Hirsch Jacobs (April 8, 1904 – February 13, 1970) was an Americanthoroughbredhorse trainer and owner.
Jacobs grew up inEast New York,Brooklyn inNew York City. As a child he raisedpigeons on the roof of histenement building where he lived and raced them. He completed his formal schooling in elementary school at the age of 13;[1] everything he knew about animal behavior and veterinary medicine was self-taught. An older friend, Charlie Ferraro, the brother of his boss, introduced Jacobs to horse racing when he took him toJamaica Racetrack inQueens.[2] Ferraro bought a horse for $1500 and asked Jacobs to train it.[1]
As a youth Jacobs worked as asteamfitter's assistant, but he quit to become a "jack-of-all-trades" at the race track. On December 29, 1926 Jacobs had his first official winner, Reveillon, atPompano, Florida. In 1927 he became atrainer with Isidor Bieber (known by nicknames "Izzy" and "Kid Beebee), who became his lifelong partner. A well-known gambler, Bieber was the inspiration forDamon Runyon's "Guys and Dolls."[2] Bieber put up the money and Jacobs trained the horses.
Jacobs was theleading race-winning trainer in the United States from 1933-39 and from 1941–44, and theleading money-winning trainer in the U.S. in 1946, 1960 and 1965. He was the leading money-winning breeder in the U.S. from 1964-67. During his career, he saddled 3,569 winners, more than any other until the time of his death.[1]
In 1958, Hirsch Jacobs was inducted into theNational Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Stymie was Jacobs biggest success. The horse was from the largeKing Ranch inTexas and was well-bred, but he was not winning until Jacobs bought him. In 1943 Jacobs purchased Stymie for $1,500 in a claiming race.[1] By the end of Stymie's 7-year-long racing career which covered over 140 miles of racing, he had a lifetime earnings of $918,485, which was more than any other horse had earned until that time.[2] Those earnings helped Jacobs and Bieber establish a breeding farm in Maryland, Stymie Manor.[1]
Hirsch Jacobs and his wifeEthel owned a number of horses which were raced under her name. In 1970, the Jacobs family won two of theU.S. Triple Crown races, capturing thePreakness andBelmont Stakes. They won the Preakness withPersonality, who earnedAmerican Horse of the Year honors, and the Belmont withHigh Echelon. Both horses were owned by Ethel Jacobs and trained by their son,John. Their daughter,Patrice, became involved in the sport. She marriedLouis Wolfson and theirHarbor View Farm owned and bred the 1978American Triple Crown champion,Affirmed.
Hirsch Jacobs had a daughter, Patrice, and two sons, John and Tom. He had five brothers, Harry, Irving, Albert, Sidney, and Eugene, and four sisters, Mrs. Irene Robbins, Miss Helen Jacobs, Mrs. Florence Jacobson and Mrs. Lillian Gold. His brothersSidney andEugene both became trainers.[3]
Hirsch Jacobs died in 1970 inMiami Beach, Florida of acerebral hemorrhage. He was buried atGate of Heaven Cemetery inValhalla, New York.[1] He married Ethel Dushock in 1933.[1] He had lived with his wife inForest Hills, Queens.[4]
