Phillip G. Johnson

Biography

A Chicago native, Phil “P. G.” Johnson bought his first thoroughbred in 1942. The $75 auction purchase named Song Master became Johnson’s first winner two years later at Hawthorne Race Course. It marked the start of a remarkable training career that spanned six decades.

Born in 1925, Johnson first trained in Ohio, then Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky before moving his base to New York in 1961. Among his first major winners were Indian Maid and Heroshogala. Johnson was the leading trainer at Belmont four times, Aqueduct three times, and topped the Saratoga standings in 1983.

In 1978 and 1979, Johnson went on a streak of 12 consecutive stakes wins from stakes entered. Among Johnson’s many prominent stakes winners, Quiet Little Table defeated Hall of Famer Forego in the 1977 Suburban Handicap; Amen II won the 1973 Hollywood Derby; Match the Hatch scored in the 1981 Manhattan Handicap; Maplejinsky took the Alabama Stakes and Monmouth Oaks in 1988; Kiri’s Clown won the 1994 and 1995 New Hampshire Sweepstakes and the 1995 Sword Dancer; and Volponi delivered one of the biggest upsets in Breeders’ Cup history when he won the 2002 Classic by 6½ lengths at odds of 43-1 at Arlington Park.

Overall, Johnson won 2,315 races with purse earnings of $47,519,937. He was recognized with a stakes race in his name at Saratoga, where he won at least one race for 36 consecutive years.    

Achievements

Breeders' Cup Highlights

Won the 2002 Classic — Volponi