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John Franks, a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award as North America’s most outstanding thoroughbred owner, is dead at 78.
Franks died Wednesday night in a Shreveport, La., hospital. Details of his illness were not released.
Franks won the Eclipse Award in 1983, ’84, ’93 and ’94.
In 1998 Franks won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Answer Lively, the Eclipse winner as the year’s champion 2-year-old male. His other Grade 1 winners included Kissin Kris, Halo America, Derby Wish and multiple graded-stakes winner Littlebitlively.
Franks owned breeding farms in Louisiana and Florida, and his green and orange silks were familiar to racing fans across the country.
