LaVerne Sewell

{{Short description|American jockey (1888–1906)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox horseracing personality | name = LaVerne Sewell | image = | caption = | occupation = [[Jockey]] | birth_place = | birth_date = {{birth date|1888|07|14}} | death_date = {{dda|1906|11|09|1888|07|14}} | death_place = [[Sheepshead Bay, New York]], United States | resting_place = | career wins = 308 | race = Crescent Park Inaugural Handicap (1905) Crescent Park Speed Handicap (1905) [[Garden City Stakes (Jamaica)|Garden City Stakes]] (1905) Lynbrook Handicap (1905) Midway Stakes (1905) [[First Special Stakes]] (1905) [[Amsterdam Stakes]] (1906) [[Brighton Handicap]] (1906) [[Champlain Handicap]] (1906) [[Delaware Handicap (Saratoga)|Delaware Handicap]] [[Fashion Stakes]] (1906) [[Great Eastern Handicap]] (1906) [[Hudson Stakes]] (1906) [[Invincible Handicap]] (1906) [[Myrtle Stakes]] (1906) [[Saratoga Handicap]] (1906) [[Saratoga Special Stakes]] (1906) [[Winged Foot Handicap]] (1906) | awards = | honors = Sewell (Cesarion – Ora Bailey, by [[Hanover (horse)|Hanover]]) [https://www.pedigreequery.com/sewell] | horses = [[Court Dress (horse)|Court Dress]], [[Dandelion (horse)|Dandelion]], [[Hermis]], [[Ram's Horn]], [[Salvidere (horse)|Salvidere]] | updated = }}

'''LaVerne Sewell''' (July 14, 1888 – November 9, 1906) was an up-and-coming American [[thoroughbred racing]] jockey who was competing in only his second year of racing when he died at age eighteen as a result of a racing accident at New York's [[Aqueduct Racetrack]].

In their reporting on LaVerne Sewell's death, the widely respected ''[[Daily Racing Form]] (DRF)'' called him "one of the best race riders on the American turf."<ref name=LS1>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906111101/drf1906111101_1_5 |title=Jockey Sewell Dies from His Fall |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=November 11, 1906|accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref>

==Racing career== ===1905=== LaVerne Sewell began his riding career in early 1905 and owner/trainer Charles E. Rowe had quickly recognized Sewell's potential and would sign him to a contract. In February, when Rowe registered some of his new two-year-olds, he named a colt by Cesarion, out of the mare Ora Bailey, "Sewell."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906022101/drf1906022101_6_1 |title=Names of Rowe's Two-Year-Olds |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=February 21, 1906 |accessdate=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Jockey Sewell soon justified trainer Rowe's confidence in him, displaying a high level of riding acumen during the spring [[Glossary of North American horse racing#race meet|race meet]] at [[Oaklawn Park]] in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]]. Rowe then brought Sewell to race in Chicago and in October, he was competing in New York where his wins included the important [[First Special Stakes]] at [[Gravesend Race Track]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909091401/drf1909091401_1_15 |title=High-Class First Special Winners |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=September 14, 1909 |accessdate=August 1, 2021}}</ref> The ''DRF'' wrote that his riding at the winter meets in [[New Orleans]] was "especially noticeable and brilliant."<ref name=LS1/> Sewell ended his first year in racing with 129 wins, ranking him sixth in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906010901/drf1906010901_1_6 |title=Jockeys Standing in 1905 |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=January 9, 1906 |accessdate=July 30, 2021}}</ref>

===1906=== In the fall of 1906 LaVerne Sewell agreed to a new riding contract that guaranteed him an annual salary of $20,000 for giving first call on his riding service to stable owner John W. Gates. Based on inflation, that would equal just over $600,000 in 2021. As well, Sewell would, and did, ride for other owners whenever not needed by the Gates stable and the ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'' estimated he could earn an additional $40,000 (today $1,200,000) that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Kw8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tkgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5260,3110009&dq=rams+horn+sewell&hl=en |title=Rider's Mother Is Penniless |work=Pittsburgh Press, page 11 |date=November 12, 1906 |accessdate=January 25, 2019}}</ref>

Returning to New York to compete against the best jockeys in the country, LaVerne Sewell would win a number of stakes events including the [[Fashion Stakes]] for racing's preeminent trainer [[James G. Rowe Sr.]] at [[Belmont Park]] riding [[Court Dress (horse)|Court Dress]] who would go on to be recognized as that year's [[American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/431033573/ |title= Court Dress Takes Fashion Stake at Belmont Park |publisher=[[Boston Globe]], page 2 |date=May 20, 1906 |accessdate=August 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>[http://www.bloodhorse.com/eclipsewinners/pdf/History_Charts.pdf ''The Bloodhorse.com'' Champion's history charts] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904120526/http://www.bloodhorse.com/eclipsewinners/pdf/History_Charts.pdf |date=September 4, 2012}}</ref> On his eighteenth birthday, Sewell won the important [[Brighton Handicap]] aboard [[Ram's Horn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906071501/drf1906071501_3_1 |title= Brighton Beach Form Chart |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=July 15, 1906 |accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref> In the late 19th and early part of the 20th century, the Brighton Handicap, along with the [[Suburban Handicap]] at [[Sheepshead Bay Race Track]] and the [[Metropolitan Handicap]] at [[Morris Park Racecourse]], were the big three events of the Northeastern United States racing season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/02/01/archives/weights-for-handicaps-imposts-for-brooklyn-suburban-and-brighton.html |title=Imposts for Brooklyn, Suburban, and Brighton Announced |publisher=[[New York Times]], page 6 |date=February 1, 1902 |accessdate=July 29, 2021}}</ref>

'''LaVerne Sewell and Dandelion:''' Dandelion (1902–1910) was an American [[Thoroughbred racing|thoroughbred racehorse]] bred and raced by [[Francis R. Hitchcock]], a member of a prominent family of American sportsmen and the President of [[Saratoga Race Course]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1926042101/drf1926042101_2_3 |title=Here and There On the Turf: F. R. Hitchcock Dead |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=April 21, 1926 |accessdate=March 11, 2020}}</ref> Dandelion was trained by future [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|U.S. Racing Hall of Fame]] inductee [[John E. Madden|John Madden]].<ref name="racingmuseum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-jockeys-view.asp?varID=46 |title=National Museum of Racing, Hall of Fame, Jockeys |publisher=Racingmuseum.org |accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>

In 1905 Dandelion had won the prestigious [[Travers Stakes]] and the [[Saranac Handicap]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/travers-stakes/ |title=Travers |publisher=[[New York Racing Association|NYRA]] |date=August 2, 2021 |accessdate=August 2, 2021 |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813225158/https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/travers-stakes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/saranac/ |title=Saranac |publisher=NYRA | date=August 2, 2021 |accessdate=August 2, 2021 }}</ref> Hence, coming into the 1906 racing season much was expected from the colt but until August went winless and was beaten in important races. Dandelion ran second in the [[Metropolitan Handicap|Metropolitan]] and [[Brooklyn Handicap]]s in which he was ridden by star jockey and future Hall of Fame inductee, [[Frank O'Neill (jockey)|Frank O'Neill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/kd90p0wp9x5k |title=Go Between Wins Suburban Handicap |publisher=[[The Courier-Journal]], page 6|date=June 22, 1906 |accessdate=May 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1906/05/11/archives/the-metropolitan-is-won-by-grapple-15000-persons-see-drakes-horse-a.html |title=The Metropolitan Is Won By Grapple |publisher=New York Times, page 1 |date=May 11, 1906 |accessdate=August 2, 2021}}</ref><ref name= racingmuseum1/> Dandelion finished second again in the [[Suburban Handicap]] under another future Hall of Famer [[Walter Miller (jockey)|Walter Miller]] who would finish 1906 with [[United States Champion Jockey by wins|National Championship]] honors for most wins, a feat he would repeat in 1907.<ref name= racingmuseum1/>

The July 10, 1906, edition of the ''[[Daily Racing Form]]'' reported that Francis Hitchcock was negotiating with trainer Charles Rowe to acquire the services of LaVerne Swell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906071001/drf1906071001_2_8 |title= Hitchcock Wants Jockey Sewell |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=July 10, 1906|accessdate=August 12, 2021}}</ref> The result was that on August 2, 1906, Hickock's trainer John Madden gave Sewell the ride on Dandelion in the mile and one-quarter [[Invincible Handicap]] at [[Brighton Beach Race Course]]. As the ''Daily Racing Form'' reported, "Dandelion finally won a race [...] after an errorless ride on the part of jockey Sewell."<ref name="drf1906080301">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/drf1906080301 |title=Invincible To Dandelion |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=August 3, 1906 |accessdate=August 2, 2021}}</ref> Four days later Swell was again aboard Dandelion, scoring an impressive win in the [[Saratoga Handicap]] at [[Saratoga Race Course]] breaking the track record by 3/5 of a second for the mile and one-quarter event on dirt with a winning time of 2:04 2/5. Tangle, also owned by Francis Hitchcock, finished second under jockey Walter Miller.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1906/08/07/archives/dandelions-handicap-new-saratoga-record-hitchcocks-colts-finish.html |title=Dandelion's Handicap New Saratoga Record |publisher=[[New York Times]], page 4 |date=August 7, 1906 |accessdate=July 24, 2021}}</ref> The Invincible and Saratoga Handicaps had been the two big events of that New York state racing season.<ref name="drf1906080301"/> Following those successes, and still at the Saratoga track, Sewell and Dandelion won the August 14 [[Delaware Handicap (Saratoga)|Delaware Handicap]] and the August 30 [[Champlain Handicap]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906081501/drf1906081501_3_2 |title= Saratoga Form Chart |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=August 15, 1906 |accessdate=April 17, 2021}}</ref>

===Death=== On November 9, 1906, LaVerne Sewell rode Lichtmess in the sixth and final race of the day at Sheepshead Bay Race Track. The Chart for the race shows that Sewell and Lichtmess were running fifth in a field of eight as they came down the homestretch. The Chart's comments stated that Herodotus had been "boring out all through the long stretch" and that Deuce, running second at the last turn had suddenly "bolted to the outside." While the Chart shows that Sewell's horse fell coming down the stretch there is no further comment as to what caused the fall that proved fatal for the jockey.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906111001/drf1906111001_2_3 |title=New York Form Chart |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=November 10, 1906 |accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref> The next day's ''Daily Racing Form'' reported that after Sewell' accident he was up and around saying he was okay. He was driven home by trainer [[Fred Burlew]] and accompanied by jockey [[Frank O'Neill (jockey)|Frank O'Neill]]. On the way he began passing out and once at home medical help was obtained but he died late that evening with what would be diagnosed as a ruptured kidney and internal bleeding.<ref name=LS1/>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sewell, LaVerne}} [[Category:1888 births]] [[Category:1906 deaths]] [[Category:Jockeys who died while racing]] [[Category:People from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn]] [[Category:Jockeys from Brooklyn]] [[Category:Sports deaths in New York (state)]]