Daily Racing Form

RIDERS OF KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS

Twelve Are Now Dead, But Twenty-Six Are Still Living and Variously Engaged

 

Louisville, Ky, March 23. — What has become of the long list of jockeys who have won the Kentucky Derby in the forty-two years of its history, and thereby gained for themselves a niche in the hall of fame of the American turf? Are they still living and what are they doing for a livelihood?These are related questions suggested themselves at Churchill Downs one day recently on the occasion of witnessing one of their number actively involved in grooming a candidate for the coming Kentucky Derby. So many traditions of the turf attach themselves to this ex-jockey that it seems altogether likely that others might be found whose history might prove of almost equal interest. This led to an inquiry as to whether the prestige of riding the winner of the Kentucky Derby shed a halo on a jockey’s subsequent career. In the nature of things fate has not dealt with all of then alike. It never does. Some have turned the experience and the glory to profit, while others have neglected their opportunities and have relapsed into obscurity.

The riding days of a jockey in this country are necessarily short. The evolution to the profession of a trainer is a natural one. Out of the saddle and into the paddock, is just what one would expect. Accordingly we find quite a number of riders have developed into trainers. In this line some have met with success, but not many have become really famous. James McLaughlin, who rode in several Derbys until he finally piloted Hindoo, a winner in 1881, was one who afterwards became a successful trainer. None of the others came near achieving his success, but Tom Kiley did well also. For some unfathomable reason jockeys do not, as a rule, make successful trainers. It is usually the boy who starts in as a "rubber” who reaches the pinnacle of fame as a trainer.

Stars of Their Day Enrolled on Derby Jockey List

In the forty-two years history of the Kentucky Derby, thirty-eight jockeys are enrolled as winners of the race. Among them will be found the names of those who were the top-notchers of their day and who have won fame and fortune both here and abroad. Following is the list with the names in the order of the years in which they won: 0.Lewis, R. Swim, W. Walker, Carter, Shauer, G. Lewis, J. McLaughlin, Hurd. W. Donohue. Isaac Murphy. Henderson, P. Duffy, I. Lewis, J. Covington, T. Kiley, A. Clayton, Kunze, R. Goodale, Perkins, W. Simms. A. Taral, J. Boland, Winkfield, H. Booker, F. Pryer, J. Martin, R. Troxler. A. Minder, A. Pickens, V. Powers, F. Herbert, G. Archibald, C. H. Shilling, R. Goose, J. McCabe, J. Notter, J. I.oftus.

So far as can be ascertained, all but twelve in this list are living. Those that have weighed in for the last time are O. Lewis, R. Swim, Carter, Shauer, G. Lewis, W. Donohue. I. Murphv, Henderson, P. Duffy, R. Goodale, Perkins and T. Kiley. Only two, Goodale and G. Lewis, died from injuries received while following their profession. Goodale was killed while riding in a race at Churchill Downs a couple of years after he had won the Derby on Chant, while G. Lewis died from injuries received in a race at a St. Louis track shortly after he won the Derby with Fonso in 1880. "Soup" Perkins, who won with Halma in 1895, died suddenly in Hamilton, Ont., a few years ago. At the time of his death he was engaged in "clocking" horses.

Many Have Become Successful Trainers

Of the riders, who are still living, ten are still actively engaged in the saddle; seven are trainers and nine are engaged in other occupations. The trainers are W. Walker, rider of Baden Baden in 1877, who is attached to the stable of J. E. Madden; J. McLaughlin, one of the best-known of the eastern trainers; J. Boland, rider of Lieut. Gibson in 1900, has been for several years a trainer and owner on the western tracks.

H. Booker, who rode Judge Himes for Charlie Ellison in 1903, is also training a small stable in the west. "Babe" Hurd, rider of Apollo in 1882, is in charge of a small string at Churchill Downs, and Carroll Shilling, the pilot of Worth in 1912, has improved his time by training his own horses. Taral, who rode Manuel in 1899, became a successful trainer in Germany after riding abroad for several years.

Those who are still in the saddle are Winkfield and Archibald, both riding abroad. Archibald rode Meridian for R. F. Carmen in 1911. Troxler, who rode Sir Huon in 1906, is still riding in good form. The same can be said of Minder, who rode Pink Star in 1907, and Pickens, who piloted Stone Street to victory in the year following. Roscoe Goose, who won with Donerail in 1913, headed the list of winning riders in Kentucky last year. J. McCabe, rider of Old Rosebud in the 1914 Derby, is still in the saddle; while Joe Notter, rider of Regret in 1915, and J. Loftus, rider of George Smith in last year’s renewal, are both about as good jockeys as ever. Vincent Powers, who won with Wintergreen in 1909, is the only one to develop into a steeplechase rider. For two years- - 1908 and 1909 Powers headed the list of winning flat riders in this country.

Where Some of the Old-Timers Have Drifted

Those engaged in other occupations include George Covington, rider of Macbeth in 1888, who is living in Kansas; Lonnie Clayton, who scored with Azra and who rode for many years for Byron McClelland is in the bootblack business in Little Rock, Ark.; Simms is making a living in New York; F. Prior, rider of Ellwood in 1904, and "Buttons” Garner, who rode Typhoon II in 1897 are both living in a western state. Kunze, who rode Lookout in 1893 and F. Herbert, rider of Donan in 1910, are both residents of Chicago. Herbert rode abroad for several years and only returned to this country last spring. He rode in a few races at Lexington, but had to abandon the saddle due to inability to make the weight. He is said to be the richest of the surviving Kentucky Derby winning riders, I. Lewis, who rode Montrose in 1887 is employed in a bath house in Chicago and Jack Martin, who scored on Agile in 1905, is in business in his native city, Hamilton. Ont.

Issac Murphy was the only one to score on three Derby winners. The noted colored rider rode Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890 and Kingman in 1891. He and Winkfield, another colored rider, were the only ones to win two consecutive Derbys. Winkfield rode His Eminence in 1901 and Allan a-Dale the following year. Simms was the only other rider to win the Derby twice. His victories came in 1896 with Ben Brush and with Plaudit in 1898.


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