ALBANY, Calif. (Apr. 10, 2015) – Northern California trainer William J. Morey, Jr., a member of the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Hall of Fame (class of 2014), died Friday morning at a rehabilitation facility in Los Altos after a long battle with cancer. Mr. Morey was 74.
A native of San Francisco, Mr. Morey grew up in San Carlos and attended the races at Bay Meadows with his father. As a teenager, Mr. Morey got a job as a hot walker at the now defunct San Mateo racetrack.
Mr. Morey received his official trainer’s license in 1970 and won his first race that year at Pleasanton with Crimson Flag. Mr. Morey would go on to become a mainstay in Northern California racing and, according to Equibase, amassed the following career statistics: 7,885 starts, 1,347 wins, 1,290 seconds, 1,180 thirds, and $22,415,416 in earnings.
Mr. Morey won 67 stakes, including eight graded events. Mr. Morey’s top stakes stars were millionaires Dixie Dot Com (winner of four graded stakes and $1,332,775) and Bold Chieftain (the California Champion Turf Horse of 2008 and earner of $1,683,181). Mr. Morey also trained graded stakes-winners Big Chill, Nonies Dancer Ali, and Mellow Fellow.
Mr. Morey is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Doris, son William E. Morey (Liz), daughter Kelley Green (Mark), and two grandchildren. William E. Morey followed in his father’s footsteps and is one of the leading trainers in Northern California.
Services for Mr. Morey are pending.