By Bill Finley
Trainer Howard Wolfendale, a top trainer in Maryland for decades, passed away on Thursday at age 69. He died from complications from a stroke he suffered the previous week.
His death was first reported by the Daily Racing Form.
“The best horseman I've ever known. We will all love and miss you forever,” his daughter Maggie, an analyst at the NYRA tracks, posted on X.
Born in Pittsburgh, Wolfendale started his career in 1977 and won his first race that year with a horse named Red Lace. Wolfendale was a steady, high-percentage trainer who had a knack for getting the best out of claimers. His peak year came in 2006 when he won 115 races and won with 31 percent of his starters.
In 1989, he was named outstanding trainer by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. He ranked in the top 100 in wins six times in an eight-year period from 2001-2008.
Wolfendale retired in 2020 with 1,525 career wins.
He worked closely with his wife Tammy who was an exercise rider and one of his key owners. Wolfendale is also survived by his brother, Ross, and granddaughters Grace and Willow.
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