Joe Cotton (1882–after 1900) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that is best known as the winner of the 1885 Kentucky Derby.
Joe Cotton dislocated a shoulder when he fell over the body of Sam Keene, the other horse having fallen and broken its neck while colliding with another foundering racehorse named Zero.
[4] Though reported as dead after the incident, the horse was bought by Charles Jacobs of Medford, Massachusetts.
Jacobs reportedly took Joe Cotton to a river and allowed the horse to swim to reset his shoulder joint into place.
[7] The horse was frequently observed by horseman Frank Ware at a local steeplechase meeting until a few years before 1905[5] and is listed as a native stallion in the 1902 edition of the American Stud Book.