Isaac Burns Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isaac Burns Murphy |
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Isaac B. Murphy, c.1885
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | January 6, 1861 Clark County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | February 16, 1896 (aged 35) Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Resting place | The Kentucky Horse Park |
| Major racing wins | |
| Clark Handicap (1879, 1884, 1885, 1890) Travers Stakes (1879) Saratoga Cup (1881, 1886) Latonia Derby (1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1891) American Derby (1884, 1885, 1886, 1888) Illinois Derby (1884) Kentucky Oaks (1884) Alabama Stakes (1885, 1889) Champion Stakes (1886, 1890) First Special Stakes (1887, 1888, 1889) Brooklyn Derby (1888) Foam Stakes (1888) Second Special Stakes (1888) Jerome Handicap (1889) Freehold Stakes (1890) Suburban Handicap (1890) Tidal Stakes (1890) Gazelle Handicap (1892) Mermaid Stakes (1892) American Classic Race wins: |
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| Honours | |
| United States Racing Hall of Fame (1955) Isaac Murphy Award Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington Park |
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| Significant horses | |
| Buchanan, Emperor of Norfolk, Falsetto, Firenze, Kingman, Kingston, Leonatus, Riley, Salvator, Silver Cloud |
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Isaac Burns Murphy (born January 6, 1861 – died February 16, 1896) was an amazing American Hall of Fame jockey. He is known as one of the best horse riders in the history of Thoroughbred horse racing. Murphy won the famous Kentucky Derby three times. He was also the very first jockey to be put into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame when it was created in 1955.
Contents
Isaac Murphy: A Racing Legend
Early Life and Start in Racing
Isaac Burns Murphy was born on January 6, 1861, in Clark County, Kentucky. His mother, America Murphy, worked on a farm. In 1867, Isaac and his mother moved in with a family friend named Eli Jordan.
Eli Jordan was a well-known horse trainer. He worked for the Williams and Owings stables. Eli became a very important person in Isaac's life. He taught Isaac about being honest and consistent in everything he did.
Murphy started his racing career in 1875. He was only fourteen years old and rode for the Williams and Owings stables. This was the beginning of an amazing career in horse racing. Isaac became one of the highest-paid athletes of his time. He was also one of the most famous Black men in America.
Amazing Wins and Records
Isaac Murphy rode in eleven Kentucky Derby races. He won the Derby three times, which was a huge achievement.
- In 1884, he won on a horse named Buchanan.
- In 1890, he won with Riley.
- In 1891, he won riding Kingman.
Kingman was special because he was partly owned by an African-American. This was a big step in horse racing history. Isaac Murphy is the only jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Clark Handicap all in the same year (1884).
A Famous Race: Salvator vs. Tenny
One of Murphy's most famous races happened on June 25, 1890. It was a special match race at Sheepshead Bay. Murphy rode a horse named Salvator. He raced against a horse named Tenny, ridden by another top jockey, Edward "Snapper" Garrison.
This race was incredibly exciting. It was a head-to-head battle between two of the best jockeys. The race ended in a "dead-heat" victory, meaning it was a tie. This race is also famous for being the first time a "photo finish" was used. A photographer named John C. Hemment took a picture to help decide the winner.
His Lasting Legacy
Isaac Murphy passed away on February 16, 1896, in Lexington, Kentucky. His funeral was attended by many people. Over time, his grave was forgotten. In the 1960s, a man named Frank B. Borries Jr. searched for three years to find it.
In 1967, Murphy was reburied next to the famous horse Man o' War. Later, when the Kentucky Horse Park was built, his remains were moved again. Now, he is buried at the entrance to the park, still next to Man o' War.
Isaac Murphy was an incredible winner. He calculated that he won 628 out of 1,412 races. This is a 44% win rate, which has never been matched! Another calculation, using incomplete records, shows he won 530 out of 1,538 rides. This is still an amazing 34% win rate. Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro once said that Murphy's winning record would "never be surpassed."
In 1955, Isaac Murphy was honored by being inducted into the Jockey's Hall of Fame in Saratoga, New York. He was also honored with a diorama at the American Negro Exposition in Chicago in 1940. Since 1995, an award called the Isaac Murphy Award is given every year. It goes to the jockey with the highest winning percentage in North American racing.
