William B. Finnegan (September 19, 1890 – October 18, 1970) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.
A native of New York City, Finnegan spent more than fifty years as a trainer primarily on the West Coast of the United States.Los Angeles Times - October 19, 1970 During his career he conditioned horses for major stable owners such as Vera S. Bragg,Los Angeles Times - December 26, 1936 movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, Walter P. Chrysler Jr.,Chicago Tribune - May 9, 1943 Edward S. Moore's Circle M Ranch stable,Los Angeles Times - July 14, 1939 George A. Pope, Jr.'s El Peco Ranch,Lawrence Journal-World (Kansas) - April 17, 1964 and Neil S. McCarthy who would name one of his horses in his honor.New York Times - May 22, 1960
Following its opening in December 1929, Finnegan was racing at Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. New York Times - March 12, 1931 Racing in California, where he would make his home in Arcadia near Santa Anita Park, Finnegan won the 1939 Hollywood Derby with Shining One who equalled the Hollywood Park track record. The Sunday Morning Star (Wilmingtpon, Delaware) - July 9, 1939 In 1940, he took over as the trainer of Big Pebble after the four-year-old was purchased by client, Edward S. Moore. Raced by his former owner at age two and three, Big Pebble showed little and had even been used as a lead pony. Under Finnegan in 1941, Big Pebble blossomed into the best older horse in the United States. En route to being named American Champion Older Male Horse, Big Pebble's wins included the most important and richest race in Florida, the Widener Challenge Cup at Hialeah Park Race TrackNew York Times - March 2, 1941 and the prestigious Hollywood Gold Cup at California's Hollywood Park Racetrack.St. Petersburg Times - July 20, 1941
In October 1951, that year's Kentucky Derby winner Count Turf was sent to Bill Finnegan to race in California but met with little success. Los Angeles Times - October 19, 1951 article titled "Bill Finnegan Named Trainer of Count Turf" Thirteen years late, Finnegan would have the betting favorite going into the 1964 U.S. Triple Crown series with George A. Pope, Jr.'s colt, Hill Rise. The winner of eight straight races,Sarasota Herald-Tribune - April 29, 1964 including the Santa Anita Derby by six lengths in record time The Modesto Bee - March 1, 1964 and the Derby Trial by more than two lengths,The Spokesman-Review - April 29, 1964 Hill Rise ran second to Northern Dancer in the Kentucky Derby The Miami News - May 3, 1964 article titled "Dancer Wins Fastest Derby Hill Rise Finishes 2nd" and third to him in the Preakness Stakes.The Deseret News - May 19, 1964 The following year Hill Rise won several important races for Finnegan including the Man o' War Stakes, San Fernando Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap and at age five in 1966, the San Antonio Handicap.
William Finnegan continued to train horses until his death in 1970 at age eighty. He is buried in the Live Oak Memorial Park Cemetery in Monrovia, California. The Miami News - October 19, 1970 obituary
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