Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky

by Foster Ockerman Jr.

Untold tidbits of equine history is revealed by historian and seventh generation Kentuckian Foster Ockerman Jr.
Horse racing and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are synonymous. The equine industry in the state dates as far back as the eighteenth century, and some of that history remains untold. The Seventeenth Earl of Derby made the trip from England to Louisville for the famed Kentucky Derby. Many famous African American jockeys grew up in the area but fled to Europe during the Jim Crow era. Gambling on races is a popular pastime, but betting in the early days caused significant changes in the sport. Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky details the rich and the lesser-known history at the tracks in the Bluegrass State.

128 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2019

Reviews

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foster Ockerman, Jr's "Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky" gets into a description of how the industry came to the state as well as how important it is to the economy. The book itself does contain material found in other works on the state, but it also does a decent enough job of other stuff to make the book worthwhile and also gives we the reader enough new material to keep it interesting. What I appreciate about it is the fact that it also mentions how important the jockeys were as they to the national prowess of stuff and also a reminder that in the days before integration was common a lot of these superstars were in fact African American which is a big plus for them & the history of sports in the US.