NEWS
Lexington road honors first jockey to win Kentucky Derby
Posted: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:26 AM
by Frank Angst
An extension of a Lexington road will honor Oliver Lewis, who guided Aristides to victory in the first Kentucky Derby.
Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry said Monday that the Newtown Pike Extension will be named after Lewis, who received support from more than half of the 4,099 votes casts for one of five finalists for the road’s name.
“Many know the name of the first horse to win the Derby but few know Oliver Lewis,” Newberry said. “I hope Oliver Lewis Way will shine a new light onto our history to reflect the contributions of everyone, including African-Americans.”
Lewis was born in Lexington in 1856 and is buried there, in an African-American cemetery on Seventh Street.
In voting for the street name, “Oliver Lewis Way” received 2,487 votes, out-distancing second-place “Mary Todd Lincoln Boulevard,” which had 1,033 votes.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
