Oliver Lewis

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Oliver Lewis was an African-American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. In 1875, Lewis rode in the very first Kentucky Derby on the winning horse, Aristides. Lewis and Aristides took second place in the Belmont Stakes, which is now the third race of the Triple Crown.

In the southern part of the United States, only a decade after the American Civil War, the working class of horse racing, including jockeys and trainers, was predominantly African-American. The field Lewis raced against featured only one Caucasian rider.