J. Willard Thompson, a steady presence in New Jersey racing circles for more than 50 years, died Saturday night at age 83 following a lengthy illness. Thompson, a native of Georgia, was a Steeplechase rider in his early days. He turned to training in the early 1960s and became a driving force in New Jersey, winning three consecutive Monmouth Park training titles from 1975 to 1977. He also led the standings at The Meadowlands racetrack in 1980 and 1981. He would come back 20 years later to win the 2001 Monmouth training title. Thompson operated Quiet Winter Farm in Colts Neck, N.J., about 12 miles from Monmouth Park. His latest success story is the 8-year-old turf sprinter Snowday, who was bred in France by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. Snowday has won $271,000 and five races, including the $100,000 Laurel Dash in 2017, since Thompson claimed him for $20,000 at Monmouth in June 2015. Snowday came close to winning the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing in 2017 when he finished third, beaten a half-length, by Pure Sensation and was nosed out for second by Mongolian Saturday. Thompson scored his most significant career win with Dazzle Me Jolie in the Grade 2 Rare Perfume at Belmont Park in 1991. Thompson won four other stakes with Dazzle Me Jolie, including three straight at Monmouth. In all, Thompson, with the help of his longtime assistant Sergio "Victor" Rabadan, won 2,137 races. His final starter as a trainer was Snowday on Oct. 26. As an owner, Quiet Winter Farm's Arnold Ziffle finished third at Laurel Park on the day of his death for trainer Katie Lisowski. John Heims, the racing secretary at Monmouth, said it is hard to imagine New Jersey racing without Thompson. "With Willard, the generation gap just slipped away as age made no difference," Heims said. "He was kind and generous to everyone in this sport and his passing is a tremendous loss for our industry." Thompson was the first recipient of the Virgil "Buddy" Raines Distinguished Achievement Award in 1996. The award, which is presented annually by Monmouth Park, honors men and women who have demonstrated a continuing commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred racing and whose conduct has been exemplary for professionalism, integrity and service to the industry.  Thompson's wife, Carol, died in 2013. He is survived by his sons Glenn and Stewart, his daughter Julia, and nine grandchildren. Funeral services will be private. Monmouth officials plan to hold a celebration of Thompson's life to coincide with the opening of the 2019 season at the Oceanport, N.J., track.