Black Fact = 1875 (May 17) – Oliver Lewis, a black jockey, won the first Kentucky Derby on this date in 1875. Lewis rode a horse named “Aristides.” Oliver Lewis, a Lexington native, was listed as a race rider in the employ of H.P. McGrath, owner of McGrathiana Farm (the current UK Coldstream Research Park) during the 1880 census. Lewis went on to win the first Kentucky Derby in 1875 aboard Aristides. After his riding career ended, Lewis moved to northern Kentucky, where he remained active in thoroughbred racing. He played a major role in developing the racing form that is in current use at race tracks today. Records indicate that Oliver Lewis is buried in African Cemetery No. 2, although his name is not listed on the family monument. In 2010 an extension of Newtown Pike in Lexington was named ‘Oliver Lewis Way’ in his honor. #theraydiotwins
