Benny Marinelli (c. 1902 – October 22, 1927) was an American

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

best known for winning the

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Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

in 1923. Born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fwktAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iNgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4348,3778143&dq=benny-marinelli&hl=en Benny Marinelli was working as a

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

laborer when a friend suggested his small stature meant he might be able to make it as a jockey. Marinelli eventually decided to explore the possibility and took a job as a stable hand. After learning to ride, he embarked on a professional riding career in 1920. He rode on the east coast then went to compete at the winter meet at the

Agua Caliente Racetrack Agua means water in Spanish. Agua may also refer to: Places * ''Agua de Dios'' (God's water), a municipality in Colombia * Volcán de Agua, a stratovolcano located in Guatemala Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Agua'' (film), a 2006 Argentin ...

Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

where he met with great success. The following year, Benny Marinelli finished second to

Chick Lang Charles John "Chick" Lang (July 1905 – June 14, 1947) was a Canadian Hall of Fame jockey who became a National Champion rider in the United States and who won the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race of both countries. Born in Hamilt ...

for most wins by a United States jockey in 1921 with 118. In 1923, Marinelli won the

aboard Walter J. Salmon's colt,

Vigil A vigil, from the Latin meaning 'wakefulness' ( Greek: , or ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word has become generalized in this sense and means 'eve' (as in "on t ...

and finished third in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

. That same year, for owner Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr., he also guided

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...

to victory in the prestigious

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

. On May 8, 1925, Benny Marinelli was severely injured in a racing accident at

Jamaica Race Course Jamaica Race Course, also called the Jamaica Racetrack, was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. History The track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featu ...

Jamaica, New York Jamaica is a neighborhood in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. It has a popular large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis, Queens, Hollis, ...

. He suffered a fractured skull and was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica where on the following Tuesday, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported that doctors had given up on him, saying he "had practically no chance of recovery." After remaining in a coma for ten days, Marinelli regained consciousness and eventually was able to return to racing. However, in ''

The Miami News ''The Miami News'' was an evening newspaper in Miami, Florida. It was the media market competitor to the morning edition of the ''Miami Herald'' for most of the 20th century. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called ''The Miami ...

'' report on his death, the newspaper said that during the two plus years after his accident he "had had many mental lapses since." Separated from his wife for two years, and having difficulty returning to peak riding form, on October 24, 1927, a despondent Benny Marinelli checked into a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

rooming house A rooming house, also called a "multi-tenant house", is a "dwelling with multiple Lease-by-room, rooms rented out individually", in which the tenants share kitchen and often bathroom facilities. Rooming houses are often used as housing for low-i ...

where he killed himself by inhaling

gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...

. He was buried in his native Newark, New Jersey. In their reports on his death, the ''

Reading Eagle The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of P ...

'' newspaper wrote that Marinelli was twenty-five years old, but the ''Miami News'' said he was twenty-four.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C0EuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gNgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5156,5067340&dq=benny+marinelli&hl=en

References

External links

1925 newspaper article and large photo sketch of Benny MarinelliOctober 24, 1927 ''Miami News'' article titled "Famous Jockey Kills Himself By Taking Gas"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marinelli, Benny 1927 deaths American jockeys Suicides by gas Sportspeople from Newark, New Jersey Year of birth uncertain 1927 suicides Suicides in New York City