James H. Butwell
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| Jimmy Butwell | ||
| Occupation: | Jockey | |
| Birthplace: | Michigan, United States | |
| Birth date: | c. 1892 | |
| Death date: | 1956 | |
| Career wins: | 1,402 | |
| Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards | ||
| Major Racing Wins | ||
| Belmont Futurity Stakes (1909) Ladies Handicap (1909) Toboggan Handicap (1909, 1914) Withers Stakes (1909, 1913, 1917) Adirondack Stakes (1910) Kentucky Oaks (1912) Matron Stakes (1914) Travers Stakes (1914, 1917) Tremont Stakes (1914, 1916) Queens County Handicap (1915) Excelsior Handicap (1916) Saranac Handicap (1917) Fall Highweight Handicap (1922) Remsen Stakes (1922) American Classic Race wins International race wins: |
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| Racing Awards | ||
| United States Champion Jockey by earnings (1912) United States Champion Jockey by wins (1920) |
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| Honours | ||
| United States' Racing Hall of Fame (1984) | ||
| Significant Horses | ||
| Maskette, Sweep, Roamer, Omar Khayyam Buskin, Hourless |
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James H. "Jimmy" Butwell (c.1892-1956) was an American Hall of Fame jockey. His birth year placed at the Family Search.org website states it as 1896. However, despite the fact there were no child labor laws in the United States, it seems unlikely that he would have been a professional jockey at age twelve.
A Michigan native, before his successful time riding in the New York City area, Jimmy Butwell began his career at small race tracks in Nebraska and Colorado. Butwell rode for several prominent owners and in 1912, a year he led all North American riders in earnings, he rode Monocacy to victory for Harry Payne Whitney in the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Of his four mounts in the Kentucky Derby, Butwell's best finish was third in 1915. He won the 1913 Preakness Stakes and captured the Belmont Stakes in 1910 and again in 1917. In 1920 Butwell had more race wins than any jockey in the United States and the following year rode Herendesy to victory in Canada's most prestigious race, the Queen's Plate.
Jimmy Butwell retired after riding in the 1928 season then worked as a racing official. Living in Florida, he was working at Gulfstream Park when he passed away in 1956. He was inducted in the United States' Racing Hall of Fame in 1984.
