James Edward "Sunny Jim"Fitzsimmons (July 23, 1874 – March 11, 1966) was aThoroughbredracehorse trainer.
| James E. Fitzsimmons | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Trainer |
| Born | July 23, 1874 Sheepshead Bay,New York |
| Died | March 11, 1966(1966-03-11) (aged 91) Miami,Florida |
| Career wins | 2,275 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Oakdale Handicap (1920, 1921, 1924, 1927, 1931) Southampton Handicap (1921, 1922, 1923) Suburban Handicap (1922, 1938, 1951, 1956, 1958) Juvenile Stakes (1927, 1932, 1954, 1956) Tremont Stakes (1927, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1953) Jockey Club Gold Cup (1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1944, 1955, 1956) Empire City Handicap (1930, 1932, 1934, 1940, 1942, 1946) Wood Memorial Stakes (1928, 1930, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1955, 1957) American Classic Race wins: | |
| Racing awards | |
| U.S. Champion Trainer by earnings (1930, 1932, 1936, 1939, 1955) | |
| Honours | |
| United States' Racing Hall of Fame (1958) National Turf Writers Association annual Mr. Fitz Award | |
| Significant horses | |
| Hard Tack,Seabiscuit,Gallant Fox,Granville,Omaha,Johnstown,Nashua,Misty Morn,Dice,Bold Ruler | |
Early life
editBorn inSheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in 1874, Fitzsimmons began his career in 1885 working at a racetrack as a stable boy.[1] After nearly ten less-than-successful years as a thoroughbredjockey, he became too heavy for that job and took up the training of horses. He went on to have one of the most successful careers in racing history, spanning seventy years from 1894 to 1963 with 2,275 race wins.
Professional career
editKnown as both "Sunny Jim" and as "Mr. Fitz", he trained threeKentucky Derby winners, fourPreakness Stakes winners, and sixBelmont Stakes winners. Included were twoU.S. Triple Crown champions:Gallant Fox in 1930 and his sonOmaha in 1935. Fitzsimmons' total of thirteenClassic wins was broken byD. Wayne Lukas in2013. Five times, Fitzsimmons was the season's top money-winning trainer.
In 1923, Fitzsimmons took over training atBelair Stud. Following the death ofWilliam Woodward, Jr., Belair's owner, in 1955 and the dispersal of its stock, Fitzsimmons continued to train for theWheatley Stable, where he conditioned Preakness winner and 1957American Horse of the YearBold Ruler, who siredSecretariat.
Accolades
editIn recognition of his accomplishments, in 1958 Fitzsimmons was inducted in theNational Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.[2]
TheNational Turf Writers Association created an award in his name called the "Mr. Fitz Award" to honor a member of the horse racing fraternity each year.
Death
editSunny Jim Fitzsimmons died in 1966 inMiami. He is buried in theHoly Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.
Selected wins
editSelected other major stakes race wins:
References
edit- ^Nichols, Joe."AQUEDUCT PAUSES TO SALUTE MR. FITZ; Bettors Forget the Mutuels to Hail Retiring Trainer --Pollingfold Triumphs AQUEDUCT PAUSES TO CHEER MR. FITZ Some Small Delays A Peerless Trainer A Day Like Others",The New York Times, June 16, 1963. Accessed November 16, 2009. "Born July 23, 1874, in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, where he still lives..."
- ^National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Fitzsimmons bio Retrieved July 3, 2018
Sources
edit- Breslin, JimmySunny Jim: The life of America's most beloved horseman, James Fitzsimmons (1962)Doubleday & Company, Inc.
- Bowen, Edward L.Masters of the Turf: Ten Trainers Who Dominated Horse Racing's Golden Age (2007)Eclipse Press (ISBN 978-1581501490)
- James Fitzsimmons at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- James Fitzsimmons and the Kentucky Derby