Knapp, "Willie" (William)
Horse Racing
b. 1888, Chicago, IL
d. Oct. 26, 1972
Knapp is probably best known for being the winning jockey in one of the greatest upsets in racing history, when the appropriately-named Upset beat Man o'War in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. It was the only loss of Man o'War's career.
Man o'War's jockey, Johnny Loftus, was suspected of having thrown the race and was denied a jockey's license in 1920 as a result, but in fact Upset won because of Knapp's clever tactics. He took his horse out fast but, instead of taking the lead, hung alongside Golden Broom to keep Man o'War boxed in along the rail. When the favorite finally moved to the outside to get around the two leading horses, Knapp drove Upset to victory in the 3/4-mile sprint.
Knapp became a jockey when he was only thirteen and he began riding in New York when he was seventeen. He led the nation in winners and money won in 1911. For the Willis S. Kilmer Stable, Knapp won the 1918 Kentucky Derby with Exterminator, a 30-1 shot.
Exterminator went on to become one of the great horses in history. Knapp became his trainer in 1920. Known as "Old Bones" because of his lean conformation, Exterminator won 50 races in 100 starts and finished in the money 34 other times, though he usually carried the top weight in handicap events.
Knapp later worked as a clocker and track official. He died of injuries suffered when a car hit him as a he was crossing a street.
As a jockey from 1909 through 1919, Knapp rode 4,185 mounts and had 649 winners, a 15.5 percentage.