Jack L.K. Grunwald, a successful owner in the Rocky Mountain state for several decades, died Aug. 31 at his Denver home. He was 82.
Grunwald campaigned 10 stakes winners, including Son Jack, whose big win came in the 1967 Ak-Sar-Ben Omaha Gold Cup in track-record time. Grunwald, who also raced at such tracks as Centennial and Turf Paradise, won stakes with such other runners as homebred Churchill Drive.
A Denver native, Grunwald served as an ensign in the Merchant Marines during World War II. After the war, he started Acme Delivery Service in the back of a station wagon and watched it became the largest warehousing and trucking distribution company in the Rocky Mountain area. He also placed a major role during the early days of the Denver Nuggets.
Grunwald’s survivors include his wife, Pat; a son, Jack R. Grunwald, who has campaigned several stakes winners; and daughters Barbara and Judy.
