Kentucky

‘If these artifacts could speak.’ Take a look at 7 iconic artifacts in Kentucky Derby history

Published

8 months ago

April 16, 2024

Press Room

‘If these artifacts could speak.’ Take a look at 7 iconic artifacts in Kentucky Derby history

The Kentucky Derby has left quite a trail in its 149 runnings.

While dust certainly settles on the track, artifacts associated with the Run for the Roses can linger for decades.

Stories and memories live on in the countless collectible Kentucky Derby cups that fill cupboards or hats that rest in closets, but some objects carry a whole different weight and symbolism.

A few years ago Jessica Whitehead, the curator of collections for the Kentucky Derby Museum, told me the American flag that flew over Churchill Downs in 1937 was one of the most celebrated artifacts in the museum’s 20,000-piece collection. The Kentucky Derby was nearly canceled that year because the Ohio River flooded and devastated Louisville but the race went on because Kentucky’s governor at the time delivered a morale-boosting speech insisting the event was a symbol of unity.

Like that flag, so many of the objects in the museum seem ordinary or unremarkable, until you think about what they have to say about the era they’re from.

“Objects are so special because, they’re literal touchstones for history, and they’re literal touchstones for memory,” Whitehead said.

Kentucky Derby history runs in tandem with American history, so much of what’s happening in the world can be remembered through the lens of this historic race.

In honor of the 150th running, Whitehead has compiled a book titled “The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects.” Inspired by that 1937 flag, I asked her to share a few other stories hidden among the museum’s Kentucky Derby artifacts.

“If these artifacts could speak,” she gushed.

Here is a quick look at some extremely humble but very telling pieces of Kentucky Derby history.

1870s: Renderings of the original Clubhouse

Images of the earliest days of Churchill Downs, which was known originally as The Louisville Jockey Club, are difficult to come by. Photography was extremely limited when the track opened in 1875, Whitehead said, so one of the best ways to understand what life was like at the track is hand-drawn renderings.

The Clubhouse was the most exclusive part of the track in the late 19th century, and it was where all the movers and shakers of the day practiced their social sport in between races. These drawings, which are more than a century and a half old, offer a glimpse into what high society looked like for the earliest Kentucky Derby-goers. The Clubhouse had a kitchen all its own, and it was the only part of the track that had indoor bathrooms.

The drawings nod to both the Kentucky Derby experience in its earliest days and the technology of that period. The building was designed in a Carpenter Gothic style by John Andrewartha, a prolific architect in Louisville. The intricate detail in the trim on the structure was only possible because of scroll saws, which were semi-new tools of the day.

The Clubhouse wasn’t part of the Kentucky Derby for long. Once the Twin Spires grandstand was constructed in 1895, it was used for storage or as a residence for the track’s superintendent. By the 1910s it was demolished to make room for barns and outbuildings.

1875: Aristide’s booties

Even with all the glittering trophies and priceless artwork, Whitehead says some of the most prized objects in the collection look humble. The ankle boots once worn by the first Kentucky Derby winner Aristides tell a story of craftsmanship and how racehorses were cared for in 1875.

“These are just (hide) and leather little booties, and if you haven’t ever seen 19th-century horse gear, you might not know what you’re looking at,” Whitehead said.

Aristides wore these anklets in the same way that modern horses have gauze wrapped around their ankles. They would have been touched by Oliver Lewis, the Black jockey who won the first Derby, and by his celebrated Black trainer, Ansel Williamson. The booties are among the oldest objects in the museum’s collection.

“We don’t know if they were worn in the [first Kentucky] Derby,” Whitehead said. “But the fact that they were saved and hallowed this way suggests that certainly, he would have worn them at an important time in his career.”

1896: Isaac Murphy’s grave marker

Isaac Murphy’s legacy is imperative to the history of the Kentucky Derby, but for decades his grave was lost.

His gravestone helps tell the story of how the Jim Crow era, which enforced segregation, forced out the Black jockeys, who powered the racing industry in the late 19th century, Whitehead said. Murphy was a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and the son of a formerly enslaved person in Fayette County. He rode in 11 Kentucky Derby races.

When he died in 1896 — the same year that Black horsemen started getting pushed off the tracks by their white counterparts — Murphy was buried in African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington, which fell into disrepair in the early 20th century. Grave markers were kicked down, destroyed, and moved from their original spots. His grave was considered lost until it was rediscovered in the 1960s. His body was then moved to a place of honor in the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

The original gravestone was then restored and donated to the museum’s collection.

1913: Donerail’s scrapbook

Donerail, who won the 1913 Kentucky Derby, was the longest shot to ever win the race at 91-1 odds. His owner, Thomas Hayes, was so thrilled kept a scrapbook about the horse’s racing career, which is now part of the museum’s collection.

Hidden in those pages is the story of the track’s survival and hometown pride.

Today the Kentucky Derby is an international sensation, but it wasn’t always that way. Churchill Downs was in financial turmoil at the end of the 19th century, and it looked like the Kentucky Derby might have run its course. Matt Winn, the former director of Churchill Downs, gets most of the credit for reviving the track and the race, but Whitehead said, he also got a lot of help from some incredible horses, like Donerail.

“These were stories that spoke to more than just horse racing fans or gamblers,” Whitehead said. “These were stories that started to speak to the American public in ways that were beyond just horseracing.”

Donerail’s jockey, Roscoe Goose, had grown up in Louisville on Third Street near Churchill Downs, and there was an immense sense of local pride swelling around his Kentucky Derby win. Inside the scrapbook is a letter to Hayes from a local shopkeeper, who states that they were so thrilled they decorated the shop in Donerail’s colors.

1934: Brookmeade Stable Jockey Silks

Isabel Dodge Sloane owned Brookmeade Stable and her horse Cavalcade, won the Kentucky Derby in 1934. These are the jockey silks worn by Mack Garner that represent her colors and win.

A man’s jockey silks might seem like an unusual symbol of women’s strides in the male-dominated horseracing industry, but Whitehead says these point to the story of the earliest women horse owners involved in the Kentucky Derby. They first came on the scene in the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until the 1920s and 1930s that women owning racehorses became a more acceptable practice, particularly on the East Coast.

Sloane was also a fashion icon, who helped set the stage for women’s sportswear at the track.

1958: Tim Tam’s horseshoes

Today, Latin American jockeys are a crucial part of horseracing, but that wasn’t the case in the earliest Kentucky Derby races. José “Joe” Rodriguez was a Cuban trailblazer for Latinx jockeys in the United States throughout the 1920s and 1930s, but a Latin American jockey wouldn’t win the Kentucky Derby until Ismael “Milo” Valenzuela road to victory on Tim Tam in 1958. The Kentucky Derby Museum has Tim Tam’s horseshoes in its collection.

“He was the first Latin American winner of the Kentucky Derby, which of course has huge ramifications on the history of the sport,” Whitehead explained. “After that, the trend went significantly toward Latin, Central American and South American horsemen.”

Valenzuela also won The Preakness in 1958. His earnings in his career topped $20 million.

2020: Hats and masks

The museum focuses on preserving the Kentucky Derby’s past, but that also involves collecting objects that help tell its story in the future. The past decade has seen many highs and lows between the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial justice protests, and two disqualifications of winners, among other circumstances.

“We’re still so close to it, that I think we’re going to be trying to understand this period for a long time,” Whitehead said.

It’s always difficult to guess what artifacts will be important down the line, Whitehead said, but the hats and masks worn at the races in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic undeniably speak volumes about the culture of the era.

“People are going to look back at 2020 and 2021, and go ‘What the heck was going on there,’” Whitehead said. “And we’re really fortunate to have some examples in our collection that can help shed light on that and tell those stories later on.”

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you’ve got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4053. Follow along on Instagram @MaggieMenderski.

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Kentucky

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: Preview, Odds & How to Watch

Published

6 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: Preview, Odds & How to Watch

As the great philosopher Alicia Augello Cook once said, New York is the concrete jungle where dreams are made of and there is nothing you can’t do. Kentucky‘s dream is to leave with another big-time win, this time vs. Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats are riding a three-game winning streak into this one while the Buckeyes are limping in losing three of the team’s last five. It’s a chance to start 11-1 on the season for the first time since the 2012 national championship with a victory putting the team one Brown win on New Year’s Eve away from a 12-1 non-conference finish going into SEC play in January.

What do you need to know about the matchup at Madison Square Garden? KSR has you covered from the Big Apple.

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: How to Watch, Listen

Kentucky vs. Ohio State is the second half of the CBS Sports Classic, which tips off with UCLA vs. North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Cats will tip-off against the Buckeyes at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Television: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jenny Dell)
Streaming: Paramount+
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 191
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tipoff, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

Early season rewind

Kentucky: KenPom 12

11/4: 103-62 W vs. Wright State
11/9: 100-72 W vs. Bucknell
11/12: 77-72 W vs. No. 6 Duke
11/19: 97-68 W vs. Lipscomb
11/22: 108-59 W vs. Jackson State
11/26: 87-68 W vs. Western Kentucky
11/29: 105-76 W vs. Georgia State
12/3: 70-66 L at Clemson
12/7: 90-89 W OT vs. Gonzaga
12/11: 78-67 W vs. Colgate
12/14: 93-85 W vs. Louisville

Ohio State: KenPom 38

11/4: 80-72 W vs. Texas
11/11: 81-47 W Youngstown State
11/15: 78-64 L at Texas A&M
11/19: 80-30 W vs. Evansville
11/22: 104-60 W vs. Campbell
11/25: 102-69 W vs. Green Bay
11/29: 91-90 L vs. Pittsburgh
12/4: 83-59 L at Maryland
12/7: 80-66 W vs. Rutgers
12/14: 91-53 L vs. Auburn
12/17: 95-73 W vs. Valparaiso

Series History

The all-time series slightly favors Kentucky 11-10, though Ohio State enters the matchup on a two-game winning streak with CBS Sports Classic wins in 2019 in Vegas (71-65) and in 2015 in Brooklyn (74-67). Before that, it was Brandon Knight’s game-winner in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats upsetting the No. 1 seed Buckeyes in Newark. OSU leads the all-time neutral-floor series 6-4.

Mark Pope has not taken on the Buckeyes at his previous stops while this is first-year coach Jake Diebler’s first matchup against the Wildcats.

Kentucky vs. Ohio State Odds

Spread: Kentucky -5.5
Total: 160.5

Kentucky covered the spread in its first five games of the season before falling just short of that mark in back-to-back matchups vs. WKU and Georgia State. The Wildcats then lost outright as slight favorites at Clemson before winning outright against Gonzaga in Seattle as solid underdogs. They did not cover the spread vs. Colgate or Louisville despite the wins. KenPom projects an 83-78 victory for the Wildcats while Bart Torvik sees UK coming away with an 84-77 win inside Madison Square Garden.

Kentucky Projected Starters

#1 – Lamont Butler
6-2 – 208 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
15.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.1 RPG

#00 – Otega Oweh
6-4 – 215 – GUARD – JUNIOR
15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG

#2 – Jaxson Robinson
6-6 – 192 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG

#7 – Andrew Carr
6-11 – 235 – FORWARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.7 APG

#22 – Amari Williams
7-0 – 262 – CENTER – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG

Ohio State Projected Starters

#2 – Bruce Thornton
6-2 – 215 – GUARD – JUNIOR
14.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.1 APG

#0 – John Mobley Jr.
6-1 – 175 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
12.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.5 APG

#8 – Micah Parrish
6-6 – 205 – GUARD – SENIOR
10.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG

#21 – Devin Royal
6-6 – 220 – FORWARD – SOPHOMORE
15.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.9 APG

#0 – Sean Stewart
6-9 – 220 – FORWARD – SOPHOMORE
5.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 0.5 APG

Statistical Comparison

(via Kentucky’s game notes)

Fun stats from UK’s game notes:

Lamont Butler is coming off SEC Player of the Year and USBWA National Player of the Week honors following a 33-point effort vs. Louisville
Kentucky leads the nation in scoring at 91.3 points per game with four 100-point performances. The Cats are No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio, No. 8 in assists per game and No. 9 in fastbreak points
UK leads the country in defensive rebounding (32.73) and sits in fourth in total rebounds (44.45).
The Cats are 5-5 in the CBS Sports Classic, but 0-2 against Ohio State in the event. This is the first head-to-head matchup against the Buckeyes since 2019-20.

Pregame Storylines

A BATTLE OF 3-POINT SHOOTING

Kentucky was stuck in a shooting funk leading up to Louisville before finally getting back on track with an 11-21 finish (52.4 percent) against the Cards. That pushed the Cats back up to No. 78 nationally in efficiency while sitting at No. 30 in total makes per game, though no one is doubting this team’s ability to shoot long-term. As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are a bit flipped — No. 13 in efficiency, but No. 85 in makes and No. 222 in attempts. Of those with at least 10 attempts on the year, Kentucky has six shooting at least 30 percent while Ohio State has four hitting that mark. Which side will come out on top Saturday?

REUNITING WITH AARON BRADSHAW

The former five-star forward signed with Kentucky out of high school, one of John Calipari’s top recruits in the program’s top-ranked class in 2023. Suffering a broken foot in the spring, Bradshaw was then limited to 26 games played in Lexington, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per contest. He struggled to carve out a clear role alongside Zvonimir Ivisic and Ugonna Onyenso before deciding to transfer for his sophomore campaign, opting against following Coach Cal to Arkansas in favor of the Buckeyes in Columbus. He’s played in four games at OSU, averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game before being held out while being investigated by the school since November 22. Bradshaw has since been cleared to return to team activities, but “it’s not a clear answer yet on his availability” for Saturday as he ramps back up physically, Diebler said.

WILL MEECHIE JOHNSON PLAY?

Bradshaw was the first major loss for the Buckeyes, and now, Meechie Johnson has taken a leave of absence with the team, as well. The fifth-year guard is away to “address some personal matters,” the team announced, and his return remains unclear. “Meechie is still working through his personal stuff,” Diebler said this week. Transferring in from South Carolina where he was an All-SEC member a year ago, Johnson is second on the team in minutes played at 28.8 per contest with 10 starts while scoring 9.1 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting from three.

OSU IS JUGGLING THE CFB PLAYOFF

The very first line of the official game notes says this is “the second biggest game for an Ohio State team this weekend.” The basketball program knows its place as the football team takes on Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, that matchup scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET in Columbus. What does that mean for Madison Square Garden? Well, don’t expect a strong showing from the Buckeyes in terms of fan support while Big Blue Nation travels anywhere for anything. NYC at Christmas? You better believe it is a sea of blue up here.

A NEW YORK HOMECOMING

Koby Brea is a native of Washington Heights, NY while Ansley Almonor is from Spring Valley, NY. Otega Oweh isn’t too far, either, as a native of Newark, NJ — just 15 miles away from Madison Square Garden. Andrew Carr’s hometown of West Chester, PA is just 122 miles away, too, making it a short drive for friends and family. Go down the list and there are connections all over the place, including with Mark Pope, who grew up in Yorktown Heights, NY.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears inside Madison Square Garden while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

New members can get KSR+ for seven days for just $1.

Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube Channel

Miss the game? KSR’s got you covered with a Rapid Reaction live on the KSR YouTube Channel. We’ll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from Mark Pope and the players, stats, and takeaways.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

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Kentucky

Dante Dowdell commits to Kentucky

Published

14 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

The Kentucky Wildcats stayed hot on the recruiting trail this week as they have started to fill out their roster with transfers to kick off this offseason.

With a quarterback in place, a rebuilt offensive line, and several key players added to the receiver room, Mark Stoops and his staff have now landed the running back they plan to pair alongside Jamarion Wilcox in the 2025-26 season.

According to a report by Hayes Fawcett of On3, Nebraska transfer running back, Dante Dowdell, has committed to Kentucky on his visit. He becomes the tenth transfer commitment of this offseason.

Dowdell, a former four-star recruit and top-200 player in the class of 2023, originally committed to Oregon out of high school before transferring to Nebraska last offseason. Now the Mississippi native will look to play his final two years of eligibility in Lexington.

He did have a solid season in Lincoln this year for the Cornhuskers. Dowdell finished the season with 143 carries for 614 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, while also adding seven catches for 21 yards on the year.

After an OC change for Nebraska, Dowdell will now look to bring his power running game to the Cats, and be a nice complementary player alongside Wilcox next season.

Things are starting to take shape folks. There is still a lot that needs to be seen, but an argument can be made that the staff has attacked the portal this offseason in the way they needed to.

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Kentucky

Medical marijuana is near in Kentucky. More than 1,800 want licenses, Gov. Andy Beshear says

Published

22 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Medical marijuana is near in Kentucky. More than 1,800 want licenses, Gov. Andy Beshear says

The legalization of medical marijuana is near in the commonwealth with a program kickoff of Jan. 1, 2025, and plenty wanting to participate.

“Since Dec. 1 of 2024, so that’s just the last 18 days, over 1,800 Kentuckians have visited one of our registered practitioners and received written certifications,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in his Team Kentucky update Thursday, meaning more than 100 daily.

The conditions that have received the most written certifications are chronic pain with 1,374 followed by post-traumatic stress disorder with 599 and multiple sclerosis with 216.

Currently, more than 220 physicians are authorized to write certifications, Beshear said, one of the multiple steps to obtaining a medical marijuana card.

Who qualifies in Kentucky for a medical marijuana card?

According to the Kentucky General Assembly Cabinet for Health and Family Services, applicants who may qualify for medical marijuana in Kentucky must be a state resident (with a few exceptions), have no felony record, have a qualifying medical condition, and have visited a licensed practitioner and received a written certification to use medical cannabis. Applications can be submitted with the Office of Medical Cannabis starting Jan. 1.

Where can I find a doctor to prescribe medical marijuana in Kentucky?

The Office of Medical Cannabis offers an authorized practitioner directory on its website where potential medical card applicants can search for a certified doctor by city, county, zip code or specialty.

There are 65 authorized practitioners Jefferson County as of Wednesday, according to the state database.

How long will Kentucky’s medical marijuana approval process take?

According to the Kentucky General Assembly, the cabinet will acknowledge receiving a first-time or renewal application within 15 days of the receipt, and approve or deny it within 30 days of receiving a completed application.

A written notice will be sent, saying the application was approved or denied. If denied, reasoning will be included. If approved, qualifying patients will receive their identification card within five days of the approval. Those younger than 18 will be denied a card without a caregiver.

How much does a medical marijuana license in Kentucky cost?

Medical marijuana applications will cost $25 in Kentucky. Application fees are nonrefundable and require a credit card or automated clearing house transfer.

What conditions qualify for medical cannabis in Kentucky?

Current conditions eligible for medical marijuana in Kentucky include:

All types and forms of cancer, regardless of the stage
Chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain
Epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder
Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, or spasticity
Chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome that has proven resistant to other conventional medical treatments
Post-traumatic stress disorder

What information is required for a medical marijuana application in Kentucky?

The registry identification card application form is available on the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program website. Applicants who believe they qualify must include:

Full name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, social security number and driver’s license number of qualifying patient
Written certification from a medical cannabis practitioner for qualifying patient
Name, address and telephone number of the patient’s medical cannabis practitioner
For those who are designating a caregiver, the full name, address, phone number, email address and date of birth of up to two individuals chosen by the patient as the caregiver
Application fee of $25
Question on whether patients want to receive notifications from the cabinet on clinical trials surrounding medical marijuana use
An attestation to share cardholder information with licensed dispensaries and law enforcement
A notarized signature page ensuring accurate personal information, understanding of cannabis laws, etc.

How long will a medical marijuana card stay valid in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, a medical marijuana card will be valid for one year, unless indicated by the practitioner to end access sooner. Patients can apply for renewal once the card expires.

Reporter Olivia Evans contributed. Contact breaking news reporter Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.

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