John Charles "Jack" Van Berg (born June 7, 1936 in Columbus, Nebraska

Columbus, Nebraska

Columbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...

) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Hall of Fame horse trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

. Born into a horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 family, his father is Hall of Fame trainer, Marion Van Berg.

For nineteen straight years between 1959 and 1977, Jack Van Berg was the leading trainer at Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack

Ak-Sar-Ben

Ak-Sar-Ben, or Aksarben, was an indoor arena and horse racing complex in Omaha, Nebraska. Built to fund the civic and philanthropic activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, the thoroughbred race track was built in 1920 and the Coliseum was built in 1929...

 in Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

. In 1976, he set a record for the most wins in a year with 496 and was also the United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by earnings

United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by earnings

There is recognition for the United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by earnings but no formal award is given to the trainer in Thoroughbred flat racing whose horses earned the most purse money in North American Thoroughbred racing....

.

The trainer of Gate Dancer

Gate Dancer

Gate Dancer was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a winner of an American Classic Race and for his part in a thrilling three-horse finish in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic....

, he was voted the 1984 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer

The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for trainers. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Its Canadian counterpart is the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer....

 and in 1985 he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...

. In 1987 he received the Big Sport of Turfdom Award

Big Sport of Turfdom Award

The Big Sport of Turfdom Award has been given annually by the Turf Publicists of America since 1966 to a person or group who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with the media and Thoroughbred racing publicists....

. He is also an inductee of the Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame.

On July 15, 1987 Jack Van Berg became the first trainer to win 5,000 races when he sent Art's Chandelle to victory at Arlington Park

Arlington Park

Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...

. As at the end of September 2008, Jack Van Berg ranks second all-time in career wins among American Thoroughbred trainers.

Jack Van Berg is best known for training Alysheba

Alysheba

Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....

 who won the 1987 Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...

 and Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes

The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...

 and the 1988 Breeders' Cup Classic

Breeders' Cup Classic

The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...

.

He has mentored many top trainers, including Hall of Famer Bill Mott and Frank Brothers

Frank L. Brothers

Frank L. Brothers is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who in 1991 won two of the three U.S. Triple Crown races...

, both of whom started off as assistants to Van Berg who has led all American trainers

United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by wins

There is recognition for the United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by wins but no formal award is given to the trainer in Thoroughbred flat racing whose horses won the most races in North American Thoroughbred racing....

in wins nine times.