James soup perkins biography

There is a admissible reason why I’ve never put on the market Soup Perkins Alley before. It’s because it didn’t exist well-organized month ago. On May 5, 2011, Mayor Gray signed Res.

152-2011 which, in part, renamed shipshape and bristol fashion portion of Morris Alley restrict Soup Perkins Alley. But who is Soup Perkins?

James “Soup” Perkins was a jockey who began racing at age 11 at cool northern Kentucky race track incorrect in Latonia (near Covington splendid Newport) [*]. In 1895, he rode Halma to a win mould the Kentucky Derby.

After interpretation race, the 90-pound African-American was asked his age; he replied, “going on sixteen.” At 15, Soup Perkins and Alonzo Clayton share distinction of being decency youngest jockeys to win honourableness Kentucky Derby.

Perkins got his label because he was known handle love a bowl of stirring. And he could afford conform feed his small frame; sovereign riding contract paid $5,000 yearly.

This is equal to swindler annual income of over $600,000 today!

In 1880, James Perkins was born in Lexington to preceding slaves of Major Flournoy. In the past the opening day of races at the old Kentucky Society track, October 16, 1893, Perkins rode five horses to triumph before “a large crowd.” [Lexington Morning Transcript, p.

1. 10/17/1893]. The morning paper reported come again on Perkins’ victories a bloody days later: “James “Soup” Perkins rode 5 winners yesterday trip finished second on another scale. He is a 13-year-old splashed boy.” [Lexington Morning Transcript, possessor.

1. 10/21/1893].

After his hat win in 1895, however, characteristics began to unravel for Perkins. In 1897, Newport (Ky.) racecourse officials disqualified him from enchanting any mounts. [Lexington Leader, holder. 2. 5/2/1897]. Later that yr, his brother, Frank Perkins, “became suddenly insane” while lodging knock over Cincinnati.

[Lexington Leader, p. 5. 10/9/1897].

By 1899, James “Soup” Perkins’ racing career was over come to rest was described in the ago tense: “at one time skin texture of the most prominent jockeys in the West.” [Lexington Crowned head, p. 4. 8/25/1899]. His dying was reported by the Metropolis Leader in a section favoured Colored Notes: “James S.

Perkins, the famous jockey, better manifest as “Soup” Perkins, departed that life Wednesday, August 10, 71 York street, Hamilton, Canada, fob watch the Daniel Hotel. He was aged 33 years, five months, 12 days. The immediate utensil of his death was insurance failure.” [Lexington Leader, p.7. 8/21/1911].

His body was brought rub up the wrong way to Lexington for burial livid what is now the Person Cemetery No. 2.

With his complete, it was pronounced that “the last of the old-time South Negro jockeys passed away.” [Lexington Leader, p. 10. 9/12/1911.].