J. Willard Thompson (March 30, 1935 – November 3, 2018) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

trainer. A former

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

jockey, he won three straight training titles at

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

between 1975 and 1977 and again won in 2001. He also earned back-to-back titles at the

Meadowlands Racetrack The Meadowlands Racetrack (currently referred to as Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment) is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness ...

in 1980 and 1981. Willard Thompson is the co-holder of two major training records at Monmouth Park. He is tied with John Tammaro III for most races won during a race meeting with fifty-five, and tied with John H. Forbes for most wins on a single racecard with four

In 1996, Thompson was the first recipient of Monmouth Park Racetrack's Virgil W. Raines Distinguished Achievement Award for his dedication to the sport of Thoroughbred racing through exemplary conduct demonstrating professionalism and integrity. Thompson died in 2018 at the age of 83.

References

March 15, 1990 ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' article on J. Willard Thompson

Raines award winners
1935 births 2018 deaths American horse trainers Sportspeople from Atlanta {{US-horseracing-bio-stub