Eldon Nelson

Who was Eldon Nelson?

Glen Eldon Nelson is a retired American jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing who competed primarily at tracks on the East Coast of the United States and who is best known for winning the 1972 Preakness Stakes.

In 1948, Eldon Nelson married Betty Rose Coffman with whom he had two children.

During a career that spanned four decades, Nelson rode for some of the leading stables in the country including Henry and Jane Lunger's Christiana Stables, Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable, as well as the renowned Calumet Farm. On February 28, 1949 at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida he rode Calumet's future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame colt Coaltown to a win that equalled the world record of 1:47 3/5 for a mile-and-an-eighth on dirt.