From the beginnings of the sport in the United States, African Americans have made significant contributions to horse racing. African American jockeys dominated the winner’s circle in racing’s first three decades. They were the first black superstar athletes in the United States, and won 15 of the first 28 runnings of the Kentucky Derby. In fact, 13 of 15 jockeys for the inaugural Kentucky Derby in 1875 were African American.
Tag: Legends
Picking Winners: How Andy Beyer Revolutionized Horse Racing
If there was a Mount Rushmore for horse racing handicappers, it’s an odds-on proposition that the first face on it would belong to Andy Beyer. Some people may have won more money wagering on the races than Beyer, but no other person has enjoyed as profound and prolonged of an impact on the art of handicapping as the 78-year-old graduate of Harvard University.
Charles H. Strub: The Man Called ‘Mr. Santa Anita’
Dr. Charles Henry Strub was one of those entrepreneurial businessmen seemingly capable of succeeding in any imaginable enterprise. He started out small as a baseball player of modest ability and as a dentist keen to embrace innovation. By the time of his death, he had kickstarted the career of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune, and transformed Santa Anita Park into one of horse racing’s greatest stages.
Kentucky Derby Master Bill Hartack
You can count on the fingers of two hands the number of jockeys that have won three or more Kentucky Derbies, and the list is a “who’s who” of great riders.
