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The history of black jockeys in the Kentucky Derby

Bill Brine
/
Flickr Creative Commons
The 2014 Kentucky Derby field. Winner California Chrome is the third horse from the right.

In the early days of the Kentucky Derby, African American jockeys were a significant presence in horseracing. But as times changed, so did their participation in the sport.

As Laura Ellis and Ja’Nel Johnson of Kentucky Public Radio member station WFPL report, many think it’s unlikely that black jockeys will ever return to prominence in the sport they pioneered.