By Don Doxsie
Jockey Mack Garner rode Cavalcade to victory at the 1934 Kentucky Derby. Photo courtesy of the Appanoose County Historical Society
Centerville, the southern Iowa town of about 5,000 residents, is historically known for its early 20th century coal mining industry and European immigrant heritage. It is also the county seat of Appanoose County and the birthplace of the state’s 16th governor, Francis Marion Drake.
Nearly a century ago, it was famous for something else: It was a leading producer of jockeys for the sport of thoroughbred racing.
That was primarily because of one family. The Garners of Centerville produced nearly a dozen jockeys through the years, including six brothers who achieved varying degrees of success nationally. The best known among them was Mack Garner, who was the winningest jockey in horse racing history at the time of his death in 1936.
Garner, whose given name was Andrew, was born in Centerville on Dec. 23, 1898. He began riding professionally at the age of 16 and went on to win nearly $3 million in races over the next 22 years. He rode in 8,128 races and won 1,346 of them, adding more than 2,000 second- and third-place finishes. Garner, who earned such nicknames as “Uncle Mack’’ and “Old Wine,’’ claimed his biggest win near the end of his career, in 1934, when he won the Kentucky Derby aboard Cavalcade.
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