Robert W. Camac (August 21, 1940 – December 6, 2001) was an American

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

and owner/breeder in

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

. He was murdered in 2001. Born in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, Bob Camac came from a

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...

family in which two of his uncles worked as trainers. He became a professional trainer in 1976 and built a successful career working primarily at smaller racetracks in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. In 1988, he was the leading trainer for the fall-winter meet at

Philadelphia Park Racetrack Parx Casino and Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino) is a thoroughbred horse racing venue and the largest casino gaming complex in Pennsylvania. Parx is located in Bensalem Township in Bucks County, northeast of the city of P ...

and although he was never in the national limelight until after his death, during his career Camac trained the winners of 1,811 races. A well-respected and well-liked trainer, fellow horseman

John Servis John C. Servis (born October 25, 1958 in Charles Town, West Virginia) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who was relatively unknown until May 2004 when his horse Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby. The colt then went on to win the Pre ...

told ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' that Camac "was more than just a trainer, he was a good businessman and would manage his owners' stables. Not too many guys had the kind of overall knowledge he had." For a number of years Bob Camac trained horses for stable owner Arthur I. Appleton, earning a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

win in the 1992 Philip H. Iselin Handicap with Jolie's Halo. Camac bred the 2003 New Jersey horse of the year, Gators N Bears, but it was

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was ...

who was his most important breeding accomplishment. Camac trained for Roy and Patricia Chapman, owners of Someday Farm. For them, Camac purchased the filly I'll Get Along for $40,000 at the 1993 Keeneland September yearling sale. I'll Get Along won twelve races and earned $276,969 before becoming a broodmare. Camac suggested that the Chapmans breed her to

Elusive Quality Elusive Quality (January 27, 1993 – March 14, 2018) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a record-setting sprinter on the racetrack and the leading sire in North America of 2004. He sired the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones. ...

. They agreed, and Camac arranged the mating which on February 28, 2001, produced a colt given the name Smarty Jones.

Death

Sixty-one-year-old Robert Camac and his fifty-five-year-old wife, Maryann V. Camac, were shot to death at their farm in the Pedricktown section of

Oldmans Township, New Jersey Oldmans Township is a township in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 1,773, reflecting a decline of 25 (−1.4%) from the 1,798 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in tu ...

, on December 6, 2001. Their funeral service was held at Trinity United Methodist Church in

Pennsville, New Jersey Pennsville Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 13,409, reflecting an increase of 215 (+1.6%) from the 13,194 counted in the 2000 census. The townshi ...

on December 12, and they were buried in Gracelawn Memorial Park in New Castle. Thirty-six-year-old Wade Russell, Maryann Camac's son from a previous marriage, was arrested and charged with their deaths. Russell pled guilty to aggravated

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...

and was sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison. He was later transferred to a psychiatric facility in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

watch. Following Bob Camac's death, Roy and Patricia Chapman sold most of their horses but on the advice of a friend, kept

. Robert and Maryann are survived by their daughter, Tracy Stranahan, as well as their grandchildren and his children from his first marriage, Robert Daniel Camac, Leslie Ann Camac Cole, Clinton W. Camac and Michael F. Camac.

References

Sources

Robert Camac's obituary at Bloodhorse.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Camac, Robert W. 1940 births 2001 deaths Sportspeople from Wilmington, Delaware American horse trainers American racehorse owners and breeders American murder victims Sportspeople from Salem County, New Jersey People murdered in New Jersey Deaths by firearm in New Jersey 2001 murders in the United States