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Henry Wajda

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Henry Wajda
NicknameHammerin' Hank
OccupationJockey
Born(1934-11-27)November 27, 1934
Newmarket, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedJuly 29, 1973(1973-07-29) (aged 38)
Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Newmarket, New Hampshire
Career winnings$6 million+
Career wins2224[1]
Honours
  • Henry Wajda Memorial Handicap at Rockingham Park
  • New England Racing Hall of Fame (2011)
Memorials
New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 290

Henry Frank Wajda[a] (November 27, 1934 – July 29, 1973) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won over 2,200 races and was a leading jockey at New England tracks.

Biography

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Historical marker for Wajda in Newmarket

Wajda was born in 1934 in Newmarket, New Hampshire.[2] Prior to his career as a jockey, he worked in a shoe factory in his hometown.[3] By 1954, he was riding Thoroughbreds as an apprentice at Laurel Park in Maryland.[4] By 1957, he was riding at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire and had picked up the nickname "Hammerin' Hank".[5] In October 1957, while riding at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts, Wajda twice won five races in a single day, each time winning four races consecutively.[6]

On September 6, 1958, Wajda set a world record at Rockingham Park; riding Mark Antony, he covered 1 mile and 70 yards (1.04 mi; 1.67 km) in 1:39+1⁄5,[7] besting the prior record by 1⁄5 of a second.[8]

On June 30, 1960, while riding Lusty Andy at Suffolk Downs, Wajda pulled fellow jockey Anthony DeSpirito back onto Color Bearer after DeSpirito had been knocked off his saddle in the first turn and was clinging to his mount by one hand and had a foot caught in a stirrup.[9] DeSpirito credited Wajda with saving his life.[9] For his bravery, Wajda received a commemorative watch from the president of Suffolk Downs,[10] and honors from the New England Turf Writers and New York Turf Writers organizations.[11][12]

In 1961, Wajda's annual income was estimated at $40,000 ($407,840 in 2023).[13] That year, he missed five weeks of riding after suffering a shoulder injury in a race at Lincoln Downs in Rhode Island.[14] In June 1962, Wajda was thrown from horses twice in one day at Suffolk Downs—once in a race, and then again prior to the next race—but was not injured.[15] In 1963, he was reportedly the highest-paid professional athlete in New Hampshire.[16] That season, he won 73 races in 42 days at Suffolk Downs.[17]

Wajda died in 1973, as the result of a racing accident at Rockingham Park. Riding Zabush on July 28, 1973, Wajda fell from his mount after his right stirrup broke at the start of a race; he was kicked by the horse, and suffered a punctured lung.[18] He died the next day following surgery in Methuen, Massachusetts.[19]

During his career, Wajda won 2224 races, finished second 2131 times, and finished third 1930 times, capturing over $6 million in winnings.[1] At the time of his death, Wajda was a resident of Hollywood, Florida, and Raymond, New Hampshire.[20] He had married Mary Lasofsky in June 1960 in Salisbury, Massachusetts.[21][22]

A race in his honor, the Henry Wajda Memorial Handicap, was established in 1974 and was held annually at Rockingham Park through at least 1997.[23][24] In 2011, Wajda was inducted to the New England Racing Hall of Fame.[25] In 2024, a New Hampshire historical marker (no. 290) honoring Wajda was erected near his burial site in his hometown.[26]

Notes

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  1. ^ Polish: [ˈvajda], pronounced as "Vaida".

References

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  1. ^ a b McCracken, Sam (July 31, 1973). "Wajda didn't like to lose–even to Arcaro the master". The Boston Globe. p. 27. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Births Registered in the Town of Newmarket, N.H. for the Year Ending Dec. 31, 1934". Reports of the Town Officers of Newmarket, N.H. January 31, 1935. p. 75. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "Rock friends salute Wajda". The Boston Globe. July 31, 1973. p. 30. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Boniface, William (October 22, 1954). "Ricoto Bows by 1/2 Length to Longshot". The Baltimore Sun. p. 23. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ McCracken, Sam (September 12, 1957). "Wajda Takes Rock Feature On Park Dandy". The Boston Globe. p. 16. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "A Jockey Wins Five". Kansas City Times. AP. October 29, 1957. p. 19. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "For the Record". Sports Illustrated. September 15, 1958. p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ "Irish-Bred Mark Antony Sets News World Record". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. AP. September 7, 1958. p. 20. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Jockey Henry Wajda Saves Life of Another Rider at Suffolk Downs". Monticello Daily Herald Journal. Monticello, Indiana. UPI. July 1, 1960. p. 2. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Jockey Wajda Saves DeSpirito". The Chronicle of the Horse. Vol. XXIII, no. 46. July 15, 1960. p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "Wajda Earns Top Money As Jockey". The Daily Item. Lynn, Massachusetts. AP. August 7, 1961. p. 13. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Henry Wajda Recalls Saving Rival Rider". North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. AP. May 2, 1963. p. 20. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Calogero, James (August 26, 1961). "New England Vignettes". The Telegraph. Nashua, New Hampshire. p. 12. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ McCracken, Sam (October 26, 1961). "Wajda Takes It Slow on Return". The Boston Globe. p. 46. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Wajda Thrown". The Telegraph. Nashua, New Hampshire. AP. June 12, 1962. p. 9. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "(untitled)". Concord Monitor. Concord, New Hampshire. July 28, 1963. p. 10. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ McCracken, Sam (June 30, 1963). "Wajda Over 100 Winners, On Way to Best Season". The Boston Globe. p. 59. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Jockey Thrown, Kicked, Hurt". The Salt Lake Tribune. AP. July 29, 1973. p. D4. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Stirrup breaks, Wajda fall at Rock fatal". The Boston Globe. July 30, 1973. p. 25. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Henry F. Wajda". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. August 2, 1973. p. 3. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Wajda to Wed". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. AP. January 7, 1960. p. 8. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Miss Lasofsky Married to Wajda in Salisbury". Concord Monitor. Concord, New Hampshire. June 22, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Wajda Memorial". The Sun. Lowell, Massachusetts. UPI. July 18, 1974. p. 30. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "'Rick' fights to win". The Boston Globe. July 14, 1997. p. C12. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Hoyt, Rowland (May 26, 2011). "New England Racing Hall of Fame names five new members". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  26. ^ "List of Markers by Marker Number" (PDF). nh.gov. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
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