In 1875, a 19-year-old Black jockey named Oliver Lewis shocked the racing world when he rode the colt Aristides to victory in the very first Kentucky Derby. Trained by Ansel Williamson, a formerly enslaved man, their win symbolized how Black talent built the foundation of American horse racing. Back then, Black jockeys weren’t rare—they dominated the sport. But as time passed and racism took hold, their names were erased from the record books. Today, when we look at the Kentucky Derby’s glory, w