view raw text
► I — — ""~~~~~_ WILLIAM B. FINNEGAN p _ Derby Experience of Finnegan, The Trainer, Dates Back to 14 Sent Out Hodge to Finish 4 Second to Old Rosebud; Has Namesake in Fine Condition By OSCAR OTIS LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 1.— William B. Finnegan, trainer of his namesake in Saturdays 85th running of the Kentucky I Derby, is a veteran conditioner with Derby I experience dating back to 1914, the year he saddled Hodge for the sophomore classic. Hodge finished second, eight lengths behind H. C. Applegates odds-on favorite, Old Rosebud. As Finnegan recalls: "I was with Kay Spence at the time, and we had a real good horse in Hodge. But Old Rosebud was a truly good horse, was in excellent condition, and trying to beat him was* like trying to beat a Citation in the Derby. Short of a miracle, it simply couldnt be done." Finnegan has spent most of his life in racing. A native of Brooklyn, his first contact with the sport was as a newsboy in front of the race track gates on Long Island, and it was an easy transition from front gate to backstretch where he learned from the ground up, starting as a groom. The young man had a flair for thoroughbreds, however, and it wasnt too long before Spence, trainer for Audley Stock Farm, signed him as his stable foreman. Associated With Curly Brown Wathen Knebelkamps father, who raced j a modest stable, gave Finnegan his first j chance as a full-fledged trainer and it was | through Knebelkamp that Finnegan went West — to the old Tijuana track. On the coast, he soon became associated with H. D. "Curly" Brown, widely known in the east and Midwest as a builder of race tracks but recognized in California as the states ! leading thoroughbred breeder and owner of j a showplace farm in the shadows of tower - i ing Mt. Shasta. Finnegans association with Neil S. McCarthy, owner of Finnegan, began many | I years ago. During the past 10 years Mc-I Carthys finest horses have been under Finnegans care. The Brooklyn native continues to operate a public stable, but at the moment McCarthy is his senior patron. Finnegans training philosophy is based upon the belief that the stall is the true home of the thoroughbred, and that given a happy home life, a runner is more apt to produce a good performance. He also believes that a horse should be prepared for a race with as few workouts as possible; | that a thoroughbred has a certain reser-I voir of energy which he will draw upon if ! it is not wasted in workouts. Two young trainers who are "products" of Finnegans advice and counselling are his stepsons, Graceton and Hurst Philpot. Graceton, at present, is not an active trainer. At one time Finnegan trained for the late Louis B. Mayer and, upon leaving, recommended Graceton for the full-time post. Mayer accepted Finnegans recommendation and Graceton enjoyed outstanding success with the movie magnates stable. Included among his charges at one time was the outstanding mare, Honeymoon. Conditioned Shasta Bullet Finnegan rapidly gained national prominence with Browns Shasta Stock Farm horses at Tijuana. One of the stables finest | performers was Shasta Bullet, a sprinter who, according to Finneg?*i, never ran faster than was necessary in order to win. Finnegan also remembers saddling Alex-i ander Pantages, one of the first good Cali-i fornia-breds, for a winning effort in the Tijuana Cup. Alexander Pantages was a i middle distance runner, but Finnegan I pointed him for the two-mile Cup. The winner simply overpowered all opposition during the first 6 furlongs, then galloped the remainder of the distance. In the years that followed, Finnegan ! trained for Circle Farm, which campaigned I in both California and New York. One of I his major successes with Circle M was Big Pebbles triumph in the 00,000 added Hollywood Gold Cup in 1941. Later on, Finnegan accepted a post with Walter P. Chrysler and was active in the New York Continued on Page 45 D Derby Experience of Trainer Finnegan Dates Back to 14 Continued from Page 16 D area for several seasons before he resigned and returned to California. He has been based on the west coast for more than a decade. After Hodges bid in the 40th running of the Derby, Finnegan did not return here 1 until 1955 when he came to Kentucky with Blue Ruler and Jeans Joe, owned by the Murcain Stable of Clint Murchison and Wofford Cain. Blue Ruler did not train satisfactorily for the Derby and did not start. Jeans Joe, however, ran a creditable J fifth behind Swaps, Nashua, Summer Tan I and Racing Fool.
