James "Soup" Perkins
| Full name | James Perkins |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Soup |
| Occupation | Jockey, trainer, horse owner |
| Born | February 29, 1879 Lexington, Kentucky |
| Died | August 10, 1911 (aged 32) Hamilton, Ontario |
| Resting place | African Cemetery #2, Lexington, Kentucky 38°3′00.5″N 84°28′41″W / 38.050139°N 84.47806°W |
| Spouse | Frankie Perkins |
| Weight | weight=90 lb (40.82 kg) |
| Major racing wins | |
| 1895 Kentucky Derby, Phoenix Stakes | |
| Significant horses | |
| Halma | |
James "Soup" Perkins (1879–1911) was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of former slaves. He and his entire family were involved in horse racing, training, and working in the stables. Perkins was the second youngest jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby and the winningest jockey in America in 1895. At the peak of his career he earned $10,000 per year, the equivalent of $346,000 in 2022 US dollars and was written about in newspapers throughout the United States and Canada. He died at the age of thirty-three from a massive heart attack while working in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.