Paul Jones (1917–1930) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse that was the sixth gelding to win the Kentucky Derby. Paul Jones was foaled in the same year as

Man o' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...

, winner of the 1920

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

and Belmont Stakes and one of the most influential sires of the 20th century. Man o' War was not entered in the 1920 Kentucky Derby because it was thought that a race so early in the season would be too taxing for him. Avalyn Hunter. ''American Classic Pedigrees: 1914-2002''. Blood-Horse Publications. 2003. Upset, the only horse ever to defeat Man o' War, did make it to the Derby.

Background

Paul Jones was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky at Hamburg Place, the stud farm of

John E. Madden John Edward Madden (December 28, 1856 – November 3, 1929) was a prominent American Thoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky ...

.The Washington Post. "Former Great, Paul Jones, A Servant." May 7, 1928

/ref> He was sired by the imported British stallion, Sea King, and was out of the Hamburg (horse), Hamburg bred mare, May Florence.Paul Jones Pedigree
/ref> He was named after famous Admiral

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

and a popular brand of whiskey at the time.

Racing career

The 1920 Kentucky Derby was run on an overcast day on a slow track with a field of seventeen horses. Ridden by Ted Rice, he won the race by a nose after staving off Upset, who showed impressive speed on the home stretch, and On Watch, who was a close third. Paul Jones proved his Derby win was not a fluke by winning the 1920 Suburban Handicap. Paul Jones raced for a total of five years and, being a gelding with no career at stud, was given to his trainer, William Garth, for use as an exercise pony. Garth spoke favorably of his former charge, complimenting the gelding's gentle disposition and work ethic. Paul Jones did race in a few pony races at the

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

and was entered in a number of steeplechase races in the late 1920s under the name of Garth's son-in-law, Dr. John Paul Jones.The Washington Post. "Steeplechase seen by crowd of 20,000." Nov 16, 1928

/ref> Dr. Jones also trained Paul Jones as a hunter and rode him in fox hunting, fox hunts.

Retirement

In 1929, Paul Jones was pensioned by Garth to live the remainder of his life at the Inglecress Farm near Charlottesville, Virginia, also the final home of 1911 Kentucky Derby winner

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

. Paul Jones was euthanized in April 1930 due to physical infirmities and was buried at Dr. John Paul Jones's Inglecress Farm near Charlottesville, Virginia.''

Daily Racing Form The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of raceh ...

'' "1920 Derby Winner Dead." May 7, 193

/ref>

References

{{Kentucky Derby Winners 1917 racehorse births 1930 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Thoroughbred family 24