Isaac Murphy Won Three Kentucky Derbies
X-Ky Governor Integrated Major League Baseball
Ky. Gov. Breathitt First Southern Governor to Support Civil Rights Act
2/05/2025 Copyright © 2025 JournalKentucky.com All rights reserved.
February is Black History Month and Kentucky has many stories to celebrate freedom and success with black citizens.
Here’s three exemplary stories. One of the most famous black jockeys from Kentucky is Isaac Murphy.
He was a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and is considered one of the greatest jockeys in horse racing history.
Murphy won the Derby in 1884, 1890, and 1891, and he had an impressive career with a win rate of 44%, a record that still stands today.
In 1947 former Kentucky governor A. B. Happy Chandler, as baseball commissioner, integrated major league baseball by supporting Gen. Mgr. Branch Rickey’s decision to sign Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson’s success rivals Isaac Murphy’s.
Later, in 1964, Kentucky Gov. Ned Breathitt was the first southern governor to support President Lyndon Johnson’s (D-TX) Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Now, here’s a cute X on student athletes in black history.
We celebrate Black History Month with historical storytelling about UK student-athlete alumni across various sports ⬇️ https://t.co/6b2QMtdhKr
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) February 5, 2025
Ref.:
Article fact-checked using MS Edge CoPilot Ai, pointing to Britannica.com regarding Civil Rights Act; and, Bet.com (for article on black jockeys).
