Southern Florida-based trainer and longtime horseman James Bracken died unexpectedly on April 19. He was 90.

A native of Charleston, Missouri, Bracken began his career galloping horses at age 18 at Jefferson Park in New Orleans. After a brief career as a jockey, he worked as an outrider, assistant starter, and jockey agent. As a jockey agent, some of his clients included Johnny Adams, Bill Hartack, Bill Shoemaker, Walter Blum, and Jacinto Vasquez.
 
He began training Thoroughbreds in 1976 and moved South Florida, where he had strings at Calder Race Course, Gulfstream Park, and Hialeah Park. He trained many horses for Tartan Stable, including homebred ‘90 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Primal.

Primal also won the 1988 Fairmount Derby (G3) and nine other stakes races. The Maudlin gelding won 17 of 45 career starts and earned $1,209,530 in five seasons.

Other horses trained by Bracken include Grade 3 winners Early Lunch and Cut the Charm, Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Ponche, and multiple stakes winners Billie Osage and Cottage Flower. 
 
Among the top all-time trainers at Calder, Bracken led the standings four times: the 1984 and ‘85 Calder meets and 1984-’85 and ’89-’90 Tropical meets. He ranks fifth all time at Calder with 793 victories. His 231 wins at the Tropical meet place him eighth on the list of leading trainers by wins. Bracken was inducted into the Calder Hall of Fame in 2000.

Services for Bracken will be held April 24 at Boyd Funeral Home, 1600 North University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida, 33024. Viewing and visitations will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. EDT with a memorial to begin at 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Florida Farm Division. More information on the organization is available at www.trfinc.org or by calling Florida Thoroughbred Charities at (352) 629-2160.