Johnson, Albert
Horse Racing
b. Nov. 18, 1900, Spokane, WA
d. Sept. 18, 1966
The fifth jockey in history to win the Kentucky Derby twice, Johnson did it with Morvich in 1922 and Bubbling over in 1926. He won two straight Belmont Stakes, aboard American Flag in 1925 and Crusader in 1926.
Johnson began jockeying in 1917 and was the top money-winning jockey with $345,054 in 1922, when he won 43 of 297 races. Among the outstanding horses he rode during his career was Exterminator in 1922.
In 1928, Johnson had trouble keeping his weight down and he went to Europe to try steeplechasing, but was unsuccessful. After coming back to the U. S., he returned to riding briefly and then became a trainer. He later served as a racing official.
Johnson was killed after being hit by a train. In just twelve full seasons as a jockey, his mounts earned $1,304,570. Johnson had 503 wins in 3,199 races, with 473 seconds and 481 third-place finishes.