Johnny Loftus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Loftus |
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Johnny Loftus aboard Sir Barton
at the 1919 Preakness Stakes |
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| Occupation | Jockey/Trainer |
| Born | October 13, 1895 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | 23 March 1976 (aged 81) |
| Career wins | 721 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Hopeful Stakes (1913, 1919) Saratoga Cup (1913) Fleetwing Handicap (1915) Huron Handicap (1916) Jerome Handicap (1916) Travers Stakes (1916) Toboggan Handicap (1916, 1919) Withers Stakes (1916, 1919) Alabama Stakes (1917) Gazelle Handicap (1917) Kentucky Oaks (1917) Keene Memorial Stakes (1917, 1919) Walden Stakes (1917, 1918) Stuyvesant Handicap (1918, 1919) Remsen Stakes (1918) Fall Highweight Handicap (1918) Empire City Handicap (1919) Havre de Grace Cup Handicap (1919) Hudson Stakes (1919) Tremont Stakes (1919) Youthful Stakes (1919) United States Triple Crown (1919) American Classic Race wins: As a trainer: |
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| Racing awards | |
| United States Champion Jockey by earnings (1919) | |
| Honours | |
| United States' Racing Hall of Fame (1959) | |
| Significant horses | |
| War Cloud, Regret, Pan Zareta, Pompoon, Man o' War, Sir Barton |
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John Patrick Loftus (October 13, 1895 – March 23, 1976) was a famous American jockey in horse racing. He was known for riding fast thoroughbred horses. Johnny Loftus made history as the very first jockey to win the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.
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Johnny Loftus: Early Career
Johnny Loftus was born in Chicago, Illinois. He started his career as a jockey in 1909. Over ten years, until 1919, he rode in 2,449 races. He won 580 of these races. This means he won almost one out of every four races he entered. This was a very impressive success rate for a jockey.
Big Wins in the Mid-1910s
In 1916, Johnny Loftus had some major victories. He won the Travers Stakes and the Withers Stakes riding a horse named Spur. That same year, he also won the famous Kentucky Derby with a horse named George Smith.
The next year, in 1917, he won the Kentucky Oaks. He rode a female horse, called a filly, named Sunbonnet. In 1918, he rode War Cloud to victory in the Preakness Stakes.
Riding Man o' War
Johnny Loftus also rode one of the most famous racehorses ever, Man o' War. He guided Man o' War to victory in eight different races. However, he was also the jockey when Man o' War had his only loss. This happened at the Sanford Memorial Stakes, where they finished second.
Making History: The Triple Crown
In 1919, Johnny Loftus achieved something no other jockey had done before. He rode a horse named Sir Barton to win the United States Triple Crown.
What is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown is a very special achievement in horse racing. It means winning three specific races in one year. These races are:
- The Kentucky Derby
- The Preakness Stakes
- The Belmont Stakes
Sir Barton's Big Year
Johnny Loftus and Sir Barton first won the Kentucky Derby. Just four days later, they won the Preakness Stakes. Then, they went on to win the Belmont Stakes. This made Sir Barton the first horse to ever win the American Triple Crown. This was a huge moment in horse racing history.
At the end of 1919, Johnny Loftus was the top jockey in the U.S. for money won.
Life After Being a Jockey
After his amazing year in 1919, Johnny Loftus decided to retire from riding horses. He then became a horse trainer. This meant he would teach and prepare horses for races.
In 1938 and 1939, he had great success as a trainer. He trained a horse named Pompoon. Pompoon was even voted the best two-year-old male horse in America in 1936.
In 1959, Johnny Loftus was honored for his incredible career. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of the greatest people in horse racing history.
Johnny Loftus passed away in Carlsbad, California in 1976.
