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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Mar 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781439666456

Foster Ockerman Jr.

Foster Ockerman Jr., a third-generation Lexingtonian and seventh-generation Kentuckian, is a historian as well as a practicing attorney. He is a founding trustee of the Lexington History Museum Inc. and now serves as president and chief historian. He was named the Outstanding Citizen Lawyer by the Fayette County Bar Association in 2018. He is also a former rock-and-roll disc jockey and a retired professional soccer referee. Ockerman is the author of six works of history, including Historic Lexington (2013), The Hidden History of Horse Racing (2019) and A History Lover's Guide to Lexington and the Bluegrass, which he coauthored (2020). He is coauthoring a book of photographs covering the histories of Lexington fire departments.