Sigmund Sommer (June 19, 1916 – April 30, 1979) was an American real estate developer, building contractor, and Thoroughbred racehorse owner. Based in Brooklyn, New York City, he built and owned apartment houses, high-rise buildings, shopping centers, and other commercial and residential properties in the New York metropolitan area.[1][2] Litigation after his death later brought attention to the size of his estate, which The New York Times reported had been valued at almost $1 billion.[2]
Sigmund Sommer | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1916 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 30, 1979 (aged 62) Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations | Real estate developer, building contractor, racehorse owner |
| Known for | Owner of Sham, Autobiography, Hitchcock, Paraje, Never Bow, Prince Dantan, Rube the Great, Accipiter, and Big Shot II |
| Spouse | Viola Landsberg Sommer |
| Children | 3 |
Sommer was one of the leading American racehorse owners of the early 1970s. Racing mainly with trainer Frank "Pancho" Martin, he led American owners by purse earnings in 1971 and 1972, with $1,523,508 in 1971 and $1,605,896 in 1972.[3] His best-known horse was Sham, winner of the Santa Catalina Stakes and Santa Anita Derby and runner-up to Secretariat in the 1973 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.[4][5] His other major horses included Autobiography, the 1972 American Champion Older Male Horse, Hitchcock, Never Bow, Paraje, Big Shot II, Prince Dantan, Rube the Great, Accipiter, Chauffeur, Northerly, and Proud Arion.[3][6][7]
Early life and real estate career
editSommer was born in Brooklyn on June 19, 1916.[1] His family had been involved in real estate since 1885.[8] During the 1930s and 1940s, he constructed small apartment buildings in Brooklyn and single-family houses in northern New Jersey.[2] His business later expanded to high-rise apartment buildings, commercial properties, shopping centers, and other residential holdings in and around New York City.[1][2]
Among his holdings was 45 East 66th Street, a luxury apartment building in Manhattan.[1] By the 1970s, Sommer was described as a real estate dealer and owner of high-rise apartment houses as well as a racehorse owner.[1]
Marriage and family
editSommer married Viola Landsberg, who was born in New York City on September 19, 1921.[9] They had three children: Jack Sommer, Susan Sommer Schweitzman, and Barbara Sommer Fisher.[1][9]
Viola Sommer continued the racing stable after her husband's death. She later won the 1982 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner.[10][9]
Thoroughbred racing
editSommer entered Thoroughbred racing in the 1960s and, with Viola Sommer, developed one of the leading American stables of the early 1970s.[9] Their horses raced in green and gold colors.[11] By the early 1970s, the stable had about forty horses in training.[11] Sommer led American owners by purse earnings in 1971 and 1972.[3]
Sommer's racing operation was closely associated with trainer Frank "Pancho" Martin. Martin trained many of the stable's major horses, including Sham, Autobiography, Hitchcock, Never Bow, Paraje, Prince Dantan, Rube the Great, and Accipiter.[3][6] Martin first led the New York trainer standings in 1971 and then led the New York Racing Association circuit for ten consecutive years from 1973 through 1982.[6]
Sommer often bought proven or nearly proven horses rather than relying only on homebreds or yearling purchases. The New Yorker described Never Bow as one of Sommer's "ready-made horses" after he bought the gelding privately from Jack Dreyfus Jr. shortly before the Westchester Handicap.[12] Other important horses obtained through purchase included Autobiography, Sham, and Prince Dantan.[7][4][13]
Early major horses
editHitchcock, a German-bred horse purchased by Martin for Sigmund and Viola Sommer in 1970, won the 1970 Display Handicap, the 1970 and 1971 Gallant Fox Handicaps, and the 1972 Suburban Handicap.[6] His Display Handicap victory began a successful run for the stable in that race. Sommer-owned horses won the Display five times: Hitchcock in 1970, Paraje in 1971, 1972, and 1973, and Proud Arion in 1978.[14][15]
Never Bow became another important horse for Sommer in 1971. Purchased shortly before the Westchester Handicap, he won that race for Sommer and Martin after racing close to the pace and taking command late.[12] He then won the 1971 Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack, surviving a foul claim after a stretch drive against Twice Worthy and Protanto.[16]
On December 11, 1971, Martin saddled five winners on one afternoon at Aqueduct, all owned by Sommer. The winners were Kubalai, Izadore, Prince Color, Trying Times, and Canning. The New Yorker reported that it was the first time a trainer had won five races on a single New York racing card.[17]
Autobiography became Sommer's first champion. Bred and first raced by Ogden Phipps, he was sold to Sommer early in his three-year-old season for a reported price between $40,000 and $50,000.[7] Under Martin, Autobiography developed into one of the leading handicap horses in the United States. He won the 1971 Discovery Handicap, then in 1972 won the San Fernando Stakes in a dead heat with Triple Bend, the Excelsior Handicap, the Westchester Handicap, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.[7] His 15-length victory in the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup helped secure him the 1972 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse.[7] He died in February 1973 after breaking down in the San Luis Obispo Handicap at Santa Anita Park.[7]
Sham and the 1973 Triple Crown season
editSommer's best-known horse was Sham, a dark bay colt bred by Claiborne Farm. After the death of Claiborne's A. B. "Bull" Hancock Jr., Sham was sold as part of the dispersal of Hancock's racing stock. Sigmund and Viola Sommer bought him for $200,000, the second-highest price of the dispersal.[4] Sham had been trained at two by Woody Stephens and was transferred to Martin for his three-year-old season.[4]
Sham became one of the leading three-year-olds in California. He won the Santa Catalina Stakes, then defeated Linda's Chief and Out of the East in the 1973 Santa Anita Derby, equaling the stakes record of 1:47 for 11⁄8 miles.[4][18] He then shipped east for the Wood Memorial Stakes, where he finished second by a head to Angle Light, with Secretariat third.[5][4]
In the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Sham was injured when he struck his mouth against the starting gate and broke two teeth, but still finished second to Secretariat.[4][5] Secretariat won in a Derby-record 1:592⁄5. Sham again finished second to Secretariat in the Preakness Stakes, beaten 21⁄2 lengths.[5][18]
In the Belmont Stakes, Sham raced close to Secretariat through fast early fractions before fading to fifth.[5] He did not race again. In July 1973, he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone.[18] Sommer and Martin initially hoped he might return after surgery and rest, but he was retired to stud at Spendthrift Farm after being syndicated for $3 million.[4][18]
Later stakes horses
editPrince Dantan gave Sommer one of his major wins after Sham's retirement. Bought from John W. Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm late in 1973, Prince Dantan was sent to California with Martin and improved for the Sommer stable.[13] In early 1974, he won the San Antonio Handicap and the Santa Anita Handicap, defeating Ancient Title and other older horses by 41⁄2 lengths under Ron Turcotte.[13][6]
Rube the Great, a son of Bold Lad, was one of Sommer's leading three-year-olds in 1974. He won the Gotham Stakes and a division of the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct before running in the Triple Crown series.[19][20][6] He later added a division of the Discovery Handicap.[6]
Accipiter, another Sommer-owned three-year-old of 1974, won the Withers Stakes and Saranac Stakes.[21] Other notable Sommer horses included Big Shot II, an Argentine-bred turf horse named by The Washington Post among his leading runners; Chauffeur, winner of the 1971 Tremont Stakes; Northerly, a son of Northern Dancer who set a track record at Pimlico; and Proud Arion, who gave the stable its fifth Display Handicap victory in 1978.[3][22][15]
Death and estate
editSommer died of a heart attack on April 30, 1979, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens.[1][3] He was 62. The New York Times reported that he had been at the track when he was stricken.[1] He was survived by his wife Viola and their three children.[1]
After Sommer's death, Viola Sommer continued the family's racing stable and later won the 1982 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner.[10] His estate became the subject of litigation among heirs and former lawyers. The New York Times reported in 1990 that the estate had been valued at almost $1 billion.[2]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Harvin, Al (May 1, 1979). "Sigmund Sommer, 62, Real Estate Dealer; Owner of High-Rise Apartments and Race Horses Stricken at Aqueduct Track". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Raab, Selwyn (January 20, 1990). "In a Blaze of Lawsuits and Appeals, Heirs Battle Judge and Ex-Lawyers". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Horseman Sommer Dies". The Washington Post. April 30, 1979. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hunter, Avalyn. "Sham". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Callahan, Tom (May 2, 1993). "Left in Shambles: Everyone Remembers Secretariat's Great 1973, but What About That Horse He Kept Beating?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Frank 'Pancho' Martin, Trainer of Sham, Dead at 86" (PDF). New York Racing Association. July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hunter, Avalyn. "Autobiography". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 13, 2000. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 3 4 "Paid Notice: Deaths Sommer, Viola Sommer". The New York Times. October 6, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "New York Racing Association - Aqueduct". New York Racing Association. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
- 1 2 Nack, William (2002). Secretariat: The Making of a Champion. Da Capo Press. p. 217. ISBN 9780306811333.
- 1 2 Ryall, G. F. T. (April 3, 1971). "Hats Off!". The New Yorker. p. 98. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Ryall, G. F. T. (March 18, 1974). "Out of the Money". The New Yorker. p. 110. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ Ryall, G. F. T. (December 17, 1973). "Three for Paraje". The New Yorker. p. 74. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Horse Profile for Proud Arion". Equibase. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ Ryall, G. F. T. (July 24, 1971). "Improver". The New Yorker. p. 48. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ Ryall, G. F. T. (December 18, 1971). "Quintuplets". The New Yorker. p. 63. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Mitchell, Eric (April 10, 2026). "Overshadowed Greatness: Sham Was a Star in His Own Right". America's Best Racing. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Those Three-Year-Olds!". The New Yorker. April 8, 1974. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Wood Memorial". New York Racing Association. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "The Blood-Horse 1974: Vol. 100 Index". The Blood-Horse. 1974. Retrieved July 7, 2026 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Tremont Stakes". New York Racing Association. Retrieved July 7, 2026.