

OUTSTANDING TRAINER

In 1973, he earned an Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer. The New York Turf Writers’ Association named him outstanding trainer in five different years. In 2001, the National Turf Writers’ Association honoured him with the Mr. Fitz Award, named for legendary trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons and given to the person who “typifies the spirit of racing.”

Jerkens trained the top class Devil His Due, who won the Suburban (Grade 1) in 1993 and 1994, the Wood Memorial (Grade 1), and the Gotham (Grade 2); Classy Mirage, winner of the Ballerina (Grade 1).

However, Jerkens’ lone Hall of Fame horse is Sky Beauty, who was inducted in 2011. Owned by Georgia E. Hofman, Sky Beauty won the Eclipse Award for champion older female in 1994.

Jerkens trained her to victories in the Matron (Grade 1), and the Acorn (Grade 1). She also won the Triple Tiara in 1993, sweeping the Mother Goose, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama, all Grade 1 races.

Jerkins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975 at age 46, then the youngest trainer to be so honoured.