Cheryl White, who in 1971 became the first licensed Black female jockey in this country to win a Thoroughbred race, is the subject of two events taking place at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct 21.
From 8-10 a.m. (ET), Keeneland will spotlight White's historic career during Sunrise Trackside, a free, family-friendly event. Children will learn what it takes to ride a racehorse, and Keeneland will donate new Breyer sets featuring a figure of White, model horse Jetolara (her first winning mount) and a copy of the new book The Jockey & Her Horse, co-written by her brother Raymond White Jr., to a few lucky winners.
From 1-3 p.m., The Keeneland Shop and Keeneland Library will host a signing with Raymond White Jr. outside The Keeneland Shop. Cheryl White Breyer sets and copies of The Jockey & Her Horse will be available to purchase.
White learned about racing from her father, jockey, and trainer Raymond White Sr., and her mother, Doris Gorske, a Polish breeder and owner. At 17, White secured her first mount at Thistledown in Ohio on June 15, 1971, just three years after the first jockey license was issued to a woman in the United States in 1968. Her mount that day, Ace Reward, was trained by her father. Despite their impressive initial sprint, the pair finished last.
Nearly three months later, White rode her first winner, Jetolara, at West Virginia's Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) on Sept. 2, 1971. Jetolara was trained and owned by White's father and bred by White's mother.
White's trailblazing rides over the summer of 1971 made headlines and landed her on the cover of the July 29, 1971, issue of Jet magazine. Over her riding career that spanned more than 20 years, White accumulated 227 wins on Thoroughbreds at primarily Midwestern tracks before moving to California in 1974 to ride American Quarter Horses and Appaloosas on the county fair circuit. White topped the Appaloosa Horse Club's jockey standings in 1977, 1983, 1984, and 1985.
After riding her last winner at Los Alamitos on July 25, 1992, White retired with more than 750 career wins. She became a racing steward in California before returning to Ohio to join the racing office at Mahoning Valley Race Course in 2014. During Keeneland's 2014 Spring Meet, White joined a number of notable retired and active female jockeys here for the “Ladies of the Turf” celebration on Horses and Hope Pink Day.
White, who worked at Ohio tracks until her death in 2019, is included in the Library's fascinating exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, which highlights the lives and careers of 80 African Americans working in the Thoroughbred industry from the mid-1800s to the present.
Located on Keeneland's campus, Keeneland Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach the Library, enter Keeneland at Gate 1 on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center. The exhibit is free.
Contact Roda Ferraro at rferraro@keeneland.com to book exhibit youth and adult educational programs.
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