Tom Costello (born 1866 – unknown) was an American

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

in the sport of

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 c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

who won three

American Classic Races In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three ...

Biography

As a young boy, Costello lived at the

New York House of Refuge The New York House of Refuge was the first youth detention center, juvenile reformatory established in the United States. The reformatory was opened in 1824 on the Bowery in Manhattan, New York City, destroyed by a fire in 1839, and relocated firs ...

, a place for juveniles convicted of crimes or adjudicated as vagrants. He was one of a number of small boys given a place to live and work at the Long Island

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

farm of

George L. Lorillard George Lyndes Lorillard (March 26, 1843 – February 3, 1886) was an American tobacco manufacturer, yachtsman, and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner. Early life He was born in Westchester, New York, the son of Pierre Lorillard III (1796-1 ...

. There, Costello was given an education in a classroom built at the stables by Lorillard, who encouraged their studies and gave prizes to leading students. Along with the other boys, Tom Costello helped maintain the stables and learned to ride horses. After a five-year apprenticeship, they were given a chance to become professional

s. Costello was highly successful and became wealthy from riding. According to an 1881 newspaper report, by age fifteen he was worth $30,000. Tom Costello rode Lorillard's Saunterer to a win in the 1881

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 The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

''New York Times'', June 8, 1881. Retrieved February 17, 2011. and in 1882 captured his second Preakness Stakes on Lorillard's colt, Vanguard (American horse), Vanguard. In 1881 Tom Costello also rode Memento to victory in the inaugural running of the

Spinaway Stakes The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. Th ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

; at

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

in New Jersey, he won back-to-back editions of the Long Branch Handicap aboard Monitor.

References

External links

22 December 1881 Newspaper clipping on George Lorillard and his stable jockeys

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costello, Tom 1866 births American jockeys Year of death missing

Biography

See also

References

External links