William J. Donohue (1854 - April, 1936) was a jockey, trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses who competed in his native Canada as well as the United States where he won each of the three races that would become the U. S. Triple Crown series.
| William Donohue | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey, Trainer, Owner |
| Born | 1854 Montreal, Canada East |
| Died | April 1936 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Major racing wins | |
| As a Jockey: Champagne Stakes (1871, 1874, 1888) Brighton Handicap (1896) Clarendon Stakes (1927) Durham Cup Stakes (1928) Maple Leaf Stakes (1928) Grey Stakes (1933) | |
| Significant horses | |
| As a jockey: Algerine, Dunboyne, Horometer, Leonatus, Luke Blackburn, Prince of Melbourne | |
Background
editIn an October 11, 1886 article on famous jockeys, The Daily Alta California said that "The Donohue family is a great one in American racing affairs, but of the lot William Donohue is the best known."[1]
William Donohue's first Classic win came in the June 10, 1876 Belmont Stakes at Jerome Park Racetrack in Westchester County, New York aboard Algerine.[2] His second success in a Classic occurred on May 23, 1883, when he rode Leonatus to victory in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.[3] Donohue got his third Classic with Dunboyne in the Preakness Stakes run on May 13, 1887, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.[4]
Among his other important jockey wins, in 1884 William Donohue rode General Monroe to win the inaugural running of the Suburban Handicap, a race that would soon rank as the most important American race open to older horses.[5][6]
Jockey, Trainer, Owner
editDuring his career in racing William Donohue also trained horses, notably for the family of Canada's preeminent owner, the Seagram Stable.[7] He also acquired horses for his own account and for a number of years could sometimes be found both riding and training a horse for a client or for himself.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Famous Jockeys". The Daily Alta California, page 5, Volume 41, Number 13556. 1886-10-11. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
- ^ "1876 Belmont" (PDF). belmontstakes.com. 1876-06-10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- ^ "1883 Kentucky Derby Results Tables" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ "The Baltimore Races". New York Times. 1887-05-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ^ "Races at Sheepshead Bay". Chicago Inter Ocean, page 6. 1884-06-11. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ^ "History of Suburban Handicap". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1942-05-31. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ^ "Seagram Stable Pays $25,000 For Rolls Royce". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1926-05-10. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ "Won By Preakness Horses". New York Times. 1892-07-29. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ^ "Havre De Grace Notes". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1936-04-22. Retrieved 2019-04-12.