When Man o' War's owner Sam Riddle let it be known that he had no intention of entering his champion in the Kentucky Derby, other owners lined up their horses to take a crack at one of the few rich races not on Man o' War's schedule. In a big and competitive field of 17, Paul Jones just lasted to defeat Man o' War's old rival Upset by a head. Later that year, he won the Suburban Handicap against older males, but his true merits can be assessed by the fact that Man o' War gave him 24 pounds and a thorough beating in the Potomac Handicap in the fall. Paul Jones also faced Exterminator 10 times, finishing behind “Old Bones” in seven of them in spite of weight advantages averaging 19 pounds. He raced on through his six-year-old season and was later used as a stable pony, hunter and steeplechaser.
Race record
65 starts, 14 wins, 12 second, 13 thirds, US$64,171
1919:
1920:
1921:
1922:
1923:
As an individual
A brown gelding, Paul Jones was small, unattractive and ill-tempered. He had a history of recurrent lameness from his 2-year-old season onward. He was a superior mudder and took the two biggest wins of his career on off tracks. His temper mellowed with age.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Paul Jones was bred by John E. Madden. After being purchased for US$1,000 from the Saratoga yearling sale of 1918, he was officially owned by Ralph Parr in 1919 and 1920 and for one start in 1921; afterward, he was listed as owned by J. S. Cosden, who in fact may have co-owned Paul Jones with Parr during the horse's entire career. He was trained by William Garth. After his racing career and a brief stint as Garth's stable pony, Paul Jones was given to Garth's daughter, Mrs. John Porter Jones, whose husband schooled him to jump and rode him in informal steeplechase races. Mrs. Jones also rode him as a lady's hunter, using a sidesaddle. Paul Jones was euthanized due to physical infirmities at age 13 and was buried at Inglecress Farm, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Pedigree notes
Paul Jones is outcrossed through five generations. His sire, Sea King, sired four other minor stakes winners and is a Persimmon half brother to 1901 Jockey Club Stakes winner Pietermaritzburg (by Persimmon's sire St. Simon), who led the Argentine general sire list in 1911.
Paul Jones' dam May Florence produced nothing else of any importance but had an interesting pedigree, as she was inbred 4x4 to 1885 American champion sire Virgil and Florence through the full siblings Hindoo (one of the great champions of the 19th century) and Florida. A half sister to multiple juvenile stakes winner Sea Cliff (by Clifford), she is out of Fiesole (by Goldfinch), also the dam of stakes producers Miniato (by Querido) and Florence (by Macdonald II). Fiesole, in turn, is out of the great race mare Firenze (Glenelg x Florida) and is a half sister to Pearl V. (by Salvator), dam of stakes winners Sir Voorhees (by Sir Modred), Water Pearl (by Watercress), and Golden Pearl (by Golden Garter).
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: June 28, 2024
Race record
65 starts, 14 wins, 12 second, 13 thirds, US$64,171
1919:
- Won Aberdeen Stakes (USA, 4.5FD, Havre de Grace)
- Won Bouquet Selling Stakes (USA, 5FD, Belmont)
- Won Endurance Handicap (USA, 8FD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd Albany Handicap (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Also set a track record of 1:41 for one mile at Havre de Grace in an allowance race
1920:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Newark Handicap (USA, 6FD, Havre de Grace)
- Won Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Chesapeake Stakes (USA, 8F+70yD, Havre de Grace)
- 2nd Oxford Handicap (USA, 6FD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd Whitehall Handicap (USA, 6FD, Laurel)
- 3rd Pimlico Cup (USA, 18FD, Pimlico)
1921:
- Won Susquehanna Handicap (USA, 8FD, Havre de Grace)
- 2nd Pimlico Spring Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Olambala Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Lake George Handicap (USA, 8FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Champlain Handicap (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
1922:
- 2nd Calvert Handicap (USA, 6FD, Laurel)
- 2nd Pimlico Cup Handicap (USA, 18FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Stafford Handicap (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
1923:
- 2nd Philadelphia Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Havre de Grace)
- 2nd Stafford Handicap (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Old Dominion Handicap (USA, 8F+70yD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd American Independence Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hawthorne)
As an individual
A brown gelding, Paul Jones was small, unattractive and ill-tempered. He had a history of recurrent lameness from his 2-year-old season onward. He was a superior mudder and took the two biggest wins of his career on off tracks. His temper mellowed with age.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Paul Jones was bred by John E. Madden. After being purchased for US$1,000 from the Saratoga yearling sale of 1918, he was officially owned by Ralph Parr in 1919 and 1920 and for one start in 1921; afterward, he was listed as owned by J. S. Cosden, who in fact may have co-owned Paul Jones with Parr during the horse's entire career. He was trained by William Garth. After his racing career and a brief stint as Garth's stable pony, Paul Jones was given to Garth's daughter, Mrs. John Porter Jones, whose husband schooled him to jump and rode him in informal steeplechase races. Mrs. Jones also rode him as a lady's hunter, using a sidesaddle. Paul Jones was euthanized due to physical infirmities at age 13 and was buried at Inglecress Farm, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Pedigree notes
Paul Jones is outcrossed through five generations. His sire, Sea King, sired four other minor stakes winners and is a Persimmon half brother to 1901 Jockey Club Stakes winner Pietermaritzburg (by Persimmon's sire St. Simon), who led the Argentine general sire list in 1911.
Paul Jones' dam May Florence produced nothing else of any importance but had an interesting pedigree, as she was inbred 4x4 to 1885 American champion sire Virgil and Florence through the full siblings Hindoo (one of the great champions of the 19th century) and Florida. A half sister to multiple juvenile stakes winner Sea Cliff (by Clifford), she is out of Fiesole (by Goldfinch), also the dam of stakes producers Miniato (by Querido) and Florence (by Macdonald II). Fiesole, in turn, is out of the great race mare Firenze (Glenelg x Florida) and is a half sister to Pearl V. (by Salvator), dam of stakes winners Sir Voorhees (by Sir Modred), Water Pearl (by Watercress), and Golden Pearl (by Golden Garter).
Books and media
- “Paul Jones Finally Gained Respect in the Derby” is the 13th chapter of Jim Bolus' Derby Magic (1997, Pelican Publishing Company).
- Paul Jones is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Paul Jones was named after the famous American naval commander John Paul Jones, who was also the namesake for a brand of whiskey popular in the early 20th century.
- While Paul Jones broke the mile track record at Havre de Grace in early 1920, it wasn't considered much of a feat; his win was only the second time that the distance had been contested at the track.
- Paul Jones, who was a 100-1 shot in the early Derby books and won the Kentucky Derby at 16-1 odds, wasn't even considered the best Derby candidate in his own stable, although his trainer, William Garth disagreed in the days leading up to the race. Most people felt Paul Jones' stablemate Blazes was the better runner, but he never threatened and finished sixth.
- Paul Jones was the sixth gelding to win the Kentucky Derby but was the first to do so at level weights with colts. Prior to 1920, geldings received a 3-pound weight allowance. 1920 was also the first year in which all starters carried 126 pounds except the filly Cleopatra, who received a 5-pound sex allowance.
- Following the Kentucky Derby, owner Ral Parr gave Paul Jones' jockey Ted Rice US$5,000 for riding the winner, believed to be the largest riding fee given to an American jockey to that time. Rice generously split the fee with Clarence Kummer, who rode Blazes. Unfortunately, Rice was killed in a spill at Jamaica on October 6, 1923.
- Not long after the conclusion of his racing career, Paul Jones was lame and slated for possible humane destruction. Instead, after Mrs. Jones asked that he be spared and given to her, he was “nerved” in the lame foot. This was an operation that severed the nerve carrying pain impulses from the foot. While this relieved the horse of pain, it risked further injury due to the foot's lack of sensation.
- By the time Paul Jones won the 1920 Kentucky Derby, his sire Sea King was so little thought of that he commanded a stud fee of only US$50.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: June 28, 2024