Racing Industry Participants Shine in Common Wealth of Kentucky Project

What do an award-winning chef, a rising young country music star and a reigning champion trainer have in common?

All three are featured in the Common Wealth of Kentucky Project, an exhibit going on now through Oct. 1 at LexArts Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky. Along with chef Ouita Michel and singer Walker Montgomery, trainer Brad Cox is one of 70 Kentuckians who shared their life story for the collection, which is the culmination of a year-long project for impressionist painter Kelly Brewer and partner Beth Pride, a writer and digital storyteller.

Visitors can explore the gallery and connect with each Kentuckian on a multi-sensory level as they observe the portrait of the participants, read a short summary of their lives, and even scan a QR code with a smart-phone camera to listen to the participant's voice as they share portions of their own story.

The project was inspired by Brewer's mother, Jo B. Robertson, who passed away in 2020. Brewer decided that she wanted to paint portraits to honor her mother and raise money for the Jo B. Robertson Charitable Foundation, which was established to continue Robertson's legacy of helping to educate, house, clothe and feed the less fortunate. Brewer turned to Pride, the wife of Godolphin's Dan Pride, for assistance.

“We decided that we would call it the Common Wealth of Kentucky and that it would reveal the richness that the people who comprise this state are made of and the commonalities that we all have,” said Pride. “We hoped to do our best to break down these artificial barriers that really, at the end of the day, are not real.”

 

Together Pride and Brewer, along with advocate Jill Johnson, spent the next year traveling throughout the Commonwealth as Brewer painted Kentuckians from all walks of life while Pride collected their stories.

They met with Jeff Broadwater, a United States Army major general who served in Kuwait during Desert Storm and was deployed to Iraq twice, and Lou Anna Red Corn, the first Native American Commonwealth Attorney in Kentucky. They talked to Pedo Mann, a coal foreman in Eastern Kentucky, and Gentille Ntakarutimana, who was a Burundian refugee as a child and is now a legal assistant for Morgan and Morgan.

Louisville native Brad Cox is not the only racing industry member to appear in the collection. The sport is a common theme throughout the exhibit. Keeneland is represented by President and CEO Shannon Arvin along with well-known ringman Cordell Anderson. Other members of the sport who are featured include Lane End Farm's Bill Farish, Airdrie Stud's Bret Jones, Phipps Family Stable racing manager Daisy Phipps Pulito and Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen.

“What we really tried to do is build a unique impression of who these people are and find something that maybe everyone doesn't know about them,” explained Pride. “Daisy was in the sports television industry for years and Bill was a personal aide to President George H.W. Bush. Everyone has something unique that really differentiates them, but we also found that we have so many things in common as human beings and we're all connected through our humanity no matter our background or where we're going.”

Participants also included political figures like Lexington mayor Linda Gorton as well as Kelly Craft, the former United Nations Ambassador who recently launched her campaign for Kentucky governor. Lexington locals will recognize names like Kentucky Sports Radio's Matt Jones and Bluegrass Hospitality Group founders Brian McCarty and Bruce Drake.

Each of the portraits on display are available for purchase through a super silent auction format where the bid amount is hidden from the public and managed confidentially. The auction will continue through Friday, Oct. 1.

“We're very grateful for the response,” Pride said. “We had about 400 people there on opening night and LexArts has told us that the traffic for the exhibit has been triple what they are accustomed to.”

The exhibit has also been encapsulated in the form of a book, which was written and sound-produced by Pride and features the original artwork by Brewer (the book is available in the gallery, at the Keeneland Mercantile in Lexington or can be purchased here).

As Pride reflected on the project, she said that in many ways, Kentucky horse racing represents a microcosm of the Commonwealth as a whole.

“The horse business is one of those industries where there is a lot of competition within the industry, but it's also an industry that has external criticism,” Pride said. “It's the same with bourbon, parimutual betting and coal mining. What happens is that the people in the industry are friendly competitors because they know they need to be bonded in a singular purpose of promoting and advocating for the horse and for the industry. That spirit where everyone is in it together is reflected all throughout Kentucky.”

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‘Too Black Too Fast’: Art Celebrating African American Jockeys Will Be On Display At Pegasus

As part of the 2022 Pegasus World Cup, Baccarat presents “Too Black Too Fast,” a curated art exhibition that celebrates the history and contribution of African American jockeys in Thoroughbred horse racing through visual art and portraiture. Leading up to the 2022 Pegasus World Cup and in advance of Black History Month, “Too Black Too Fast” debuted on Saturday, Jan. 22, and will run until mid-February 2022 at the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, Fla. The exhibit will be available for public viewing every Thursday to Sunday from noon until 6:00 P.M. Admission is free.

In addition, pieces from the exhibit will also be on display at Gulfstream Park during the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 29.

With multimedia pieces from sculptor George Nock and visual artist Michael J. McBride, the exhibit tells the story of Black jockeys, who played an integral role in the history of Thoroughbred horse racing. More than 200 years before Jackie Robinson took to the baseball field, Black jockeys dominated the “Sport of Kings.” As enslaved men, they were the ones who knew the horses best, so they were the original trainers and jockeys. Though slavery had been abolished by the time the Kentucky Derby first ran, 13 of the 15 jockeys in the inaugural race in 1875 were African American, and African Americans won 15 of the first 28 runnings (of the Kentucky Derby).

“In advance of the Pegasus World Cup and Black History Month, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Baccarat, the Historic Ward Rooming House in Overtown and “Too Black Too Fast” to commemorate, celebrate and share the important and often untold story of Black jockeys and their role in Thoroughbred horse racing,” said Jimmy Vargas, CEO, 1/ST EXPERIENCE. 

“As a proud sponsor of the Pegasus World Cup, Baccarat is honored to partner with the Historic Ward Rooming House to present “Too Black Too Fast”.  The exhibit is just one retrospective of the many untold stories of black excellence in America. The hardship and the courage of these black jockeys is unmeasurable.  Even today, these jockeys hold records and set the standard for all jockeys in the industry, yet we don't hear of their accomplishments.  Baccarat is grateful to have the opportunity to help tell their story, as these athletes played an integral part in our history,” said Jim Shreve, Baccarat President and CEO of North America.

“American Sport has transformed the world in many ways, so it's an honor to present an art exhibition that tells the story of the legacy of early American jockeys. It's an honor to showcase amazing stories of unsung heroes, America's first professional athletes. McBride's, and Nock's art is not just insightful aesthetically, but the research they performed to create these images must have been a labor of love,” said Chris Norwood of Hampton Art Lovers at the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery.

“I am very honored to have my work featured as part of the Pegasus World Cup. Having an opportunity to present African American achievements in Thoroughbred horse racing is very important to me. This is an opportunity for the world to see via artistic visuals of the accomplishments of these individuals,” said “Too Black Too Fast” artist Michael McBride.

“The ability to use art as canvas for telling great unknown stories of Americans of color for the last fifteen years has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I hope South Florida truly enjoys what we plan to present in celebrating the 2022 Pegasus World Cup,” said “Too Black Too Fast” Executive Producer, Derell Stinson. 

The “Too Black Too Fast” exhibit is currently touring with 40 paintings and 25 bronze sculptures. The Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery is located at 249 NW 9th St. in Overtown.

For more information visit www.pegasusworldcup.com or follow Pegasus World Cup on socials @PegasusWorldCup.

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Isaac Murphy Bottles Of Maker’s Mark Will Benefit Memorial Honoring Black Jockeys

Hall of Fame jockey Isaac Burns Murphy accomplished a level of success in the late 1800s that, by many measures, has never been equaled. So, it is only fitting that an effort to celebrate his remarkable legacy is, itself, also unique.

This year, the annual release of a commemorative Maker's Mark® Bourbon bottle in partnership with Keeneland will, for the first time, be three distinct bottles, each with its own label featuring the work of artists Sandra Oppegard, Andre Pater, or Tyler Robertson. The labels depict the pageantry, beauty, and power of Thoroughbred racing, a sport on which Isaac Murphy certainly left an indelible mark.

Murphy is the only jockey to have won the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Clark Handicap in the same year (1884). He won the Derby three times and was in the first group of jockeys inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. He was originally buried in the African Cemetery #2 in Lexington but was later moved to the Kentucky Horse Park where he now lies near the legendary Thoroughbred, Man o' War.

Proceeds from the bottle sales will go to LexArts, greater Lexington's premier cultural development, advocacy, and fundraising organization, to support its initiatives at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in Lexington. The Art Garden is the first park in the U.S. to honor African American jockeys, who were the earliest Black professional athletes. Funds from the 2021 bottle series will provide the remaining funding required to realize a permanent art installation by Lexington folk artist LaVon Van Williams, Jr. as well as future programming within the park with an emphasis on the arts.

The bottles are all pre-signed by the artist who created each label along with Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin, Maker's Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels, and one of three active Hall of Fame jockeys who have won the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland multiple times: Javier Castellano, Edgar Prado, and John Velazquez.

The three bottles will go on sale Friday, April 2. This begins a three-year series benefiting LexArts initiatives, with the same three artists creating new labels each year for the commemorative release.

“To have the immeasurable support of these two iconic brands, Keeneland and Maker's Mark, is meaningful in so many ways for LexArts and our entire arts community,” said Ame Sweetall, LexArts President and CEO. “The support of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden this partnership will allow will further engage and enrich the East End community and build upon the early work of those who made the art garden a reality more than ten years ago.”

Maker's Mark and Keeneland have been collaborating on a commemorative bottle release every year since 1997, raising millions of dollars for a variety of worthy causes throughout Central Kentucky.

“Keeneland has long championed the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden and its celebration of the significant contributions African Americans have made to racing,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “It is especially gratifying to know that our longstanding collaboration with Maker's Mark will benefit LexArts and ensure this important aspect of history will be preserved for our community and future generations.”

“I'm impressed by LexArts' work to enrich the greater Lexington area through their various initiatives,” said Maker's Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels. “This particular project to enhance the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden is an important and worthy cause, and I'm proud our long partnership with Keeneland is allowing us to support it in such a meaningful way.”

Keeneland, Maker's Mark and LexArts invite the community to bring to life the stories of Isaac Murphy and the many African American horsemen who shaped the future of Central Kentucky's equine industry. To make a financial contribution to the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, visit https://bgcf.givingfuel.com/immag.

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Churchill Downs Releases 2021 Official Art of The Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs released on Monday the 2021 “Official Art of the Kentucky Derby” by Breathitt County, Ky. artist Ralph Fugate.

Fugate's style of “impressionistic realism” utilizes bold, vibrant colors to capture the sheer beauty and power of the horse, the colorful silks, the enthusiasm of the crowd and the excitement of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

2021 represents the fifth year in a row that Churchill Downs has tapped a talented Kentucky artist to capture the excitement of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. Ralph Fugate is a self-taught professional sports artist specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. As a child growing up in Eastern Kentucky, Fugate always loved to draw, but it wasn't until age 25 that he picked up a paintbrush for the first time. Having nurtured an interest in horses and horse racing throughout his life, the artist soon turned his creative passion into painting them.

Fugate's “Official Art of the Kentucky Derby” will be featured on the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks official racing programs and a variety of merchandise, including Derby and Oaks 147 limited edition artist-signed and numbered posters with embossed and metallic ink treatments. Other merchandise featuring the artwork includes apparel, posters and postcards available at select retail outlets including the Kentucky Derby Museum and www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com.

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