Oliver Lewis
Oliver Lewis | |
---|---|
![]() Oliver Lewis, winning jockey of the first Kentucky Derby | |
Occupation | Jockey |
Born | 1856 Fayette County, Kentucky |
Died | 1924 Lexington, Kentucky |
Resting place | African Cemetery No. 2 (Lexington, Kentucky) |
Major racing wins | |
American Classics wins: Kentucky Derby (1875) | |
Honours | |
Oliver Lewis Way, Lexington, Kentucky | |
Significant horses | |
Aristides |
Oliver Lewis (1856–1924) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. On May 17, 1875, Lewis won the very first Kentucky Derby aboard Aristides. The pair won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race. Lewis and Aristides took second place in the Belmont Stakes, which is now the third race of the U.S. Triple Crown series.[1][2] He is the great great grandfather of actor Rodney Van Johnson.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Oliver_Lewis_jockey.jpg/220px-Oliver_Lewis_jockey.jpg)
Lewis was born in Fayette County, Kentucky in 1856. After his death in 1924 he was buried in Benevolent Society No. 2 Cemetery, which is now known as African Cemetery No. 2.[3][4]
On September 8, 2010 the Newtown Pike Extension in Lexington, Kentucky was named Oliver Lewis Way in honor of Lewis’s historic accomplishments.[5]
References
- ^ "The Kentucky Derby's Forgotten Jockeys - African American jockeys once dominated the track". Smithsonian Institution. 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
- ^ "Eight Acres of History: Lexington's African Cemetery No. 2". YouTube. Lexington Public Library. Archived from the original on 2016-01-04. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "Oliver Lewis". ky.gov. Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "African Cemetery No. 2". africancemeteryno2.org. African Cemetery No. 2 Inc. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "What you may not know about Lexington's newest road". Lexington Herald-Leader. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2018-11-01.