About John G. Canty
Lived 1917 – 1992 (aged 74). John G. Canty was an American horse trainer.
John G. Canty (January 30, 1917 - January 7, 1992) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.
A native of Ireland, he came from a dynasty of Curragh racehorse trainers, including his father James (Jimmy) Canty, his maternal grandfather Philip (Philly) Behan and a great-grandfather Dan Broderick of Mountjoy Lodge. Other trainers in the extended family included his brother Phil Canty, their uncle Joe Canty (also for many decades Ireland's most successful jockey by lifetime wins) and Joe's son Joseph M. Canty.
Originally a jockey, John served his apprenticeship with R. C. Dawson in England and later rode for his father's Curragh stable.
He emigrated to the United States in 1953 and settled in California. After working in the horse racing industry, in 1959 he became a professional trainer. During his thirty-three year career, John Canty's best known horse was Unconscious, a colt owned by Arthur A. Seeligson Jr. Unconscious notably won the San Felipe Handicap, San Antonio Handicap, California Derby, Santa Catalina Stakes, and the Charles H. Strub Stakes and was the betting favorite in the 1971 Kentucky Derby in which he ran fifth.
John Canty was a partner with Castlebrook Farm in the horse Nor II who he conditioned to win the 1972 San Luis Rey Handicap.
A resident of Arcadia, California, John Canty died of pneumonia at age seventy-four at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.
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Important facts
People in John G. Canty's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John G. Canty's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John G. Canty?
Irish-born racehorse trainer in California
When was John G. Canty born?
John G. Canty was born on 30 January 1917 in Ireland.
When did John G. Canty die?
John G. Canty died on 7 January 1992 in Pasadena, California.
What was John G. Canty's occupation?
John G. Canty was a horse trainer.
What nationality was John G. Canty?
John G. Canty was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John G. Canty. https://biography.guide/john-g-canty/
MLA: "John G. Canty." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-g-canty/.
Chicago: "John G. Canty." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-g-canty/.
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