Kentucky Derby Museum
Kentucky Derby Museum
Many successful jockeys in Derby history trace their roots to Hispanic heritage. In an effort to share those stories with hundreds of thousands of guests each year, Kentucky Derby Museum opened its A Las Carreras! exhibit in 2021. Translated, the exhibit is called, To the races! It honors the legacies and impact of incredible Hispanic athletes who won the Run for the Roses and carved a path for others to follow. The exhibit explores their careers and brings their stories to life through artifacts from riding boots, to jockey silks, to saddle cloths, and more.
“In addition to celebrating all the jockeys, this is actually the first exhibit at the Kentucky Derby Museum written in both English and Spanish,” said Chris Goodlett, the museum’s Senior Director of Curatorial and Education. “That was important to us, considering the subject matter within this exhibit. And it is a permanent exhibition here at the Kentucky Derby Museum.”
While Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15th, A Las Carreras! shares incredible stories of Derby history-makers of Hispanic heritage all year long.
“We have artifacts that go over many decades here in this exhibition,” said Goodlett.
He pointed out horseshoes in the display case. Despite looking rather ordinary, these shoes are quite extraordinary. They stand out as pieces of the museum’s collection that highlight the Derby story of Milo Valenzuela. Aboard a horse named Tim Tam, Valenzuela became the first Mexican-American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby in 1958.
Other artifacts like a saddle pad and jockey silks fill the exhibit with vibrant colors of red, blue, and yellow. They are connected to Derby wins of jockeys Victor Espinoza and Ángel Cordero Jr. Espinoza, born in Mexico, won the 2015 Kentucky Derby aboard American Pharaoh. That year, he became the first Hispanic jockey to win the American Triple Crown. Cordero, from Puerto Rico, won the Kentucky Derby three times. He also become a jockey agent, helping others secure the best mount possible and succeed at the highest level of horseracing. Other stories within the exhibit include those of Laffit Pincay Jr., from Panama, who was the all-time winningest jockey in North America from 1999-2006. A pair of his riding boots are a highlight piece of the display.
“We’re proud to have this exhibit right here in the Kentucky Derby Museum,” said Goodlett.
Stories within A Las Carreras! include wire to wire wins and thrilling Derby history. According to museum archives, more than 50% of jockeys active in the United States today trace their heritage to Latino roots. From Mexico to Panama to Puerto Rico to Cuba and beyond, the artifacts and stories within this bilingual exhibit show the impact of Derby, and how it stretches far beyond Louisville, Kentucky. After all, the Kentucky Derby is the longest continuously held sporting event in America and has truly grown into an international, cultural event.