Hall of Fame

Morton “Morty” Finder was born on April 25, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School. After attending New York University and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, he entered the harness racing industry, where he spent several decades as an owner, breeder and syndicate manager.

In 1965, while at the short-lived Phoenix Trotting Park in Arizona, Finder observed Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Silverman working with a chestnut colt from the first crop of Dancer Hanover. He acquired an ownership interest in the horse, Romeo Hanover, p,3,1:56.1f $658,505, the 1966 Triple Crown winner and World Champion who entered stud in 1968 and the Hall of the Immortals in 2005.

Finder went on to establish Pine Hollow Stud Farm in Pine Bush, New York in 1966 with partners Nevele Acres and Al Eidelberg. The farm participated early in the New York Sire Stakes program and added the stallions Speedy Rodney and Torpid. Pine Hollow developed a strong broodmare band and became known for high‑value yearlings, including Escape Artist, who sold for a then‑record $260,000 at the 1977 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg, PA.

In 1975, Finder and Hall of Famer Phil Tully were involved with the creation of the Monticello‑OTB Classic, a race restricted to New York‑bred horses with a purse of $268,552, and at the time, the richest race in harness racing.

As president of Pine Hollow Stud, Finder syndicated stallions including Sonsam, Say Hello and Green Speed, and influenced Big Towner going to Hanover Shoe Farms and ABC Freight to Lana Lobell Farms.

In the late 1970s, Finder partnered with Hall of Famer Lou Guida to form Finder‑Guida Enterprises. Their most notable acquisition was a 50 percent interest in Niatross after his two‑year‑old season. The deal could have reached $10 million with incentives, and set a record for horse valuation at the time. The partnership model they used brought in non‑traditional investors which was a harbinger of future syndications. Other horses associated with Finder during this period included Meadowlands Pace winner Hilarion and trotter Rodney’s Best, along with the stallion syndications of Seahawk Hanover, Bandelier, Merger, Computer and McKinzie Almahurst.

Finder was also active in the New York Sire Stakes program and the Agriculture & New York Horse Breeding Development Fund. Outside racing, he served as a vice president of the Boys Brotherhood Republic (now the Boys & Girls Republic), part of the Henry Street Settlement.

Finder passed away on June 1, 2016 at age 82.