view raw text
PASSING OF NEGRO RIDER ♦ Winkfield Last Colored Jockey to Win the Kentucky Derby. • -♦ • Famous Isaac Murphy Only Jockey to Ever Ride Three Winners of Kentuckys 3Iost Famous Race. ♦ LOUISVILLE, Ky„ April 7.— Not since Jimmy Winkfield piloted Alan-a-Dale to victory for Major Tom McDowell in 1902 has a negro jockey received the plaudits of a Derby Day crowd at Churchill Downs. The passing of the negro jockey brought forth quite a discussion among the older trainers and turfmen at Churchill Downs a few mornings ago. One old-timer recalled the numerous negro jockeys of thirty or forty years ago and remarked that he supposed they had gone out of use like "the old sidebar buggy of that period." This particular old and grizzled follower of the turf had a wonderful memory and his citations when run down were of record, both as to dates and exploits. He recalled that Winkfield also rode His Eminence when he won the Derby the year previous to Alan-a-Dales victory and that he was still riding with success in France and that has been more than twenty years ago. "They dont last as long in America as they do across the pond," he remarked. "Isaac Murphy was far the best of the negro jockeys we ever had in this country, he said. "Isaac was not only the best judge of pace but could put up the strongest finish I ever saw." Billy Walker, the negro turfman, who rode Ten Broeck in the great four-mile race when he beat Mollie McCarthy that sultry Fourth of July afternoon in 1878, was standing by listening in on the merits of the horsemanship of his race, said : "Ill admit that Isaac was the king of them all, but there were other good ones. When I rode Baden Baden to victory for the Derby in 1877, the third Kentucky Derby. Isaac was just learning the rudiments of riding and I want to take some credit for teaching him some of the lessons which he afterward enir ployed successfully. MURPHYS PROUDEST DAY. "I recall when Isaac rode his first Kentucky Derby winner. It was on Buchanan that he came down in front of Ioftin and Audrian in 1884. Audrian was the favorite for the Derby that year, with Bob Miles the second choice and Buchanan the third. Isaac got Buchanan off nearly last and was on the outside. I would not have given a nickle for his chances. Bob Miles beat the flag and was off in front. His jockey soon took him under restraint and Admiral led his field coming by the stands for the first time. Bob Miles was second and Loftin third. Buchanan was last at this point, but they had still a mile to go. At the mile Isaac turned Buchanans head loose and in a jiffy he was in front. The farther they went Buchanan increased his lead until he pulled up winner with his head swinging sideways. Isaac was the proudest negro I iCtatinued on second page.j I ! I , i PASSING OF NEGRO RIDER • I Continued from first page. ever saw when he came back to the stand, saluted Colonel Clark and dismounted. "It was tht* beginning of one of the most 1 successful riding careers this country h?s ever seen." said Walker, "and will compare I favorably with Fred Archers in England." In 1890 and 1S91 Murphy rode the Derby ! winners Riley and Kingman, making it a triple, which stands today as a jockey record . for the Kentucky Derby. In addition he rode the first four of the five American Derby winners in Modesty, Silver Cloud, Volante 1 and Emperor of Norfolk. He also won the I first 1-atonia Derby on Leonatus and followed that success by winning the same fixture on Bersan. Silver Cloud. Libretto and Kingman. I Other famous negro jockeys were recalled. It was agreed that lxnnie Clayton, who I rode George Longs Azra to victory in the Kentucky Derby of 1892 was entitled to be classed among the greatest of negro jockeys of those days. Clayton was a rider of finish and his success in both the East and West i brought him in big demand for stake events. "PIKE" BARNES TOPXOTCHER. "Pike" Barnes was another who was in the top ranks of the negro riders. "Pike" rode Proctor Knott when he won the Junior Championship Stakes and the first Futurity in 1SSS. He. however, never had the honor of riding a Kentucky Derby winner, but he was only beaten a head by Spokane when he rode Proctor Knott in the memorable Derby of 1X89. "Soup" Perkins, brother of Will Perkins, one of the most successful negro trainers and turfmen of the present era, was mentioned during the discussion. It was recalled that Perkins had a Derby to his credit. He had the mount on the black colt Halma when he won in 1895. Willie Simms was another which was considered in his day the equal of any pigskin artist in America. It was Simms who brought Ben Brush down in front of Ben Eder for the Derby in 1896. That was the year that the distance for the Derby was changed from one mile and a half to one mile and a quarter, as it stands today. The finish was so close there are many persons believe to this day that Ben Eder was the winner, but it was only the old deceptive angle again. When the list of negro jockeys that had won the Kentucky Derby was thought to have been exhausted another old-timer opened up with the remark : "You fellows have overlooked one, if I am not mistaken, and that negro was about as good as ever pulled a rein over a thoroughbred. It was Isaac Lewis, who won the Derby on Montrose in 1887 for the Iabold brothers." Before the conversations were concluded the feat of Jimmy Lee was recalled. This negro rider won the entire card of six races at Churchill Downs one fine July afternoon in 1916. The riding feats of other negro jockeys also were recalled. These included "Tony" Hamilton. "Monk" Overton, Felix Carr, "Tiny" Williams, Jerry Chorn, Link Jones, Bob Isom. Tommy Knight, Tom Britton, James Porter, Pete Clay, Chevalier, Hoggett and others.
