Owner profile: Frank Fletcher

Frank Fletcher (Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc.)

Residence: North Little Rock, Arkansas

• Frank Fletcher is an active owner and breeder, who annually enters horses at top tracks such as Oaklawn, Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Gulfstream Park. He has had several starters in the Arkansas Derby, including Son of Rocket, who was third in 2001. In 2011, he had his first Breeders’ Cup starter with stakes winner Rocket Twentyone, who finished unplaced in the Juvenile Fillies (G1).

• Rocket Twentyone is the dam of Frank’s Rockette, who has been Fletcher’s top runner to date with $1,301,533 in earnings through March 11 when she won her second straight Grade 3 stakes in the Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park. The winner of Oaklawn’s 2021 American Beauty Stakes is looking to extend her win streak April 29 in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.

• Fletcher enjoyed his best year yet as an owner in 2022 with stable earnings of $836,126. He is well on his way to surpassing that total in 2023 with $533,350 through April 28. In addition to Frank’s Rockette, he has won Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes with Victory Formation (owned in partnership), Gulfstream Park’s Holy Bull Stakes (G3) with Rocket Can and the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes with Candy Man Rocket so far this year.

• Rocket Can, who has also been second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream and fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1), is on target to become Fletcher’s first Kentucky Derby (G1) starter.

• Other top horses include Grade 3 winner Officer Rocket, Grade 3-placed runner Rocket Time, who earned nearly $500,000 and listed stakes winner Wolf Man Rocket, who won Oaklawn’s Northern Spur Stakes.

• Fletcher names most of his horses after his beloved dog Rocket. Today, he is represented by Rocket Can in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1). The 3-year-old colt won Gulfstream Park’s Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and was must recently second in that track’s Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

• Currently has horses in training with Hall of Fame trainers Bill Mott, Bob Baffert and Lukas as well as Mott’s son Riley, and Brad Cox. His racing manager is Kathy Moore Howard, a former jockey and racing official.

• A prominent businessman, his businesses include: Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, Benihana’s Japanese Steakhouse, Riverfront Steakhouse, Rocket Twentyone Restaurant, The Fletcher Realty Company, Fletcher Furs and several car dealerships including Dodge Chrysler Jeep in four cities, Honda in two cities, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Ford, Kia in two cities, Nissan, Toyota and the newest store in Panama City, Florida. Now, Fletcher Companies ranks in the top 100 Car Dealers in USA.

• Fletcher has been honored many times for his civic and charitable work. Those honors include the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Achievement Award for 2000, American Red Cross awards, the Pulaski County Humane Society Citizen of Hope Award and many others. In 2013, he was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.