The Legacy of Black Jockeys in the Kentucky Derby

African American jockeys served as the foundational professional athletes in the United States, dominating the early years of the Kentucky Derby before systemic racism and industry-wide erasure obscured their achievements. Despite facing segregation, implicit bias and a significant disparity in resources, these pioneering riders were instrumental in the evolution of the sport in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The scale of Black dominance in the early era of the race is evident in the statistics of the inaugural event. In the first Kentucky Derby held in 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys who competed were Black. The winner of that first race was Oliver Lewis, who rode Aristides. The horse was trained by Ansel Williamson, another Black horseman who played a critical role in the development of the race, which is now widely known as The Run for the Roses.

This early success was not an isolated incident but a sustained period of excellence. Between 1875 and 1902, 11 different Black jockeys won a total of 15 Kentucky Derbies. This period established a legacy of resilience and skill that pushed the sport to new heights during its infancy.

Prominent Figures of the Early Derby

Among the most successful of these riders was Isaac Burns Murphy, a Hall of Fame jockey regarded as one of the greatest in the history of horse racing. Murphy won three Kentucky Derbies and maintained a win rate of 44 percent, a figure that vastly exceeded the typical jockey average of approximately 20 percent.

Other notable winners from this era include William Billy Walker, who won the 1877 Derby riding Baden-Baden, and Willie Simms, who secured victories in 1896 and 1898. The list of victors between 1875 and 1902 also includes George Garret Lewis (1880), Babe Hurd (1882), Erskine Babe Henderson (1885), Isaac Lewis (1887), Alonzo Lonnie Clayton (1892), and James Soup Perkins (1895).

Modern Efforts to Preserve Black Turf History

Because the contributions of these men were widely unspoken or erased due to systemic racism, various organizations have launched initiatives to restore their place in history. In 2021, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, the presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby, introduced a charity program to honor early Black winners.

As part of this initiative, the company sold 100 limited-edition Mint Julep Cups, each inscribed with the names of the early Black jockeys. The collection consisted of 89 sterling cups priced at $1,000 and 11 gold-plated cups priced at $2,500. Each cup was accompanied by a decorative silk featuring a four-man clover pattern designed by Louisville-based artist Gwendolyn Kelly, symbolizing the support network between Black jockeys, groomsmen, and trainers.

The cups were presented in bags designed by Louisville artist Albert Shumake, created as a tribute to the winner’s purses that were historically hung above the gates after races. Proceeds from the 2021 sales were donated to the Project to Preserve African American Turf History (PPAATH).

PPAATH is a non-profit organization founded by Calvin Davis and Leon Nichols. For more than a decade, the organization has worked to champion the contributions of African Americans to horse racing. Their projects include educational programs in schools, art curation, the Isaac Murphy Image Awards, and the restoration of a Lexington cemetery where several of the era’s famous jockeys are buried.

Institutional Recognition at the Kentucky Derby Museum

Institutional efforts to recognize this history also expanded in March 2021, when the Kentucky Derby Museum enlarged its exhibit dedicated to the legacy of Black horsemen. The exhibit, titled The Black Heritage in Racing, occupies more than 900 square feet on the museum’s first floor and frames these individuals as founders of the sport.

It was our team’s intent when designing this exhibit to give these individuals their time to shine, by making them stand out in these oversized pictures throughout the space. It is our hope that when exploring this exhibit, people will walk away with a greater appreciation of the Black Heritage that is woven through horse racing.

Patrick Armstrong, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum

The Kentucky Derby remains the longest-running sporting event in the United States, held annually on the first Saturday in May. Advocates for the preservation of the sport’s history emphasize that recognizing the past and present contributions of African Americans is imperative to understanding the full legacy of the industry.