American jockey
Matthew A. McGee (December 1890 - October 28, 1949)[1] was an American jockey born and raised in Covington, Kentucky who rode Durbar to victory in the 1914 Epsom Derby, England's most prestigious race,[2] for Herman B. Duryea. Based in France his other winners for Duryea included the 1913 French 1000 Guineas (the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches) on Banshee.[3] Afterwards he rode for several years for Baron Edouard de Rothschild up to 1927.[4]
Note that his name is frequently misspelled as "MacGee" in European records, including the Media Guide for the Epsom Derby[5] and on a 1923 sports card.[6] His temporary licenses to ride in England were issued in the name of "Matthew A MacGee" and later "Mathew A MacGee".[7]
References
- ^ His death certificate (Commonwealth of Kentucky, coronary thrombosis) lists his date of birth as 16 December 1891 and his name as Mathew A McGee. His social security application (SSN 324224445) gives the same date but name of Matt Aloysius McGee
- ^ Kenton County (Kentucky) Public Library, April 8, 2014 comprehensive article with photos titled "100 Years Ago, Latonia Jockey Reached Horse Racing’s Pinnacle"
- ^ The Scotsman, 19 May 1913, p.9
- ^ Dundee Evening Telegraph, 1 June 1927, p.1
- ^ [1] Epsom Derby Festival 2017 Media Guide
- ^ [2] Godfrey Phillips Cigarette Card - Derby Winners & Jockeys (series of 25 issued in 1923)
- ^ The Racing Calendar for the year 1912: races past, London, 1912, and subsequent volumes up to 1924
