The Daily Show: Ears Edition - CP Time: The History of Black Horse Racers

Episode Date: May 21, 2022

Not only was a Black jockey the first to win the Kentucky Derby in 1875, but Black riders were some of the best. Roy Wood Jr. discusses a few of the greatest Black horse racers in history, including 17-year-old Cheryl White, the first licensed Black female jockey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Ah, well, hello. Welcome to CP Time. The only show is for the culture. I do not have his money. Ah, well, hello. Well, hello. Welcome to CP time.

The only show. It's for the culture. Today, we'll be discussing blacks in horse racing. Usually when you think of horse racing, the only black thing that comes to mind is the horse.. the horse, the horse, the horse. the horse. the horse. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thoes. thoes. thi. thi. thoes. thoes. thi. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. to, t. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. tho. tho. tho. to. t culture. Today we'll be discussing blacks in horse racing. Usually when you think of horse racing, the only black thing that comes to mind is the horse itself. Turns out many of the people riding them have been black too. Not to take anything away from those black horses though. Stay strong, my horse brothers. For many years in the early days of organized horse racing, black jockeys were extremely common in the sport.

Partly because black people had a lot of experience taking care of horses during slavery, and partly because riding horses was the best way to prevent the police from stopping you for a broken tail light. Take the Kentucky Derby, the biggest event in the sport. It's so popular, you've probably heard of it, even if you're not a gambling addict that blew his kids' college money and lost the house on weekend races. Sorry, baby, Whispering Willow was supposed to be a sure thing. In the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, 13 out of 15 jockeys were black, and the winner of that race was Oliver Lewis. Oliver rode to victory on his horse Aristides.

Strange name, but it was the 1800s. If you got a black jockey, you got to at least give the horse an extra white name to balance things out. Despite his success, Lewis retired from racing the very same year he won the derby, which is understandable. With the prize money he won, he could finally achieve the dream of every black man in 18,, the 18, the 18, the 18, the 18, the the the the the the the the th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the, the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but the, but which is understandable. With the prize money he won, he could finally achieve the dream of every black man in 1875 Kentucky. Moving out of Kentucky. Not only were black people the first to do it, but they were some of the best. Like Isaac Burns Murphy, seen here thinking about racism, probably. Isaac was considered one of the greatest jockeys in history.

He was the first person to win the Kentucky Derby three times and his win record is still unmatched to this day at 44%. Murphy was the first rider ever to be inducted into the horse racing hall of fame which is the highest honor a jockey can receive other than being told you actually taller than I expected. but despite their success in the sport the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. thu. ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te.told, hmm, you're actually taller than I expected. But despite their success in the sport, black riders soon all but disappeared from horse racing, making it yet another thing that started out very black,

but became very white, much like rock and roll, or Brooklyn. And that's because in the early 1900s, there was a concerted effort to push black jockeys out of the sport. White races engaged in harsh tactics both on and off the track. They would hit black riders with riding crops or run them into the rails. Two-time derby winner Jimmy Winkfield was even threatened by the Ku Klux Klan. The irony, he and the KKK both love riding horses. If equestrianism can't trump hate, then I don't know what can.

The harassment got so bad that in 1904, Winkfield left the country to become a racing superstar in Russia. Do you know how bad it's got to get for a black man to move to Russia? They didn't even have black people over there back then. Although maybe that's the secret. Gotta get in early before they learn how to do racism. But soon enough, practically the only black jockeys you could find with those creepy little statues on rich white folks' lawns. Between 1921 and the year 2000, not a single black jockey even raced in the derby. Do you understand how long that is?

It took all the way until the Baja men released who let the dogs out for a black person to compete again. Not saying that the two are related. Unless, nah, you're being crazy, Roy. Now, one black rider who did make waves during those years was Cheryl White, the first licensed black female jockey in America. Cheryl started her career racing straight out of high school, which means she was the most influential black teenager on a horse until Little Niles X came around. And she didn't need the help of Miley Cyrus's daddy. At just 17 years old, White was already winning races and gracing the cover of Jet Magazine, which is incredibly impressive.

Nowadays most 17-year-olds I know could only make the cover of dumbass up to no good magazine. I see you boys doing the vaping before school. I will snitch on you. Watch me. So the next time you think of horse racing, think about the black jockeys that blazed the trail back in those early days. Well, just think of Seabiscuit, or the guy who rode s biscuit or how much money you lost by not betting on Sebiscuit? Well the guy who rode Seabiscuit or how much money you lost by not betting on Seabiscuit. Baby I'm not coming home for a little while. I'm so sorry. Well that's all the time we have for today. I'm Roywood Jr. and this has been CP time and remember with other culture. Can somebody help me put on this fake mustache? There's a gentleman named Knuckle Swinging Body to get some money, and I don't have it for him, and I've got to get the hell out of here.

Come on there, her, er, okay, all right. This location has been compromised. Come on, Jennifer Lewis. The Daily Show with Trevor Noa, Ears Edition. Suve to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast.