# Johnny Loftus

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For the English-American boxing trainer, see [Johnny Loftus (coach)](/source/Johnny_Loftus_(coach)).

**John Patrick Loftus** (October 13, 1895 – March 23, 1976) was an [American](/source/Americans) [thoroughbred](/source/Thoroughbred) [horse racing](/source/Horse_racing) Hall of Fame [jockey](/source/Jockey).[1]

Born in [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago,_Illinois), Johnny Loftus was the first jockey to win the [United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing](/source/United_States_Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing). During his career, between 1909 and 1919, he won 580 races out of the 2,449 he competed in, for a very notable 23.7% success rate. In 1916, he won the [Travers Stakes](/source/Travers_Stakes) and [Withers Stakes](/source/Withers_Stakes) on "Spur" then captured the [Kentucky Derby](/source/Kentucky_Derby) aboard [George Smith](/source/George_Smith_(horse)). In 1917, he won the [Kentucky Oaks](/source/Kentucky_Oaks) with the [filly](/source/Filly) Sunbonnet and the next year he rode [War Cloud](/source/War_Cloud) to victory in the [Preakness Stakes](/source/Preakness_Stakes). As well, Loftus rode [Man o' War](/source/Man_o'_War) to victory in eight races, and to the only defeat in the horse's career, a second-place finish at the Sanford Memorial Stakes.

For [trainer](/source/Horse_trainer) [H. Guy Bedwell](/source/H._Guy_Bedwell) and [Canadian](/source/Canadians) owner [J. K. L. Ross](/source/J._K._L._Ross), who owned a [farm](/source/Farm) in [Maryland](/source/Maryland), in 1919 Johnny Loftus rode [Sir Barton](/source/Sir_Barton) to victory in the [Kentucky Derby](/source/Kentucky_Derby) then only four days later won the [Preakness Stakes](/source/Preakness_Stakes). They went on to win the [Belmont Stakes](/source/Belmont_Stakes) becoming the first-ever American Triple Crown winner. Loftus ended up as 1919's top money-winning jockey in the US and retired at the end of the racing season to become a [horse trainer](/source/Horse_trainer). In 1938 and 1939, he enjoyed success as the trainer of [Pompoon](/source/Pompoon) who was voted [American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt](/source/American_Champion_Two-Year-Old_Colt) in 1936. In 1959, he was inducted into the [National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame](/source/National_Museum_of_Racing_and_Hall_of_Fame).

Johnny Loftus died in [Carlsbad, California](/source/Carlsbad,_California) in 1976.

## Further reading

- [Johnny Loftus at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame](https://web.archive.org/web/20110123160604/http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-jockeys-view.asp?varID=38)

## References

1. [Johnny Loftus at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame](http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-jockeys-view.asp?varID=38) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110123160604/http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-jockeys-view.asp?varID=38) 2011-01-23 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Johnny Loftus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Loftus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Loftus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.