Knowledge + Wisdom = Understanding Aristides 1875 (The Oliver Lewis Story)

LOS ANGELES - July 5, 2024 - PRLog -- Fifteen horses were entered in the first Kentucky Derby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1875_Kentucky_Derby), two of them fillies. The track was fast, the weather was fine, and 10,000 people were in attendance. Aristides was one of two horses entered by Price McGrath. The other was Chesapeake. Both horses wore the green and orange silks of H. P. McGrath. Trained by future Hall of Famer Ansel Williamson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Williamson), an African American (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American), Aristides was ridden by Oliver Lewis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Lewis), also African-American. McGrath expected the smaller speedball Aristides to be the "rabbit". He was to go out front fast and force the pace so that Chesapeake, considered the better McGrath horse, could stalk the front runners, and, when they and Aristides tired, come from behind to win.Oliver Lewis (1856–1924) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. On May 17, 1875, Lewis won the very first Kentucky Derby aboard Aristides. The pair won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and-a-half race. Lewis and Aristides took second place in the Belmont Stakes, which is now the third race of the U.S. Triple Crown series.