Oliver Lewis (1856-1924) was the first African American and the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.
The first Derby was held at the Louisville Jockey Club on May 17, 1875.
Oliver Lewis, who was just nineteen at the time, was the jockey for a horse called Aristide. Aristide was not expected to win. Chesapeake, a colt from the same stable and owner was favored to win the race.
The plan was for Lewis to set the pace and tire out the other horses, which would then open up the race for Chesapeake.
When the horses came to the last kilometer, Lewis looked for Chesapeake. When he realized the horse was too far back to catch up, Lewis pulled Aristide ahead and won the event.
The Kentucky Derby is the premiere event in the sport of horse racing. Thirteen of the fifteen jockeys in the first Derby were African American. In the early years, Black jockeys dominated the event and won fifteen of the first twenty-eight races.