Abraham Perry
Abraham "Abe" Perry (1842-1908) was an American thoroughbred horse trainer born in Midway, Kentucky best remembered as the winner of the 1885 Kentucky Derby with Joe Cotton.[1] He was the first African-American trainer of a classic race winner to be mentioned in post-race reports.[2]
| Abraham Perry | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Racehorse trainer |
| Born | 1842 Midway, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | 1908 |
| Resting place | African Cemetery No. 2, Lexington, Kentucky |
| Major racing wins | |
| Colts Stakes (1876) Colt and Filly Stakes (1876) Belle Meade Stakes (1876) Clark Handicap (1877) Phoenix Hotel Stakes (1877) Phoenix Hotel Fall Stakes (1877) Coney Island Derby (1885) Saratoga Cup (1885) Tennessee Derby (1885) Tidal Stakes (1885)
American Classics wins: | |
| Significant horses | |
| Joe Cotton, McWhirter | |
Racing career
Abe Perry began his career training for Gen. Abraham Buford at his Bosque Bonita breeding farm in Woodford County, Kentucky. From 1876 through 1878 he conditioned the colt McWhirter to several stakes race wins. He ran fifth to Baden-Baden in the May 22, 1877 Kentucky Derby but came back less than a week later to defeat Baden-Baden in the May 28 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Among his other wins with Joe Cotton, in 1885 Abe Perry won the important Tennessee Derby in Nashville and Coney Island Derby at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Brooklyn, New York.[3]
Perry is buried in African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington, Kentucky.[4][5]
References
- "1885 Joe Cotton". Churchill Downs Incorporated. 1885-05-14. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- Richard Sowers (February 25, 2014). The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: A Comprehensive History. books.google.com. McFarland. p. 32. ISBN 9780786476985. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- Katie Pratt and Carl Nathe (September 16, 2010). "UK Highlights African Americans in Equine". uknow.uky.edu. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- Katie Pratt (September 11, 2011). "Soil Scientist Works to Preserve Early Equine History". thehorse.com. The Horse Media Group LLC. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- "Men of the Thoroughbred Industry". africancemeteryno2.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.