Ted Atkinson, 88, Hall of Fame Jockey
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Hall of Fame jockey Ted Atkinson, who was the first rider to win more than $1 million in single-season purses in 1946, died yesterday at his home in Beaver Dam, Va. He was 88.
Atkinson rode 3,795 winners from 23,661 mounts during his career that began in 1938 and ended in 1959.
After Whirlaway swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes to win the Triple Crown in 1941, Atkinson and his mount defeated Whirlaway in the Narragansett Special.
He rode 1953 Horse of the Year Tom Fool, who swept New York’s three major handicap races: the Metropolitan, the Suburban, and the Brooklyn.
Atkinson also rode Hall of Fame horses Devil Diver and Gallorette.
A native of Toronto, Atkinson became a jockey at the relatively advanced age of 21 and was known for his mastery of the whip.
