Happy Monday, folks! It’s Laura Ellis with a look at what’s on the SoA agenda for Derby Week!
Today we’re learning more about the life and career of James Winkfield, the last African-American jockey to ride to victory in the Kentucky Derby, in 1902. Why has it been so long? The dearth of African-Americans in modern racing is even more puzzling when you consider that in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, 13 out of 15 jockeys were black. And that among the first 28 derby winners, 15 were ridden by African-American jockeys. What happened to make horse racing so segregated?
Tomorrow we’ll talk with sports writer and author Ed McNamara about Cajun racing, and why so many of today’s great jockeys hail from Louisiana.
On Wednesday we’re still talking horses, but with a different event in mind. The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 in Kentucky will represent the largest equine sporting event ever held in the United States. The games are taking place this fall at Kentucky Horse Park – their first time ever to be held outside Europe. Tune in to learn more about the games, their significance, and what preparations are being made at the horse park.
Thursday is our annual Handicapping the Derby show! Join us to get our experts’ picks on who to put your money on this Saturday. If you’re not guarding them to closely, call and tell us your own secret methods for picking a horse (and ‘fess up if you go by silks color, or let your toddler pick!).
Friday we’ll be rounding out the week with State of the News – apparently news goes on, even during Derby Week.
