Who was the first black jockey to win Kentucky Derby
Robert Miller
Published Apr 11, 2026
Oliver Lewis (1856-1924), the African American jockey who rode the colt Aristides, won the first Kentucky Derby on May 17, 1875. His time of two minutes37. 75 seconds set an American record over the mile and a half distance. The winning thoroughbred was trained by renowned African American trainer Ansel Williamson.
Has any Black jockey won the Kentucky Derby?
Kingman was owned by Jacobin Stables (co-owners, Preston Kinzea Stone and Dudley Allen) and trained by Dudley Allen, and was the first horse co-owned by an African-American to win the Derby. Murphy is the only jockey to have won the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Clark Handicap in the same year (1884).
Who was the first Black person to win the Kentucky Derby?
People, Locations, Episodes On this date in 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was run and a Black man was the winning jockey. Oliver Lewis rode three-year-old Aristide in record time winning the race.
How many Black jockeys were in the first Kentucky Derby?
In the inaugural Derby of 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were Black, including the winner Oliver Lewis.How many Black jockeys are in the Kentucky Derby?
After the Civil War, most horse trainers, grooms, and jockeys were Black men. In fact, of the 28 winning jockeys of the first Kentucky Derby, 15 of them were African American.
Who is the black jockey in the Kentucky Derby riding?
Kendrick Carmouche is the first Black jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby since 2013 and one of just a handful in the past century.
Who was the last black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby?
The last African American to win the Kentucky Derby as a jockey was James Winkfield, who won in 1901 and 1902.
Who was the first black person to ride a horse?
The earliest African American jockey known by name was “Monkey” Simon, who rode at the Clover Bottom Race Track in Tennessee about 1806. During the 1820s, horse racing became the most popular sport in the United States, and a large number of the best trainers and jockeys in the country were African Americans.Who were the first jockeys in the Kentucky Derby?
Oliver LewisOliver Lewis, winning jockey of the first Kentucky DerbyOccupationJockeyBorn1856 Fayette County, KentuckyDied1924 Lexington, Kentucky
Who started the Kentucky Derby?1899 – Founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, commits suicide on April 22, 1899, just twelve days before the 25th running of the Kentucky Derby, where Manuel wins.
Article first time published onWhat was the fastest Kentucky Derby?
Race informationDistance11⁄4 miles (10 furlongs; 2 km)Record1:59.40, Secretariat (1973, 11⁄4 miles) 2:34.50, Spokane (1889, 11⁄2 miles)SurfaceDirtTrackLeft-handed
Who is Kendrick Carmouche?
A consistent performer on the New York Racing Association circuit over the past few years, Carmouche earned his first Grade 1 victory with True Timber in last year’s Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and went on to become the meet’s leading rider.
Is the Kentucky Derby in Kentucky?
The Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve, is a top rank, Grade I stakes race for 3 year old Thoroughbred horses. The race distance is one and one-quarter miles long, and it is run on the dirt racetrack at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Are there any Black jockeys in UK?
Sean Levey made history yesterday by becoming the first black jockey to win a British classic when Billesdon Brook became the highest-priced winner of the Qipco 1,000 Guineas.
Is there a female jockey in the Kentucky Derby?
As of 2015, no woman trainer or jockey has won the Kentucky Derby. … Six women have ridden in the famed “Run for the Roses”: Diane Crump, Patti Cooksey, Andrea Seefeldt, Julie Krone, Rosemary Homeister and Rosie Napravnik.
How much was the winning purse in the first Kentucky Derby?
The winner received a purse of $2,850.
How much did the first Kentucky Derby winner win?
Aristides was the first Kentucky Derby winner, earning a purse of just $2,850.
Who was the African American man who won the Derby twice?
Jimmy WinkfieldOccupationJockeyBornApril 12, c. 1880–1882 Chilesburg, KentuckyDiedMarch 23, 1974 (aged 91)SpouseLydia de Minkiwitz
When was the last time a black jockey rode in the Kentucky Derby?
Kevin Krigger, who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands, was the last Black jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby and did so back in 2013. He was the jockey for Goldencents, who finished 17th in the 19-horse field. Goldencents had 5-1 odds prior to the 2013 Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites in the race.
Who was the first jockey inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Isaac Burns Murphy, (born 1861, Fayette county, Kentucky, U.S.—died February 12, 1896, Lexington, Kentucky), American jockey who was the first to be elected to the hall of fame at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Where is secretariat buried?
Every year, hundreds of people come to the Bluegrass to visit a landmark known primarily only to horse people: Secretariat’s grave at Claiborne Farm in Paris, just outside Lexington. Claiborne is the Fenway Park of Kentucky horse farms, one of the oldest and most respected operations.
Has a horse won the Kentucky Derby twice?
Nyquist is the second Derby winner to win the race as an undefeated two-year-old season champion. The 2016 Kentucky Derby, which Nyquist won by 1¼ lengths, was the horse’s last win. Nyquist is a 5th generation descendant of Secretariat.
Who holds the record at the Kentucky Derby?
Secretariat is the first horse that comes to mind when listing Kentucky Derby records. Arguably the best thoroughbred of all-time, he still holds the Kentucky Derby record at 1:59.40, set in 1973. He also set records at the Preakness and Belmont Stakes en route to a Triple Crown.
Who is the fastest racehorse of all-time?
1. Secretariat, 1973. The true king of thoroughbred horse racing gets another jewel on his illustrious crown by holding the record for the fastest Derby time ever. Secretariat clocked in at 1:59.40 at the 1973 Kentucky Derby®, an all-time record for the race and for the 1 1/4 mile track at Churchill Downs®.
What horse has the second fastest time in the Kentucky Derby?
The obvious answer has always been Northern Dancer, whose 1964 time of 2:00-flat was the Derby record until Secretariat bettered it. Then in 2001 Monarchos won the Kentucky Derby in 1:59.97. So Monarchos has the second fastest Derby time.
What kind of horse is Secretariat?
Secretariat, byname Big Red, (foaled 1970), American racehorse (Thoroughbred) who is widely considered the greatest horse of the second half of the 20th century.
What happened to jockey Kendrick Carmouche?
After he suffered a broken right ankle to start the last race on Belmont Stakes day, Kendrick Carmouche was confident he would be back riding this summer at Saratoga. On Sunday, the popular jockey said the injury was worse than he first thought, so he will not be back on the track before racing returns Sept.
Who is Acacia Courtney?
Acacia Courtney is an American TV Analyst and Broadcast Journalist in the world of horse racing. … She is the founder and president of the 501(c)(3) organization Racing for Home, Inc., which is dedicated to ensuring a second career and forever home for Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses.
How much does Jose Ortiz make?
YearStartsEarnings20191,419$27,529,00620181,513$26,841,15920171,408$27,318,87520161,563$22,925,179
What race is Derby?
Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious American horse race, established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky.
Will there be a Kentucky Derby in 2021?
Kentucky DerbyGrade I stakes raceAttendance51,8382022 →