John Hennegan, a long-time racing official for the New York Racing Association, died on April 11 after a battle with brain cancer, his family announced over the weekend. He was 84.
Henngan began working at NYRA in 1965 and worked for nearly 40 years spanning five decades. He worked as a patrol judge, assistant clerk of scales, clerk of scales and placing judge. He was a patrol judge for the famous Ruffian-Foolish Pleasure match race at Belmont Park and was an official in various capacities for the Triple Crown-clinching victories of Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed.