Bill Bannasch, who raced as the Plan B Stable, died of cancer at age 61 Sunday night at his home in Solana Beach near Del Mar, trainer Mark Glatt said. "Mr. Bannasch was a very loyal and honest man and almost like a second dad to me," said Glatt, who trained for Bannasch for four years and had about 20 horses in training for him. "He was a friend before a client. He was a great man." A lawyer and also president of the EZ 8 motel chain, Bannasch was born in Michigan on Apr. 26, 1941.
Plan B's most successful runner was Speaking of Time, a daughter of Gilded Time who won $390,000 in her career. Trained by Barry Abrams, she was second in both the 2000 Vanity (gr. I) at Hollywood Park and the 2000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita before finishing eighth in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I). Bannasch and his wife Linear also campaigned Michigan Bluff, who won the Hillsborough Handicap at Bay Meadows. Glatt said Bannasch did not wish to have any services.
