Archer, Fred (1857-1886), an English jockey, has been called the greatest jockey of the 1800’s. He won 2,748 races from 1870 until his death. Archer’s most successful year was 1885, when he won the 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Epsom Derby, the St. Leger Stakes, and the Grand Prix de Paris. In that year, he won 246 races, a British record that stood until 1933, when Sir Gordon Richards rode 259 winners. Richards is the current recordholder with 269 victories in 1947.
Archer was born in Cheltenham, England, on Jan. 11, 1857. He rode his first winner at Chesterfield in 1870. During his career he won the Epsom Derby five times, the Oaks four times, and the St. Leger Stakes six times. While suffering from depression, Archer committed suicide by shooting himself on Nov. 8, 1886.
