As One Racing Stables has launched its first diverse and inclusive racing partnership. The group will race under the As One Racing banner and has acquired its first equine athlete to promote the group's mission and vision.

As One Racing was formed by a group of six like-minded individuals with a desire to grow the sport by broadening its base and bringing new faces to the industry. Turning to history, the group recognized the need for the African American community that had once been a vital part of the industry to be welcomed back. The group's founders and management committee reflect its vision– a diverse group of individuals working together to compete at the highest level while carrying out a vision and mission of promoting diversity and inclusion. To date, the group has focused its efforts on its educational mission, speaking on the history of African Americans and diversity in the sport at numerous public and private events. Now, As One is ready to move forward with racing.

As One acquired its first horse, multiple stakes winner Bipartisanship (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), in partnership with Commonwealth Racing and others for $260,000 at the recent Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale.

The first partnership carries out the mission of the venture by pairing newcomers to the sport from diverse backgrounds together with industry stalwarts. Founder and partner Leon Nichols said that partnering together shows a real desire of the industry to be welcoming and inclusive.

“Being able to participate in this great sport as a minority and pay tribute to the famed horsemen from the late 1800s is thrilling,” Nichols said. “Doing it as business partners with industry insiders who welcome us shows that we can set an example for the future and drive real change.”

Recognizing the need and goals of the venture, Eric and Tammy Gustavson with Spendthrift Farm were quick to join from the outset.

“We are strong believers in the mission of As One Racing and were immediately interested in participating when we heard about it,” said Eric Gustavson.

Other notable names who have partnered in As One include Alex Rankin with Upson Downs Farm, Everett Dobson with Cheyenne Stables and Candy Meadows Farm, and Bret Jones with Airdrie Stud.

The founders of As One, who also serve on its management committee, include Nichols, who co-founded the Project to Preserve African American Turf History; Jonathan Israel, a longtime racing fan and administrator at the University of Louisville; Romain Malhouitre, President of Runnymede Farm; Ronald W. Mack, Lexington businessman and founder of Legacy Equine Academy; Brutus Clay, Chairman and CEO of Runnymede Farm; and Jay Ingle, an equine attorney with Jackson Kelly PLLC in Lexington, Kentucky.

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PPAATH was the subject of a Katie Ritz feature in the TDN in 2020. The nonprofit's founder and co-founder, Nichols and Davis, are working on their script alongside producer James Walton, and say their film is poised to be the first in U.S. filmmaking history led by a Black production team and the first to capture the contributions made and the conflicts faced by Black jockeys beginning in the late 19th Century.

Their story traces the life of Murphy, a legendary jockey and the first-ever inductee into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, and says the group, “illuminates and bridges persistent racial divides.”

African American jockeys held places of prominence across the Kentucky Derby's first 27 years, said Chris Goodlett, Dir. of Curitorial & Educational Affairs at the Kentucky Derby Museum. But by the 20th Century, he said, institutional racism and segregation had taken hold.

In June 1890, amid intense racial and political unrest, Murphy was the central figure in the match race, after the owner of Tenny demanded a rematch after his loss in the Suburban.

“With `white' and `colored' signs popping up in response to Jim Crow laws,” said a release from PPAATH, “all eyes were on Murphy and his rival, Ed `Snapper' Garrison. One sealed America's fate for generations to come in a photo-finish race that was dubbed `the greatest in the history of thoroughbred racing' by the New York Times.”

“There's a lot to unpack here,” said Walton. “In 1890, Jim Crow legislation struck a severe blow to horseracing and forced out the clear majority: Black jockeys. One after another, their obituaries then piled up. High-profile Blacks' ability to do what they loved was snatched away as mobs of emboldened whites pushed for segregated tracks. Soup Perkins, who'd won the Kentucky Derby at age 15, drank himself to death by age 31. Tommy Britton committed suicide by swallowing acid. Albert Isom publicly shot himself in the head.”

“The discrimination they faced in everyday life they also faced on the racetrack–confronted with an ideology that tore apart our nation and an entire industry,” said Nichols. “'PHOTO FINISH: The Race of the Century' celebrates one man's ability to beat the odds. Before Jordon, Ali and Owens, there was Isaac Burns Murphy. He was a hero in the eyes of Blacks and unsympathetic whites knew that. He achieved millionaire status and acclaim at a time when others feared for their safety. Yet, here we are today, in 2021…still fearful.”

PPAATH is seeking backers and tax incentives in various U.S. filmmaking hub zones in order to develop a series of films which showcase Black jockeys and pay homage to courageous acts which have gone unrecognized for more than a century. Learn more at PPAATH.org.

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See a recap of the first installment and watch a replay here.

The second panel included expertise from Renee Hess, founder and executive director of Black Girl Hockey Club, Ron Mack, founder of the Legacy Equine Academy, and Leon Nichols, CEO and founder of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History. The panel was moderated by The Racing Biz founder Frank Vespe, freelance journalist Teresa Genaro, and NTRA Director of Communications Alicia Hughes.

A few key takeaways from the discussion, with a full replay below:

• Panelists believe the rich history of standout Black jockeys from the early days of American racing like Jimmy Winkfield and Isaac Murphy provides a great basis for bringing Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) back to the sport.

  “Ironically, Thoroughbred racing can really be called the first sport to demonstrate equity and inclusion,” said Mack. “The jockeys I mentioned earlier were not only jockeys, but they were trainers, they were owners. They held power and influence in the culture of Thoroughbred racing, even in the late 1800s. As we honor and celebrate the glory of the past, at the Legacy Equine Academy we're training and cultivating our kids for the future of the sport.”

• Hess's model with Black Girl Hockey Club was really to provide a sense of community to the comparatively few Black fans and participants in ice hockey, though she points out you don't have to be either Black or female to join — you just have to support the mission of including more diverse participation in the sport. Originally, the club began as a fan club and has grown to become a nonprofit that provides scholarships to girls who play in travel teams around the world. Not only is that helping diversify the sport's players, it's bringing fandom to people outside the United States who may not have become familiar with ice hockey otherwise.
• The first step in improving diversity and inclusion, Hess said, is to talk about it. Businesses and organizations within an industry will prioritize something if they believe their consumers value it.

  “Once we utilize our voices and let these organizations know that this is something the masses want to see, I think we'll be able to make these changes and drag these industries kicking and screaming because it is a financially sound decision,” she said. “Because this is the direction other sports are moving into. Our sports need to do the same if they want to remain relevant. We talk about 'growing the game' in hockey, and what better way to grow the game than to include the Black community, the LGBTQ community?”

• Nichols hopes that his project can also grow racing by showing a new community of people that they have heroes in the sport, too. He is part of a group workshopping a screenplay based around part of Isaac Murphy's career, specifically about the famous match race in which he piloted Salvatore against Tenny, which was one of the greatest rivalries in American sports at the time.

  “Reading Isaac's story, one thing you'll learn about him is … he was so inspired to set an example as an African American male in the 19th Century that it drove him to try and rove his equalness and Black excellence,” said Nichols. “Out of that came the match of the century.”

• Mack is hoping to continue building a pipeline from school to racing industry jobs through the Legacy Equine Academy, but said he's not just preparing the students to be grooms or hotwalkers — he's encouraging them and preparing them to become racehorse owners and corporate executives. Not only should it be possible for those students, it should be desirable for racing to see better representation at the higher levels of administration.
• If diversity is important to you but you don't sit at the top of the totem pole in your workplace, Hess said you probably have some influence you can use to prioritize equity. Do you hire interns? Consider looking for them at historically black colleges in addition to the programs you already correspond with. Do you manage your company's newsletter content? There's a chance to acknowledge achievement or history of the company or industry through the work of diverse trailblazers. Another thing she encourages: Keep having conversations about these topics — even though they're probably going to make you uncomfortable sometimes.

  “I do think that when you are a non-Black, non BIPOC person, talking about race can be a little bit uncomfortable,” said Hess, who launched a campaign called Get Uncomfortable to encourage these dialogues. “I'm not 100% on that because I'm Black, but I get the gist that could be the feeling. But it's all about having these uncomfortable conversations … Change is uncomfortable.”

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A few months after our meeting, the group was featured on NBC's coverage of the 146th Running of the Kentucky Derby in a lead-up story on Necker Island (Hard Spun), the first African American-owned Derby horse in the last 13 years.

Since we last met, PPAATH has created several key partnerships that have allowed them to broaden their outreach.

“Since July, it's been a fabulous growth period for us,” said Nichols. “It takes a community, but this history deserves no less and I think it's all about driving a narrative of diversity and inclusion. To see the evolvement of all this and see the commitment from business leaders and the educational community has been beyond our wildest dream.”

We sat down with PPAATH and their partnership leaders as they shared what they've been up to recently.

The Black Jockey Lounge

Tawana Bain, the CEO of New Age Communications, did not grow up in Louisville, but the award-winning businesswoman said she will never forget her first Kentucky Derby experience.

“When I first moved to Louisville, I had never seen anything so segregated as Derby week,” she said.

“Depending on what social circle you traveled in, if you were a Black professional you were literally zig-zagging across 9th Street because the parties were so separate,” she continued, citing what is known as 'The 9^th Street Divide' in Louisville, an invisible racial line that separates the east and west side of the city.

She decided to work to change that four years ago when she created the Derby Diversity Business Summit (DDBS), an event that precedes the Kentucky Derby and helps promote the utilization of diverse business leaders while educating participants on the Kentucky Derby and the sport of horse racing.

“The Summit's various events are designed to draw a community that has been left out of the Derby and attract them back to the Thoroughbred industry in general,” she said.

Last year, Bain connected with PPAATH to help with a virtual DDBS experience on the history of Black jockeys. The event was held on the rooftop of Encore on 4th, a restaurant Bain has owned since 2018.

Tawana Bain hopes her transformed restaurant will create a much-needed niche in Louisville. | photo courtesy Tawana Bain

The evening was such a success that they were inspired to give the concept a more permanent structure by transforming Encore into a restaurant and entertainment venue geared towards celebrating the history of Black jockeys.

They re-named the restaurant 'The Black Jockey Lounge.'

“Prior to COVID, our venue was a destination venue,” Bain said. “It was an experience–the music, the food, the people you knew you would expect to see. We are no longer the only venue that caters to Black professionals who want to do something at night, which is a good thing, but we needed something to set us apart. This concept is unique. It's historic.”

The Black Jockey Lounge, located on 630 S. Fourth Street in Louisville, officially opened this past weekend with live music from the KMF Band. PPAATH brings history to the re-designed space with artwork they have collected of some of the winningest jockeys in history. The menu has also been updated with racing-inspired items.

Calvin Davis, PPAATH's President and Co-Founder, said that the restaurant's location makes it all the more unique.

“This is a historical community being just across from The Palace Theatre and down the street from The Brown Hotel,” he said. “When Jimmy Winkfield [the last African American jockey to ride a Kentucky Derby winner in 1902] went to attend a luncheon held in his honor in 1961 at the Brown Hotel, he was not allowed into his own luncheon. A bellhop didn't recognize Mr. Winkfield and they didn't allow him in to receive his award.”

Even 60 years later, Bain said their location is still an important site for the civil rights movement in the city.

“During the civil unrest last year while we were boarded up, we were one of the stopping places for a lot of protesters of every race and age,” she said. “There's a history there with what we've experienced and who we cater to, and now it's a historical place for tourists who want to know the history and have great food. We really created a niche that I think this city needs and I think we've got something that can revitalize downtown.”

“We think it's going to be something really unique,” Davis added. “It will be a fun place for all people to come get some really good, upscale food, but at the same time, leave with a nugget of history because these stories will just blow you away when you hear the accomplishments of these jockeys.”

Peerless Craft Bourbon Commemorative Bottle

James Natsis serves as PPAATH'S Vice President of Global Affairs and is also a writer for various publications around Louisville.

In 2019, Natsis wrote a feature on the re-opening of Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company, a Louisville-based bourbon distillery that was revived that year after a 102-year hiatus.

Recently, Natsis had the idea for PPAATH to join forces with the distillery.

“They're a family-run business established in the 1880s, so I thought they would be perfect for us,” he said. “When I wrote them, I heard from their marketing person immediately. He was excited to meet with us and now we are making arrangements to launch the first-ever commemorative bottle of bourbon that pays tribute to Black jockeys.”

“They're going to pay a percentage of the sales back to our organization and that will go to help PPAATH create those products and services that will help draw the dollar back to our community,” Davis said.

The new bourbon edition is set to launch in mid-April in the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Race to Greatness

The first Race to Greatness event was held at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs. | photo courtesy Von Purdy

Von Purdy is the Director of Community Engagement and Development Officer at Simmons College of Kentucky, the only historically Black college in Louisville.

Purdy had no prior connection to the racing industry when she noticed pictures of Black jockeys at Shirley May's Café, a historical soul food restaurant in Louisville's Smoketown district. She was shocked to learn the jockeys' stories.

“I had no idea,” she said. “I don't think this town does a good job of highlighting the history of the Black jockeys, especially to people who aren't from here. I thought to myself, 'Why is Simmons not involved with this history since we're a place of education?'”

Purdy was inspired to create 'Race to Greatness: A Celebration of the Black Jockeys of the Kentucky Derby.' The event is held annually as a brunch following Thunder Over Louisville, the annual kickoff to the Kentucky Derby Festival.

To provide historical context for the event, Purdy enlisted the help of the PPAATH team to provide artwork and educational pieces for participants to learn from.

The first Race to Greatness celebration was held in 2018, brought in 150 people and raised $45,000. The following year, it raised $145,000.

While the event was cancelled last year due to COVID, Purdy said they have plans to bring it back this April. The first two functions were held at the Kentucky Derby Museum, but this year it will take place at Millionaire's Row at Churchill Downs. The venue can hold up to 800 people, but Purdy plans to limit the guest list to 300 to engage in proper social distancing.

“We want to educate our students and the public and are using this event to do so,” she said. “We want to move the message to help highlight these jockeys.”

Moving Forward

PPAATH has several other projects on the horizon in the coming months.

The Kentucky Derby Museum recently launched a newly expanded exhibit that showcases the impact African Americans have had on racing throughout history.

PPAATH is working with the museum to provide colored prints for visitors to purchase and take home.

“The museum has a visual history from their archives, but we're trying to develop a partnership where we can get artwork available for sale in the retail store so people can take these prints home,” said PPAATH's Vice President and Co-Founder Jerry Fife. “I think a combination of what we've been doing has made them realize the value of pulling this information out, literally out of the basement, and getting it in front of people.”

In addition, PPAATH has partnered with Brown-Forman Corporation, one of the largest American-owned wine and spirits companies that manufactures, among others, Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve, to create a Black History Month Fireside Chat event for internal educational use within Brown-Forman's organization.

Nichols said that this first collaboration has already created additional projects with Brown-Forman still in the early stages of development.

Nichols said that he and his team are grateful for the media attention their group has received in the past few months that has allowed them to broaden their outreach to a wider audience.

“The opportunities are endless and with the launch of the first bricks-and-mortar dedication with The Black Jockey Lounge, it's really gotten national attention with media waiting until it all comes together,” he said. “It's really not just a community or a state-wide initiation. The media has given some national legs to it.”

Nichols said that now, more than ever, their mission is essential for the betterment of the racing community.

“I always tell people it's eerily similar as far as the pulse of the nation in 2021 and what was the pulse of the nation in 1896,” he said. “The parallels are strikingly similar. As we know, coming out of the Jim Crow era on into the 20th century, it wasn't just the expulsion of talent, it was the expulsion of a consumer base that had been with horse racing for the last 200 years. Over time, the impact of that on the industry is still being felt today. Now we're in a space where the Kentucky Derby and horse racing in general can take the lead in being an ambassador to drive social change around this nation.”

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Opened in 1869, the site now contains over 5,000 graves, of which fewer than 600 are recognized with markers. The plot inters hundreds of enslaved African Americans, as well as members of the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War. It is the burial grounds for attorneys, political activists, doctors, lawyers and, some of the best jockeys the Thoroughbred racing world has ever known.
Leon Nichols, the co-founder and CEO of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History, has traversed the grounds many times.

“These were people who made lasting impacts on society and rallied their knowledge together to carve out a space in their respective fields,” he said. “These people gave us a legacy that they created in the most trying of times in America, but they still prevailed and left us with a tremendous amount of stories that we can forever hold onto and help shape future generations.”
A native of Lexington, Nichols grew up hearing the tales of many of the equestrians laid to rest at the site. Much of his family, from uncles to brother, were involved in the industry as trainers, grooms and hot walkers.

It’s just something that was always a part of our family heritage,” he recounted. “As a kid, I grew up following in those footsteps and hanging around the racetrack and working on the farms. I guess what really struck me is that being in those environments, everyone talked about the contributions of African American jockeys and trainers back then, but as a young kid, I never saw any representation.”

As time went on, Nichols was continually struck by the minimal recognition given to those African American jockeys who defined the early years of horse racing. He said there was always a thought in the back of his mind that perhaps there was something he could do to help bring their stories to light.

In 2007, while working at the Kroger Distribution Center in Louisville, Nichols was approached by co-workers Calvin Davis and Jerry Fife. The men had heard about his racing background and wanted to learn more.

Soon after, the trio formed the Project to Preserve African American Turf History (PPAATH).

From left: James Natsis, Calvin Davis, Leon Nichols, Jerry Fife

“We just felt like there needed to be representation in terms of the African American contributions to horse racing,” Nichols said. “The overall mission is that we wanted to find ways that we could integrate the history into the equine industry and really have some outreach to set up the next generation in terms of learning about this forgotten past.”
Through this outreach in educating the general public, the program hopes to widen horse racing’s audience.

“We wanted to reconnect the fanbase and show the collective contribution of people of color to the sport, as well as make the sport more relevant than what it is currently,” Nichols said. “I think the way you do that is through the narration of these stories and this history, and then you get a greater appreciation of the sport, the Derby, and horse racing in general.”

Much of the history that the group aims to highlight is centered around the over 150 equine industry participants buried at African Cemetery No. 2.

Towards the back of the cemetery, beneath an ancient oak tree, a three-foot tall headstone commemorates the Lewis family.

Oliver Lewis was born into slavery in Lexington in 1856. While still a teenager, he became the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby aboard Aristides in 1875. He was one of 13 African American jockeys in the 15-horse field, and would go on to run second with Aristides in the Belmont S. He never raced in another Kentucky Derby, and little is known about his life beyond that bright moment in the spotlight. Lewis died in 1924 and while records indicate that he was buried in a family grave at African Cemetery No. 2, his name is not listed on the family monument.

Just a few years after Lewis rode to victory in Louisville, James “Soup” Perkins was born in 1880 in Lexington. He began riding at the age of 11, and then at the age of 15 became the youngest jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby, a distinction that he still shares with fellow African American jockey Alonzo Clayton, who was victorious in the prestigious event just three years prior. Perkins is buried in a family plot along with his brother Frank, who was a successful trainer until he was killed in 1900.

Perhaps the most famous person buried at the historic site is Isaac Murphy. Born into slavery in 1861, Murphy moved to Lexington with his mother following the Civil War. He would go on to ride in 11 Kentucky Derbies, and come out on top in 1884, 1890 and 1891.

“Isaac was able to communicate with the horse through his hands and his warm personality,” Nichols said. “He rarely used the whip, and was revered for his strict honesty.”

From 1892 through 1895, Murphy achieved an incomprehensible winning percentage of 44%.

“One of his biggest claims-to-fame was the overall impact that he had on the industry,” said Nichols. “You have to understand the times. Being in the 19th century, being an African American, he was able to really bring people together. White and Black alike flooded to see this man in all his glory, and what he brought to the sport of horse racing.”

Nichols said that Murphy was well known for his vibrant personality, and was always a favorite with the media because of his articulateness and honesty. He was also the individual that set the standard for fashion at the race track.

“He was the Michael Jordan or the Tiger Woods of horse racing,” Nichols said. “His legacy in the culture of racing is undeniably embedded in the sport, from fashion to etiquette. He was that transcendent figure in sport that really helped create opportunity for everybody.”

Murphy was not only the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derbies, but also the first to do it back-to-back and eventually the first jockey to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

For most of his career, Murphy was revered as a celebrity, with appearances in newspapers and magazines, and his likeness displayed on tobacco cards. But before the turn of the century, rampant racism took its toll and he was resented for taking money and fame from white jockeys.

The eventual Hall of Famer was forced to retire prematurely due to health issues, and he died of pneumonia at the age of 35 in 1896. He was placed in an unmarked grave at African Cemetery No. 2. and for many years, his burial site was nearly forgotten. It wasn’t until 1967 when a researcher discovered the grave and his remains were exhumed and reinterred at the old Man o’War burial site, and then moved again to the Kentucky Horse Park in 1978.

From 1921 to 2000, not a single African American was represented in the Kentucky Derby | Audrey Menefee

The gradual disappearance of African Americans in racing continued into the early 20th century, with many of the sport’s best African American jockeys leaving the country to ride overseas. Jim Crow laws all but banned African Americans from race tracks. From 1921 to 2000, there was not a single African American jockey represented in the Kentucky Derby.

Despite this extreme absence of African Americans in the sport for nearly a century, Nichols said that the ripple effect of their talent and strong presence in those early days is still felt today.

“When we really get down to the nuts and bolts of it, these stories give us a lesson in terms of diversity and inclusion that I think is very relevant to today because it proves that we worked together then to help Kentucky’s signature industry become what it is today,” Nichols said. “It provides us with a blueprint to really amplify that message nationwide, especially in times like this.”

When PPAATH began their program fewer than 20 years ago, they knew that they would need a way to represent the important stories they were trying to share.

They enlisted the help of Georgia-based fine arts painter Audrey Menefee.

The artist had no background in horse racing, but was interested in sharing the unknown tales of African Americans in the industry. She found that there was not much to go off of in terms of information or images of the jockeys they wished to highlight, but still she was able to create a collection of over a dozen jockey portraits.

In 2010, the “Forgotten Black Jockeys” exhibit was featured at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

The collection has traveled to several venues nationwide.

Two years ago, Dr. James Natsis, a Kentucky-based writer and assistant professor at West Virginia State University found out about the project. He eventually became a vice present of PPAATH, and led an effort to bring the collection to West Virginia State University.

Another major undertaking for the program has been the Isaac Murphy Image Awards.

“We wanted to do something that was really going to bring Isaac’s legacy to the national stage,” said Nichols. “We created the Isaac Murphy Image Awards to honor prominent African Americans in business, education, entertainment and sports who left an indelible mark in their respective fields. We wanted to do that by bringing them to the Kentucky Derby, [so they could] learn a little bit of the history.”

Award recipients include actors Angela Bassett and Danny Glover, Super Bowl MVP and coach Doug Williams, and Olympic medalist Peter Westbook.

PPAATH is now working to grow the span of their awards show, and is collaborating with production companies in hopes to make it into a national awards celebration that runs in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby.

2013 Isaac Murphy Image Award Recipient Angela Bassett | PPAATH

“We still think that this sport is one of the greatest sports in the world, and we want to add a diversity spin to it to help rein in new fan bases,” Nichols said. “It’s a foundational sport for everything we do today in North America, whether it’s the NBA or the NFL, horse racing in its earliest days set the foundation for a sporting culture that far exceeded anyone’s expectations. I think if we can get the sport back to its days of glory and prominence, but more importantly, its impact on diversity and inclusion, everyone wins in that situation.”

Beyond an induction to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, African Cemetery No. 2 has seen little recognition in this century, even after the graves of those prominent jockeys were re-discovered. PPAATH has been working to change that. In recent years, they’ve partnered with the University of Kentucky to create on-site posters commemorating some of the historical figures laid to rest at the cemetery.

The headstones are still cracked and crumbling, the landscaping is still in need of much attention, but still, it’s a step. Through these series of small strides taken in collaboration, Nichols and his team are working to prevent history from rewriting itself, and initiate the growth of a more diverse horse racing audience.

“It has to be a collaborative approach,” Nichols said. “We have to learn that we can work with one another. This history, in terms of the legacies that we were left with, gives us that blueprint- that when we do work together, amazing things happen. We see an opportunity for this industry to take those very first steps of inclusiveness. It has to be an amicable approach. We have to learn to trust the fact that we can work together, and we can use this history as a frame of reference to help us do that.”

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