The Prince of Jockeys

by Pellom McDaniels III

  As horse racing “became…a profitable business venture, with the book-maker as a recognized factor, the great jockeys jumped into national popularity.”56 By winning big-money races such as the Suburban, the American Derby, the Kentucky Derby, the Saratoga, and the Latonia Derby, African American jockeys became widely known. By the 1890s, with their achievement in the sport of horse racing and their financial success, African American men gained the attention of those white men who saw black success as a threat to white supremacy.

  In the mid-nineteenth century, the labor performed by blacks constituted “nigger work” to most whites, and they wanted no part of it. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, with the economy in a downward spiral, increased competition for jobs, and thousands of dollars available to successful jockeys, white men no longer saw working in stables and around smelly animals as synonymous with drudgery, and they began to compete with blacks for positions as jockeys. However, the ability to ride on the American turf was a skill that had to be taught by a master trainer, and fortunately for Isaac, Eli Jordan agreed to take him on as a student of “horsemanship” and groom him for life as a jockey.57

  After securing Isaac's position as a stable boy under Jordan, America likely insisted that “Uncle Eli” make her boy adhere to a certain set of Christian mores and values: no drinking, no tobacco, no foul language.58 Thanks to Isaac's small stature—standing less than five feet tall and weighing no more than seventy pounds—he soon earned a new position as an exercise boy at the stable.59 His daily routine consisted of waking up before dawn to feed, water, and groom the horses; clean the stalls; and report to Jordan on the animals for which he was responsible. As an apprentice, Isaac “would have slept in the barn, up in the straw with the other boys…. He wasn't training to be a jockey. He was training to ride races,” which would make a jockey out of him.60 On the racetrack, Isaac and the other apprentices took their lessons just like children in school, and they always obeyed Jordan.

  After being thrown from his first mount, appropriately named Volcano, an embarrassed and intimidated Isaac settled in to learn the art of riding from Jordan, the best horse trainer in Fayette County. Coaxing his young pupil to get back up on the fiery horse, Jordan taught him how to take control of the animal through the confidence of his seat. Isaac trusted Jordan's judgment and, risking injury and further humiliation, remounted the temperamental yearling, eventually breaking the horse and securing both their futures in horse racing. Jordan would later comment that Isaac listened to him and followed directions, demonstrating that he was an excellent student and a promising jockey. Known to be dependable and responsible, Isaac was by all accounts a “nice, quiet, lovely boy” who did not swear or gamble.61 Under the expert guidance of Uncle Eli, Isaac excelled, learning the intricacies of riding races and working toward mastering the art of pace.

  To train and prepare the young boy's mind and body for the rigors of competition, Jordan had his student ride fast quarter-, half-, and one-mile lengths, timing him at each interval and telling him exactly how fast he had traveled. Through this process, Isaac would get a feel for the horse's ability and learn every detail about the particular horse he was riding: its morning disposition, its temperament and character under stress, how fast it could run on a full stomach, and the pace it was capable of. Jordan also taught him how to negotiate a wet or muddy track; how to use the horse's body to defend himself against unscrupulous jockeys; and, most important, the value of being honest in a sport where one's reputation could determine how many mounts one received. In short, to become a successful jockey, Isaac not only had to develop horse sense; he also had to master every detail of each race, and most important, he had to master himself.62

  Indeed, as an apprentice, Isaac spent time among the horses in the stables, allowing him to get a feel for the animals and an understanding of his own capabilities. In learning the many critical aspects of horse racing, Isaac established a foundation of knowledge that turned him into an expert in the art of pace, a skill he would later use to defeat the competition in more than 600 races.63 For spectators, Isaac's excellent seat and his command of a race defined him as a master rider whose performance as a jockey mirrored the quality of his manhood.

  After less than two years, the thoughtful, quiet boy had become a jockey of considerable talent. His rise to fame would be the result of a virtuous disposition learned as a small boy and a sense of achievement as a jockey of exceptional physical ability and moral courage. In learning how to ride races, control the pace of his mount, and disregard the constant beckoning of temptation, Isaac was able to take full advantage of the opportunity his mother provided. By the spring of 1875, it was time to see how well he could perform.

  PART 3

  Revelations

  6

  Learning to Ride and Taking Flight

  1875–1880

  By his fourteenth birthday, Isaac's apprenticeship in the stables of James T. Williams and Richard Owings began to pay off. In the beginning, no one could have imagined that the little boy from Lexington would become the greatest representative of horse racing the state—maybe even the country—would ever produce. What is even more amazing is that despite his greatness, Isaac remained humble and focused in a sport where dishonesty and treachery prevailed. Like most boys filled with potential, Isaac would have had little hope of achieving success without sponsorship and guidance, so the opportunity to demonstrate his talent with horses was inestimable. For the next eight years, Isaac's rise would be shaped by a series of events far from his day-to-day activities on the racetrack or in the quiet time he spent by himself. In some ways, his path was created by circumstances outside his comprehension and beyond the narrow world of Lexington and the Bluegrass. Isaac was fortunate that he began his journey headed in the right direction.

  Before becoming an apprentice jockey, Isaac first had to prove his salt as a stable hand.1 Eli Jordan, who had known Isaac since he was a small boy, would recall years later that he was quiet and “always in his place,” and Jordan could always put his “hands on him any time, day or night.” Isaac “was one of the first up in the morning, ready to do anything he was told to do or help others. He was ever in good humor and liked to play, but he never neglected his work, but worked hard summer and winter.”2 This seriousness suggests that Isaac's mother had instilled in him the value of hard work and the savvy to take advantage of his opportunities. America was a smart and determined woman who clearly recognized the character traits her son would need to find a place in the world for himself. In addition, Jordan's tutelage gave him both a sense of purpose and the skills he needed to succeed. It seems that Isaac, like his mother, was both smart and determined; this was reflected in his work ethic, which would lead to his later success and consistency, which became his signature quality.

  Isaac learned that horses depended on people for everything. Stable boys were in charge of feeding and grooming the horses they were assigned to care for. Isaac slept in the stall of his charge and was responsible for keeping it clean. This involved removing the droppings and used bedding, separating the soiled straw from what was still usable; sweeping the hard dirt floor and allowing it to dry out; and then replacing the bedding with a thick layer of clean wheat straw or wood shavings, depending on the cost and availability of materials, as well as the temperament of the horse. Isaac was also responsible for transporting the solid waste material to the drying area away from the stables, where it would eventually be hauled away and used as fertilizer by local farmers and gardeners.

  These tasks and others were vital to the welfare of the horses and had to be performed daily, without fail. Neglecting this routine could jeopardize the horses' health, especially a newly foaled colt or filly, and it could mean a severe beating or worse for the stable boy who forgot his responsibilities. Whether Isaac and his fellow apprentices were abused by head trainer Jordan or stable owner Williams for neglecting their chores is not known. However, physical punishment was considered an acceptable
consequence for apprentices who failed to properly feed, groom, and exercise their animals.3 This was part of the conditioning process for those who wanted a chance to wear the black and red colors of Williams and Owings.4

  Fortunately, Isaac was conscientious about always being in his place when called on, so he probably avoided beatings, and given their personal relationship, Jordan may have had more patience with him than with the other boys. Early on, Isaac demonstrated a commitment to his calling. After performing his early-morning tasks of feeding and watering the horses and preparing them for their morning workout, he watched the exercise riders putting the horses through their paces. Isaac's first assignment as an exercise boy was to ride George Rice's horse Volcano, which promptly reared up and threw him to the dirt track. At that moment he had two choices: get back on and try again to control the horse, or run away and hide. In reality, there was nowhere for him to go. His mother was dying of tuberculosis and needed the money he earned working at the stable; his father was dead; and his few remaining blood relatives had moved away to Covington, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.5 So he made the only decision possible for a boy whose prospects were as narrow as they were shallow: he got back on the horse.

  After their workouts, the exercise boys helped the grooms rub down and massage the horses to ease their muscles and to feel for tight ligaments and firm flesh. Still learning about the habits of horses, Isaac watched the grooms' technique for brushing and combing the horses to put them at ease.6 Isaac understood that he had a lot to learn if he wanted to become a successful jockey. There were plenty of other boys and men who aspired to the fame and life of ease enjoyed by the Napoleons of the turf, who rode fast and lived even faster. But not everyone had the know-how and the talent to control a horse and get it to perform well enough to win. Indeed, although they were separate, the horse and its jockey were, ideally, one entity as they charged around the oval track in pursuit of victory. And for a select few, immortality would be their reward. As exciting as it seemed, the life of a nineteenth-century jockey was filled with danger, but the potential rewards compelled a few brave souls to choose the saddle and reins, the post and paddock, as a way of life. In his poem “Aintree Calls,” British poet Will Ogilvie expresses the essence of what it means to be a jockey: “Danger beckons yet to daring / And the colours wait for wearing / While Fame proffers gifts for sharing.”7 Through trial and error, young Isaac learned to be fearless. Through the teaching of Jordan and the advice of fellow jockeys, he learned how to ride races and win stakes. Isaac was a quick study, and everyone saw that he was born to ride. He had the head and the heart for les belles bêtes: the beautiful beasts.

  In early February 1875 Benjamin Bruce's Lexington-based Kentucky Live Stock Record reported that the “prospect for fine sport at this place is more flattering than it has been for many years, judging from the number of horses in training in this section.”8 Along with the Williams and Owings stable, others preparing for the spring races included H. P. McGrath, B. G. Thomas, J. A. Grinstead, A. Keene Richard, General Abe Buford, F. B. Harper, Daniel Swigert, and T. J. Megibben. The number of quality horses had increased over the last few years, and the new stakes race in Louisville had been on all their minds during the winter months. Horses nominated for the inaugural meeting of the Louisville Jockey Club were being prepared for the race that was destined to be a showcase for quality Kentucky-bred Thoroughbreds such as Aristides, Ten Broeck, Bob Woolley, Clemmie G, and Kilburn. Quality black jockeys would also participate in the event, although, at the time, they were still a somewhat invisible presence. These jockeys included Oliver Lewis, William Walker, William Lakeland, Howard Williams, Dick Chambers, and Raleigh Colston Jr., all from Kentucky and all proven champion pilots of horseflesh. These men's names would be lost to history because, whether black or white, the jockey was not as important as the horse, which was being showcased for sale to the highest bidder. This would change significantly as the popularity of horse racing increased and the public began to demand exciting races based on rivalries between horses and, eventually, between individual jockeys and their ability to bring home a winner with style. By the later years of the nineteenth century, black jockeys were increasingly excluded, owing to a number of factors, including jealousy among white jockeys, who saw the huge salaries earned by successful blacks as an affront to white men; collusion between owners and white jockeys to bar blacks from the richest stakes races; and hostility toward blacks in general during the 1890s, when lynching reached its peak in America.

  On February 25, 1875, Williams and Owings shipped their string of horses to Louisville, under the care of Eli Jordan, to begin training for the Jockey Club race.9 The decision to train in Louisville was probably based on several factors, such as the desire to introduce the horses to the new track, get a feel for the track's speed and where the low points were, and take advantage of the new facilities built by the Louisville Jockey Club. The owners and trainer may have gone early to observe the competition and create a plan of action for each horse based on the jockey's ability and the field of competitors. The Association Course at Lexington, where the Williams and Owings stables were located, was connected to Louisville and Nashville via railroad, so transportation was not a problem. From Lexington, they could travel south and test their horses at smaller tracks along the way, such as Crab Orchard, some forty-six miles south of Lexington.

  The records are unclear regarding how many races Isaac had prior to the first one in Louisville, but he claimed his first official race was in May 1875 at the Crab Orchard track.10 The oldest circular track in the state, Crab Orchard was a great testing ground for potential stakes-winning horses and reliable, talented jockeys.11 Here, among his peers, Isaac “rode several races” and secured his first win on B. F. Pettit's chestnut filly Glentina (future winner of the Louisville Jockey Club's Colt and Filly Stakes).12 According to Murphy, he rode Lady Greenfield in a losing effort in 1875 prior to his victory on Pettit's filly, but it “marked the real beginning” of his life as a professional jockey.13 We cannot know how the impish yet resilient boy handled his first victory or how Uncle Eli responded to his pupil's success. Isaac may have been modest and humble, smiling slightly but not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, or he may have laughed out loud at the joy and elation of putting it all together. We can only imagine how a fourteen-year-old boy coming into his own would have acted.

  It is not known whether Isaac traveled to Louisville with Jordan, to set up the accommodations there, or journeyed south to Nashville with the rest of the boys, where Williams had entered his colts in stakes races beginning on May 4.14 If he went south, Isaac may have had one or two mounts at the Nashville Blood Association Meeting on the Williams and Owings horses Creedmore, Fair Play, or Playmate, all of which either won their respective races or placed in the top three. At Nashville, even if he did not ride, Isaac would have helped with stable duties, grooming, and preparing the horses for their races. This experience would have been invaluable to young Isaac, who still had much to learn about how races were run, different ways of riding at race meets, and the rules of the match race format, whereby additional weight was added to a horse as a handicap to determine the champion among horses of different breeds, ages, or sexes. In some cases, the outcome of a match race was determined by the best two out of three or three out of five heats.

  Isaac also would have been schooled on the dangers of gambling on horses. Essentially, Jordan would have told Isaac that good jockeys don't gamble; they don't have to. If Isaac was a good boy, he would get what he deserved. In later years, he would draw from this wisdom provided by Jordan and others, and Isaac would become a role model for other young jockeys who hoped for financial security and the opportunity to ride in stakes races.

  In an 1889 interview, Isaac said he had to “laugh as he thought of himself in those old days,” yet he seemed to value coming up, albeit briefly, through the Association Course, also known as the “Chittlin Switch” racetrack,
at Lexington to become a jockey of some ability.15 Although in the spring of 1875 he had been training as a jockey for less than a year, he had learned the value of a good seat and the details of riding a horse at maximum speeds, and he was gaining an understanding of the art of pace. Still, Isaac was untested in big-time stakes races, where lives could change for better or worse on any given day. By mid-May, Isaac was in Louisville to test how well he had learned from his mentors, Jordan and Williams, and from his mother. Everything was working in his favor, and he was preparing to take flight in a world filled with possibility.

  Louisville and New Beginnings

  In May 1875 the Kentucky spring was chilly. However, the winter-like temperatures did not prevent curious crowds of patrons, horse-racing enthusiasts, and men of the turf from descending on Louisville for the inaugural races at the new horse park. Indeed, under the banner of Kentucky pride and advancement of the state's long-standing tradition of horse breeding and racing, the streets of the river city were filled to the brim with eager black and white faces anticipating something new and thrilling on the horizon.16 For the thousands who traveled to Louisville to participate in the spectacle, the atmosphere was more than electric: it was contagious. Many of the attendees were interested in seeing the best Kentucky-bred horses run fast; others came to bet on their favorites and, if they were lucky, go home with some easily won cash. Bachelors arrived in town looking not only for trackside entertainment but also for that which could be found in the red-light district and the many saloons throughout the city, where unattached women could be persuaded to engage in sin at an affordable price. Families also came to the inaugural event. Fathers brought their sons to participate in the fair-like atmosphere as a rite of passage and to mark the day the races came back to Louisville.