Isaac Burns Murphy

Jockey

• Born: April 16, 1861
• Birthplace: near Frankfort, Fayette County, Kentucky
• Died: February 12, 1896
• Place of death: Lexington, Kentucky

One of the most successful figures in horse racing history, Murphy was the first jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby three times. In 1955, he became the first jockey elected to the National Racing Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Isaac Burns Murphy was born on April 16, 1861, on the farm of David Tanner in Fayette County, Kentucky. His father was James Burns, a free African American bricklayer. James joined the Union Army in 1864 and died while stationed at Kentucky’s Camp Nelson. After the death of his father, Murphy’s mother moved to Lexington, Kentucky, to live with her father, Green Murphy.

Encouraged by his mother and grandfather, young Murphy went to work as a horse-riding apprentice for the Williams and Owings Racing Stable. He became the pupil of Eli Jordan, a leading African American trainer. At a young age, Murphy developed work habits that contributed to his success as a jockey.

On May 22, 1875, five days after the first Kentucky Derby, Murphy rode in his first race (under his legal name, Burns) on a horse named Lady Greenfield; he finished last. In the summer of 1876, he adopted his grandfather’s name and began to race as Isaac Murphy, winning a Lexington race on a horse named Glentina. By the end of 1876, Murphy had won eleven races.

Life’s Work

In 1879, Murphy gained national attention. He was still employed by Jim Williams, but he was also working for J. W. Hunt Reynolds of the Fleetwood Farm in Kentucky. It was at Fleetwood Farm that he started to ride Falsetto, the horse on which he competed in his first Kentucky Derby. He finished in second place. Murphy was victorious in the Phoenix Hotel Stakes and the Clark Handicap at Louisville. On July 4 in Detroit, Murphy had his most successful racing day, winning all four races on the card. Later in July, he took first place in the Travers Stakes on Falsetto, beating Belmont Stakes winner Spendthrift. In August, Murphy won the Kenner Stakes at Saratoga Springs. By the age of eighteen, Murphy had compiled twenty-two wins out of thirty-five mounts.

At the age of twenty-one in 1882, Murphy married Lucy Osborn and purchased a house in Lexington, Kentucky. His racing success continued to flourish in 1882 when he rode Checkmate to victory in three races in Saratoga Springs: the Saratoga Cup, Excelsior Stakes, and Grand Prize of Saratoga. In Louisville, he won the Dixiana and the Swigert Stakes, and in St. Louis, he won the Brewers Cup. He won the Distillers Stakes in Lexington on Creosote.

Murphy signed with Californian Ed Corrigan of the Corrigan Stable in 1884. From 1884 to1885, he achieved his greatest success riding Freeland, Modesty, Irish Pat, and Pearl Jennings. On May 27, 1884, Murphy won his first Kentucky Derby on Buchannon. A more prestigious race in 1884 was the American Derby at Washington Park in Chicago, which Murphy won riding Modesty. He would repeat winning the American Derby in 1885, 1886, and 1888.

On June 25, 1890, on the Coney Island Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Murphy rode Salvator to victory. He finished ahead of rival Snapper Garrison, who rode Tenny, in what the national media framed as a race to determine the best jockey. Newspaper coverage was extensive and the event drew a crowd of twenty-five thousand. Also in 1890, Murphy won his second Kentucky Derby, then repeated the feat again in 1891; it was the first time that a jockey won back-to-back victories in the Kentucky Derby.

By the 1890’s, Murphy had developed health problems associated with maintaining his riding weight of 105. For years, he relied on starvation to keep his weight down. He also began to drink excessively. In 1895, Murphy participated in his last race at the Kentucky Association Track. On February 12, 1896, he died of pneumonia at the age of thirty-four.

Significance

By the 1890’s, Jim Crow laws were beginning to eliminate African Americans from organized sports. During the nineteenth century, African American jockeys were very visible in professional horse racing; however, by the early part of the twentieth century, they were no longer allowed to participate in races that they once dominated. Murphy ranks as one of the greatest jockeys of all time. He won 628 of 1,412 mounts and reportedly earned $15,000 to $20,000 a year, compared with other jockeys who were earning $5,000 a year. In 1955, Murphy was honored for his many accomplishments by being the first jockey elected to the National Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Bibliography

Ashe, Arthur R., Jr. A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete, 1619-1918. Vol. 1. New York: Warner Books, 1988. Murphy’s accomplishments are described in the context of African American sports history.

Chew, Peter. The Kentucky Derby: The First 100 Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974. Chronicles the history of the Kentucky Derby beginning in 1875, when fourteen of the fifteen jockeys were African Americans.

Hotaling, Edward. The Great Black Jockeys. Rocklin, Calif.: Prima, 1999. Based on primary and secondary sources, this is a comprehensive account of the history of African American jockeys. Chapter eight deals with Murphy.

Trollinger, Patsi B. Perfect Timing: How Isaac Murphy Became One of the World’s Greatest Jockeys. New York: Viking, 2006. Attractively illustrated book for young readers summarizing Murphy’s career.

Wiggins, David K. Glory Bound: Black Athletes in a White America. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1997. The author is a leading sport historian on African Americans in sport. Chapter two deals with Isaac Murphy; based on primary and secondary sources.