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One of the greatest horse trainers of all time, "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, was from Brooklyn. He is pictured here in the foreground along with jockey Jim Stout, who sits astride “Johnstown” after winning the 1939 Kentucky Derby. “Johnstown” went on to win the Triple Crown that year. He also sired another Triple Crown winner, “Omaha.” To this day, there have only been 11 Triple Crown winners, and Sunny Jim is the only person to have trained two of them.
Sunny Jim had an auspicious start in the horse business as he was actually born on the land that was to be become Sheepshead Bay Racetrack, one of three tracks in southern Brooklyn. There were also tracks at Gravesend and Brighton Beach.
We ran a story and more photos about this guy in the Eagle recently. The photos were sent on to us by his great grandson, Jimmy Carr.
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1 comment:
I just wanted to note that while the picture is indeed Johnstown, he fell short of winning the 1939 Triple Crown (he finished 5th in a muddy Preakness), but dominated the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby, Withers, and Belmont by 8, 8, 6, and 5 lengths respectively, and well beat the Preakness winner in the Dwyer Stakes that year.)
So, another training triumph by the amazing Fitzsimmons, who won the Triple Crown with Gallant Fox in 1930 and son Omaha in 1935. (Johnstown was a relative; he and Omaha shared a grandsire--Sir Gallahad--and granddam--Flambette).
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