On this day in 1875, Oliver Lewis won the 1st ever Kentucky Derby.
He and his horse, Aristides, won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race.
BLACK JOCKEYS THREAD
He and his horse, Aristides, won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race.
BLACK JOCKEYS THREAD
in 1892, Alonzo Lonnie Clayton became the youngest jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
He won the race at the age of 15 & still holds the record as the youngest winning rider
He won the race at the age of 15 & still holds the record as the youngest winning rider
Did you also know that the very first assembly of photographs to create a motion picture was a two-second clip of a Black man on a horse?
On May 17, 1875, Oliver Lewis won the very 1st Kentucky Derby.
He and his horse, Aristides, won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race.
He and his horse, Aristides, won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race.
In the 19th century, when horse racing was America’s most popular sport, formerly enslaved men populated the ranks of jockeys and trainers & black men won more than half of the first 25 runnings of the Kentucky Derby.
Jimmy Winkfield was the last black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.
He rode back to back winners of the Derby in 1901 and 1902.
He rode back to back winners of the Derby in 1901 and 1902.
In 1903 with the advent of Jim Crow Laws, he emigrated to Russia riding for Tsar Nicholas II and competing at racetracks all over Europe.
He won the Russian Oaks 5 times, the Russian Derby 4 times and the Warsaw Derby 2.
He won the Russian Oaks 5 times, the Russian Derby 4 times and the Warsaw Derby 2.
Jimmy Winkfield was only the second jockey to ride back to back winners of the Kentucky Derby.
The first to accomplish it was Isaac Murphy. The feat would not be duplicated until 1967.
The first to accomplish it was Isaac Murphy. The feat would not be duplicated until 1967.
Isaac Burns Murphy is considered one of the greatest riders in American Thoroughbred horse racing history
He rode in 11 Kentucky Derbies and won in 3 of them on Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890, and Kingman in 1891.
He rode in 11 Kentucky Derbies and won in 3 of them on Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890, and Kingman in 1891.
Dudley Allen, from U.S. Colored Cavalry enlistee in Civil War to first African American to own a Kentucky Derby winner, Kingman, in 1891.
After years of success, black men began getting fewer jobs on the racetrack, losing promotions and opportunities to ride top horses.
White jockeys also started to openly demand segregated competition.
White jockeys also started to openly demand segregated competition.
In a 1905 Washington Post article titled “Negro Rider on Wane,” the writer insisted that black men were inferior and thus destined to disappear from the track, as Native Americans had inevitably disappeared from their homelands.
In the 1882 Derby, the black jockey jockey "Babe" Hurd, who rode Apollo, to victory.
Apollo had not raced as a two-year old. This was the origin of the "Apollo Curse:"
Apollo had not raced as a two-year old. This was the origin of the "Apollo Curse:"
The Curse of Apollo is one of the longest, if not the longest curses in sports.
It’s a long-standing trend bettors believe justifies not backing any horse in the Kentucky Derby that was unraced as a two-year-old.
It’s a long-standing trend bettors believe justifies not backing any horse in the Kentucky Derby that was unraced as a two-year-old.
In 1971 at age of 17, Cheryl White became the first black female jockey.
She was also the first woman at a major track to win five thoroughbred races. She rode over 750 winners during her 21-year career.
She was also the first woman at a major track to win five thoroughbred races. She rode over 750 winners during her 21-year career.
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