410:, where they met two women at a bar and the foursome proceeded to carouse well into the night. While driving on a dark road, one of the women, Evelyn Sliwinski, vomited in the car and Saunders made her leave the vehicle. The other three drove off, leaving Sliwinski staggering on the road. Schaeffer was driving, and the three decided to turn around to go back to Sliwinski, but did not see her. While driving down the road, they felt the car hit something but Schaeffer thought it was a rock and did not stop to see what happened. Two teenagers discovered Sliwinski’s body later that night. The next day, the other woman, Agnes Mackinson, reported what she witnessed to the police. Soon, Schaeffer was charged with murder and Saunders indicted as an accessory. Because there was also an allegation that Philip Scholtz, one of the teens who found the body, had told witnesses he thought he had struck Sliwinski, there was sufficient reasonable doubt raised and Schaeffer was acquitted. Saunders’ charges were dropped. Though found not guilty, the two men did pay $ 10,000 to settle a civil lawsuit brought by Sliwinski’s heirs.
31:
267:
and exercise boy. As a teenager, Saunders returned to
Bozeman, where he lived with an uncle, Guy Saunders, attended high school, and rode races at small tracks in Montana. Saunders moved to California in 1932.
368:, contracted while overseas, resulted in considerable weight loss that allowed him to resume his career in racing once the war ended. In 1948, Saunders rode Bovard to victory in the
499:
Bill, Christine (May 29, 1998). "OMAHA, 1935: THIRD TRIPLE CROWN WINNER; Omaha Struck Pay Dirt Long Before
Nebraska Football Did Series: CROWNING MOMENTS IN HORSE RACING HISTORY".
631:
621:
240:
651:
573:
513:
656:
455:“Jockey Had Early Interest in Races,” Billings Gazette, May 6, 1935; “Derby Wins of the Triple Crown Victors: Omaha,” Blood-Horse, April 25, 2017; Allison,
661:
285:
406:
After his Triple Crown win, Saunders was embroiled in a murder scandal in
October 1935. He and a friend, Walter Schaeffer, went out on the town in
596:
641:
361:
149:
646:
395:
226:
196:
106:
132:
375:
When his riding career ended in 1950, Saunders worked as a trainer before becoming a racing official at racetracks in
548:
474:
276:
In
California, Saunders began riding under contract for trainer L.T. Whitehill, and earned his first major win at
30:
636:
626:
526:
142:
166:
616:
611:
407:
343:
aboard Dunlin Lady. After his rise to fame as a jockey, he also had a minor role in the comedic film
320:
304:
421:
120:
384:
357:
277:
308:
300:
111:
340:
332:
260:
256:
177:
101:
63:
247:
in 1935. News reports in
Saunders’ lifetime used both the nicknames “Willie” and “Smokey.”
433:
369:
296:
158:
137:
79:
295:
Saunders next moved to the east coast. There, Saunders rode for prominent owners such as
336:
328:
182:
172:
125:
605:
345:
324:
244:
213:
425:
353:
289:
236:
233:
597:
May 13, 1935 TIME magazine article on Willie
Saunders win in the Kentucky Derby
429:
312:
380:
281:
264:
284:
on April 4 1932. Competing at tracks in southern
California, Alberta-born
263:
when he was eight years old. There, he spent time at
Canadian tracks as a
376:
414:
388:
365:
316:
209:
372:, then rode the colt to a third-place finish in the Preakness Stakes.
229:
44:
591:
Southern
Hoofprints: A History of Horse Racing in Southern Alberta.
327:, and in 1935 they won the U.S. Triple Crown with victories in the
352:
Weight problems interrupted his career, as did the outbreak of
394:
On its formation in 1976, Saunders was inducted into the
413:
On June 29, 1936, Saunders married
Pauline Waterbury of
364:. During his four years in the military, a bout of
255:Though considered a Canadian, Saunders was born in
203:
190:
93:
85:
69:
50:
40:
21:
241:United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
549:"True Crime in Horse Racing: A Deadly Night Out"
323:. Fitzsimmons then put Saunders aboard the colt
225:(April 13, 1915 – July 30, 1986) was a
8:
632:Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees
622:United States Army personnel of World War II
339:. In 1935, Saunders also won the inaugural
29:
18:
593:Victoria, BC: Friesen Press, 2015. eBook.
451:
449:
307:. He won the 1934 Rochambeau Handicap at
436:, hospital on July 30, 1986, at age 71.
542:
540:
445:
652:People from Hallandale Beach, Florida
516:, Evening Independent, August 1, 1986
469:
467:
465:
259:in 1915. He moved with his family to
150:Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap
7:
432:, and five weeks after he died in a
657:Deaths from brain cancer in Florida
574:"Jockey Saunders Weds Detroit Girl"
349:(1941) in which he played himself.
662:Deaths from lung cancer in Florida
479:Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
396:Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
227:Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
197:Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
14:
547:Kelly, Jennifer (July 17, 2022).
156:Governor Caldwell Handicap (1948)
84:
1:
292:tutored Saunders on riding.
642:People from Bozeman, Montana
527:"Triple Crown Heroes: Omaha"
133:San Juan Capistrano Handicap
475:"William (Smokey) Saunders"
360:and served overseas in the
678:
580:. Jun 30, 1936. p. 6.
99:Rochambeau Handicap (1934)
647:Sportspeople from Calgary
514:William Saunders obituary
223:William "Smokey" Saunders
208:
195:
98:
28:
23:William “Smokey” Saunders
424:, he was diagnosed with
420:Living in retirement in
286:U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
163:St. Patrick Purse (1949)
130:Monrovia Handicap (1936)
116:South Shore Purse (1935)
321:"Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons
143:Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
147:New Year Stakes (1937)
356:, when he joined the
319:, who was trained by
167:American Classic Race
578:Ludington Daily News
408:Louisville, Kentucky
154:Ladies Stakes (1939)
118:Chicago Derby (1936)
553:The TwinSpires Edge
457:Southern Hoofprints
426:cancer of the brain
422:Hallandale, Florida
385:Calder Race Course
358:United States Army
311:aboard Woodward's
278:Tanforan Racetrack
204:Significant horses
501:Los Angeles Times
309:Narragansett Park
301:Hal Price Headley
220:
219:
112:Saratoga Handicap
94:Major racing wins
669:
637:American jockeys
627:Canadian jockeys
582:
581:
570:
564:
563:
561:
559:
544:
535:
534:
523:
517:
511:
505:
504:
496:
490:
489:
487:
485:
471:
460:
453:
341:Santa Anita Oaks
333:Preakness Stakes
305:William Woodward
261:Calgary, Alberta
257:Bozeman, Montana
178:Preakness Stakes
107:Nursery Handicap
102:Santa Anita Oaks
76:
64:Bozeman, Montana
60:
58:
35:Saunders in 1935
33:
24:
19:
677:
676:
672:
671:
670:
668:
667:
666:
602:
601:
589:Allison, Gary.
586:
585:
572:
571:
567:
557:
555:
546:
545:
538:
525:
524:
520:
512:
508:
498:
497:
493:
483:
481:
473:
472:
463:
454:
447:
442:
434:Naples, Florida
404:
370:Louisiana Derby
362:Pacific Theater
297:Wheatley Stable
274:
253:
181:
176:
171:
162:
159:Louisiana Derby
157:
155:
153:
148:
146:
141:
138:Aberdeen Stakes
136:
131:
129:
124:
119:
117:
115:
110:
105:
100:
80:Naples, Florida
78:
74:
62:
56:
54:
36:
22:
17:
16:Canadian jockey
12:
11:
5:
675:
673:
665:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
604:
603:
600:
599:
594:
584:
583:
565:
536:
531:bloodhorse.com
518:
506:
491:
461:
444:
443:
441:
438:
403:
400:
337:Belmont Stakes
329:Kentucky Derby
273:
270:
252:
249:
218:
217:
206:
205:
201:
200:
193:
192:
188:
187:
183:Belmont Stakes
173:Kentucky Derby
126:Fashion Stakes
96:
95:
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
77:(aged 71)
71:
67:
66:
61:April 13, 1915
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
674:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
609:
607:
598:
595:
592:
588:
587:
579:
575:
569:
566:
554:
550:
543:
541:
537:
532:
528:
522:
519:
515:
510:
507:
502:
495:
492:
480:
476:
470:
468:
466:
462:
458:
452:
450:
446:
439:
437:
435:
431:
427:
423:
418:
416:
411:
409:
402:Personal life
401:
399:
397:
392:
390:
386:
382:
378:
373:
371:
367:
363:
359:
355:
350:
348:
347:
346:Mr. Celebrity
342:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
293:
291:
287:
283:
279:
271:
269:
266:
262:
258:
250:
248:
246:
242:
238:
235:
231:
228:
224:
215:
211:
207:
202:
198:
194:
189:
186:
184:
179:
174:
170:
168:
160:
151:
144:
139:
134:
127:
122:
121:Detroit Derby
113:
108:
103:
97:
92:
88:
81:
73:July 30, 1986
72:
68:
65:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
590:
577:
568:
556:. Retrieved
552:
530:
521:
509:
500:
494:
482:. Retrieved
478:
456:
419:
412:
405:
393:
374:
354:World War II
351:
344:
294:
290:George Woolf
280:in northern
275:
254:
239:and won the
237:horse racing
234:Thoroughbred
222:
221:
165:
164:
75:(1986-07-30)
617:1986 deaths
612:1915 births
313:Belair Stud
251:Early years
86:Career wins
606:Categories
440:References
381:New Jersey
282:California
265:hot walker
57:1915-04-13
41:Occupation
459:, 279–80.
216:, Whopper
89:not found
377:Illinois
415:Detroit
389:Florida
366:malaria
317:Faireno
288:jockey
210:Faireno
191:Honours
558:9 July
484:9 July
383:, and
335:, and
303:, and
272:Career
230:jockey
199:(1976)
185:(1935)
180:(1935)
175:(1935)
161:(1948)
152:(1937)
145:(1937)
140:(1937)
135:(1936)
128:(1936)
123:(1936)
114:(1935)
109:(1935)
104:(1935)
45:Jockey
430:lungs
325:Omaha
315:colt
245:Omaha
214:Omaha
169:wins:
560:2023
486:2023
428:and
70:Died
51:Born
387:in
243:on
232:in
608::
576:.
551:.
539:^
529:.
477:.
464:^
448:^
417:.
398:.
391:.
379:,
331:,
299:,
212:,
562:.
533:.
503:.
488:.
59:)
55:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
