Obituary: Retired Trainer Michael McGee Passes at 96

Career horseman Michael McGee, who won training titles at Churchill Downs in the 1950s and 1960s, died Aug. 20, 2022. He was 96.

Since his prolific horse trainer father (Jimmy McGee) used the professional surname of "McGee," Mike chose to use the name of McGee as well, but never legally changed his given name of Francis Michael Gray. He was Born Feb 9, 1926 in Miami with that given name. 

Michael McGee was a first cousin to famed racing secretary Tommy Trotter. His horse racing family traveled the sport's nomadic circuit while growing up in both Miami and Louisville, Ky. From the 1920s-1940s, McGee and his family often spent summers racing in Delaware, New Jersey, and Chicago while racing the fall meets in Louisville and winter meets in Miami. 

Because of his family's strong heritage in horse racing, McGee chose racing as his profession after graduating from Notre Dame in 1948. He began as agent for jockey Nick Shuk and soon after began his cherished vocation of training race horses. He saddled his first winner at Charlestown Raceway in W.Va. in 1950 before entering the Army during the Korean War. He was discharged two years later and began training horses in Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey.

After marrying former Vogue fashion model Mary Louise Donnelly in 1953 in Miami, McGee established a routine of racing in South Florida during winter followed by the spring meet at Churchill Downs, summer meet at Arlington Park, and back again at Churchill in the fall. McGee and his wife were blessed with nine children, which made traveling hard on his family. So, in August 1970 he resettled his family to Louisville because Kentucky had year-round racing which afforded him family time. 

Among his notable racing achievements, McGee was leading trainer at Churchill Downs in the fall of 1955 and again in the spring of 1963. Mike's best horse, Pete's Folly, was a 1956 Kentucky Derby contender and won top 3-year-old stakes races but got injured before the Flamingo Stakes. On July 4, 1967, McGee-trained filly Dear Ethel tied a world record at Miles Park after completing 4 1/2 furlongs in :50 2/5. He had additional stakes winners in Bishop's Bond and Ramona Rode. 

His portfolio of owners during his career included Nelson Bunker Hunt, CEO Hugh Grant of Kendall Oil, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, Sears president Crowdus Baker as well as other prominent clients during the 1960s and 1970s. 

From 1975-1989, McGee focused on the sale and breeding of horses by forming "McGee Bloodstock Agency" and he co-owned Ionian Farm in Ocala, Fla. He also brokered horse sales of which he recommended a client to buy the gelding John Henry for $25,000 in 1978. John Henry subsequently won more than $6 Million and was Horse of Year, twice. He also brokered the sale of prominent stakes winner No No to songwriter Burt Bacharach.

McGee is buried at Quantico National Cemetery and is survived by his wife Mary Louise and nine children: Priscilla of Naples FL, Christopher of Alexandria, Va., Daniel of Falls Church, Va., Robert (Vonda) of Fla, Patrick (Anila) of North Springfield, Va, Josephine (Steven) of Ft. Myer's Fla., Michael (Helen) of Falls Church, Va., and Peter (Megan) of Manassas, Va.