Isaac Murphy did not live very long, but his impact on the sport of horse racing has lasted a lifetime. Born in Fayette county in 1861, Murphy first worked as an exercise boy before riding in his first race at the age of fourteen. Murphy won that first race. He would go on to dominate the sport that he loved tremendously, and set a winning percentage of 44% that will probably never be challenged.
Issac Murphy at the age of eighteen won thirty-five of the seventy-five races he entered. In 1882 at Saratoga he had forty nine wins from fifty-one starters. The most amazing accomplishment of Murphy's career was his good fortune in the Kentucky Derby. This was and still is the premier race in America for three year olds and Murphy not only rode in them but won the race three times. Murphy's talent was among the best of his time, and trainers and owners wanted to win, so they would put the best jockeys on their horses. Isaac was considered the best, so he inherited a lot of those good mounts. Isaac Murphy won the Derby aboard Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890, and Kingman in 1891. Not only was Murphy the first to win the Derby an astonishing three times, but he was first to win the Derby back to back.
Like most jockeys today and during his time, Murphy had to work to make weight. He tried different diets to help achieve the desired riding weight. The diets and the trauma that they caused to his body would be a contributing factor in his death. Isaac Murphy died from pneumonia brought on by a weaken
ed immune system. He lived thirty six years.
If Isaac Murphy was the first great Black Jockey, then Jimmy Winkfield was the most intrepid of all black jockeys. Born in Chilesburg, Kentucky , in 1882, Winfield was a trail blazer who was ahead of his time. He did things in races that was extremely dangerous, but it was that daring and brash quality that endeared him to many. Jimmy Winfield career began in 1898 and he quickly rose to the elite statue of many of the greats at the time. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1901 at the age of 12. He also won in 1902, and almost won the race in 1903, but made a premature move that cost him the race. Riding the odds on favourite in the Derby named Early, Winfield took a one and half length lead, but came up empty in the stretch and lost by three quarters of a length to a 10-1 long shot. After losing the race Winfield was in tears. He said,"I lost my head". He called the loss the worst of his career.
With Jim crow laws polluting the South and the closing of many tracks, Winkfield moved his tack to ride overseas. The move would provide Jimmy with his greatest success as a rider. In Russia he won the Emperor's Purse, the Moscow Derby twice, and the Russian Derby three times. In Germany, he won the Grand Prix De Bader. In Poland he won the Poland Derby twice, and in France he won the Prix Du President De La Republique.
In 1940 the Germans invaded France and confiscated Mr. Winkfield property to stable their horses. He fled with his wife and son to Portugal. On April 30, 1941 after being out of his homeland for decades, Jimmy Winkfield returned home penniless.
He worked several jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a groom and a exercise rider. Eventually he would began training horses again. Twelve years after coming home, Winkfield decided to return to the land that made him feel like an equal human being, so in 1953 he returned to France to open a riding school. In 1974 at the age of 91 Jimmy Winkfield died in France.
At the height of the Black Jockey dominance in this country, the Kentucky Derby was dominated by these talented riders. In 1875 during the first Derby, 13 of the 15 riders were African Americans. African Americans rode 15 of the first 28 Derby winners. Today one would have to look far and wide to find a Black Jockey in the Derby. Shaun Bridgmohan rode in the Kentucky Derby from 2006-2009. His first try was aboard Private Vow who finished 15th. His best result to that point came aboard the Winchell owned Pyro who finished 9th, but in 2011 he returned to the derby field aboard Santiva who finished 6th. This year he is still looking for that Kentucky derby ride that would make him the first black jockey to win the derby since Winkfield. The only other Black Jockeys to have ridden in the Derby since the early 1900's are Marlon St. Julien who finished seventh aboard Curule in 2000, Patrick Husbands who rode Seaside Retreat in 2006, and in 2013 Goldencents with Kevin Krigger. Goldencents came to the Derby with jockey Kevin Krigger aboard looking to put his face in the history books. There were many chorus singing that he maybe the first black jockey to win this prestigious race in a long time. The chorus was wrong. Goldencents never got going, and Krigger has since lost the mount on Goldencents, plus he had to ship back to Golden Gate Fields to regain his form.
Issac Murphy at the age of eighteen won thirty-five of the seventy-five races he entered. In 1882 at Saratoga he had forty nine wins from fifty-one starters. The most amazing accomplishment of Murphy's career was his good fortune in the Kentucky Derby. This was and still is the premier race in America for three year olds and Murphy not only rode in them but won the race three times. Murphy's talent was among the best of his time, and trainers and owners wanted to win, so they would put the best jockeys on their horses. Isaac was considered the best, so he inherited a lot of those good mounts. Isaac Murphy won the Derby aboard Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890, and Kingman in 1891. Not only was Murphy the first to win the Derby an astonishing three times, but he was first to win the Derby back to back.
Like most jockeys today and during his time, Murphy had to work to make weight. He tried different diets to help achieve the desired riding weight. The diets and the trauma that they caused to his body would be a contributing factor in his death. Isaac Murphy died from pneumonia brought on by a weaken
ed immune system. He lived thirty six years.If Isaac Murphy was the first great Black Jockey, then Jimmy Winkfield was the most intrepid of all black jockeys. Born in Chilesburg, Kentucky , in 1882, Winfield was a trail blazer who was ahead of his time. He did things in races that was extremely dangerous, but it was that daring and brash quality that endeared him to many. Jimmy Winfield career began in 1898 and he quickly rose to the elite statue of many of the greats at the time. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1901 at the age of 12. He also won in 1902, and almost won the race in 1903, but made a premature move that cost him the race. Riding the odds on favourite in the Derby named Early, Winfield took a one and half length lead, but came up empty in the stretch and lost by three quarters of a length to a 10-1 long shot. After losing the race Winfield was in tears. He said,"I lost my head". He called the loss the worst of his career.
With Jim crow laws polluting the South and the closing of many tracks, Winkfield moved his tack to ride overseas. The move would provide Jimmy with his greatest success as a rider. In Russia he won the Emperor's Purse, the Moscow Derby twice, and the Russian Derby three times. In Germany, he won the Grand Prix De Bader. In Poland he won the Poland Derby twice, and in France he won the Prix Du President De La Republique.
In 1940 the Germans invaded France and confiscated Mr. Winkfield property to stable their horses. He fled with his wife and son to Portugal. On April 30, 1941 after being out of his homeland for decades, Jimmy Winkfield returned home penniless.
He worked several jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a groom and a exercise rider. Eventually he would began training horses again. Twelve years after coming home, Winkfield decided to return to the land that made him feel like an equal human being, so in 1953 he returned to France to open a riding school. In 1974 at the age of 91 Jimmy Winkfield died in France.
At the height of the Black Jockey dominance in this country, the Kentucky Derby was dominated by these talented riders. In 1875 during the first Derby, 13 of the 15 riders were African Americans. African Americans rode 15 of the first 28 Derby winners. Today one would have to look far and wide to find a Black Jockey in the Derby. Shaun Bridgmohan rode in the Kentucky Derby from 2006-2009. His first try was aboard Private Vow who finished 15th. His best result to that point came aboard the Winchell owned Pyro who finished 9th, but in 2011 he returned to the derby field aboard Santiva who finished 6th. This year he is still looking for that Kentucky derby ride that would make him the first black jockey to win the derby since Winkfield. The only other Black Jockeys to have ridden in the Derby since the early 1900's are Marlon St. Julien who finished seventh aboard Curule in 2000, Patrick Husbands who rode Seaside Retreat in 2006, and in 2013 Goldencents with Kevin Krigger. Goldencents came to the Derby with jockey Kevin Krigger aboard looking to put his face in the history books. There were many chorus singing that he maybe the first black jockey to win this prestigious race in a long time. The chorus was wrong. Goldencents never got going, and Krigger has since lost the mount on Goldencents, plus he had to ship back to Golden Gate Fields to regain his form.
In his book Great Black Jockeys, author Edward Hoataling writes,"They were ridden out of the sport and they've been sort of written out of the sport too". He goes on to say, "Their disappearance I see really as a civil rights story".
The journey of these two great riders and many others need to be continued and recognized. The racing hall of fame inducted Mr. Winkfield in their prestigious hall in 2004 . In 2005 New York named a race in his honor, but I believe that we need to take it further in honoring these two great jockeys. Churchill Downs where horse racing premier event takes place, should name one of the races run on Kentucky Derby day after Isaac Murphy or Jimmy Winkfield. I think it would be a fitting honor for two outstanding jockeys who blazed the trail when the trail was difficult.
The journey of these two great riders and many others need to be continued and recognized. The racing hall of fame inducted Mr. Winkfield in their prestigious hall in 2004 . In 2005 New York named a race in his honor, but I believe that we need to take it further in honoring these two great jockeys. Churchill Downs where horse racing premier event takes place, should name one of the races run on Kentucky Derby day after Isaac Murphy or Jimmy Winkfield. I think it would be a fitting honor for two outstanding jockeys who blazed the trail when the trail was difficult.
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