John Joseph Bejshak (September 19, 1909 – December 26, 1969) was a Canadian-born jockey who competed in
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Thoroughbred horse racing best known as the rider of 1935
American Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...
,
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
.
Bejshak was hired by prominent Canadian horseman
J. K. L. Ross
Commander John Kenneth Leveson "Jack" Ross, CBE (31 March 1876 – 25 July 1951) was a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist. He is best remembered for winning the first United States Triple ...
who brought him to work at his Maryland breeding farm. His contract was sold to
Alfred G. Vanderbilt II
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (September 22, 1912 – November 12, 1999) was a British-born member of the prominent Vanderbilt railroad family, and a noted figure of American thoroughbred horse racing. He was the youngest-ever member of The Jockey ...
where he would meet his future father-in-law, trainer
Bud Stotler
Joseph Horace "Bud" Stotler (June 26, 1888 – October 14, 1957) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Champion trainer who conditioned horses that won four Championships. He was of German descent.
Commonly known as "Bud," he began worki ...
, whose clients included Vanderbilt and
William R. Coe. In 1933 Bejshak rode Coe's colt Pomponius to a fifth-place finish in the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
and to a fourth in the
Preakness Stakes. For Vanderbilt and his
Sagamore Stable, Bejshak was aboard Discovery for most of his races between 1934 and 1936, winning major handicaps from
New York City to
Detroit and
Chicago and in
California.
Plagued by
weight gain, Bejshak's career was cut short. He retired from riding in 1936 and in the 1940s went to work for
Laurel Park as custodian of the jockey quarters, patrol judge, clerk of scales, and placing judge. He died of a
heart attack in 1969 at age sixty.
Baltimore Sun obituary at Findagrave.com - December 28, 1969
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External links
John Bejshak's Memorial & photo at Find a Grave
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bejshak, John
1909 births
1969 deaths
American jockeys
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Sportspeople from Montreal