This Friday, the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame class of 2024 will honor two of the most impactful and gifted Black horsemen in Thoroughbred racing history. The legendary jockey Abe Hawkins will be inducted, and the significant contributions of jockey/trainer Ed Brown will be recognized by representatives from the Ed Brown Society, a group named after the 19th-century horseman who was himself inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.
Abe Hawkins, often referred to simply as “Abe,” was born into slavery, with no recorded birthdate or birthplace. He was enslaved on a sugar plantation named Ashland in Louisiana, owned by Duncan Kenner, a man who enslaved over 600 people and was a prominent figure in the Confederate Congress during the Civil War. Kenner was also a significant player in Thoroughbred racing, with his name immortalized in an annual stakes race at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. (A Kenner Stakes was also held at Saratoga Race from 1870 to 1942).
As Katherine Mooney details in her invaluable book “Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at The Racetrack,” Abe was bought by Kenner for over $2,300 in 1853. By this time, Abe had already established himself as a renowned jockey, described by Mooney as the most famous horseman of his generation, a “national figure.” Unlike most jockeys of his time, Abe’s name was frequently mentioned in contemporary newspaper articles about racing, and his impressive victories include the inaugural Jerome Stakes at Jerome Park, the Jersey Derby, and the Travers Stakes, all in 1866.
Over a decade prior, Abe had ridden Lecomte to a world record for four miles (7:26), defeating the famous racehorse Lexington, a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1955. Despite being enslaved for most of his life, Abe’s skill and fame provided him with unique opportunities. He had the freedom to choose which horses to ride or refuse, and he could set his own price. However, as Mooney writes, “Abe lived in a delicate balance,” as he was both an item of property and a high-priced professional, a piece of livestock and a man who needed no introduction but his name.”
Abe’s induction is made possible through the Museum’s Historic Review Committee, which has evolved over the years and underwent another change this year.
“For this year’s class,” said Brien Bouyea, the Museum and Hall of Fame’s communications director, “we focused solely on pre-1900 candidates. To qualify for historic review, jockeys, horses, and trainers have to be retired for at least 25 years. In the past, we found ourselves comparing horses or people from 1975 with those from 1862. It was challenging, as it’s difficult to compare competitors from such different eras.”
Next year, the committee will consider horses, jockeys, and trainers from 1900-59, and for the class of 2026, from 1960 to the present.
Greg Harbut and Clark Williams, chairman and president respectively of Kentucky’s Ed Brown Society, will represent Abe at the induction ceremony. The Society’s mission is to celebrate the history and contributions of African-Americans in the equine industry and to create opportunities for young people of color to gain experiences and opportunities within the industry. The Ed Brown Society offers scholarships and internships in various industry occupations, such as veterinarians, trainers, and bloodstock agents.
Williams, a co-founder of the Society, is involved in racing as both an owner and a fan, and he serves as the managing member of Progression Strategic Solutions, a media production, public relations and strategic planning consulting firm. Harbut is a third-generation Kentucky horseman; his grandfather groomed Man o’War, considered the finest racehorse in history. He also owns Harbut Bloodstock and is the founder of Living the Dream Stables.
The Society is named after the enslaved 19th-century jockey and trainer Ed Brown, who had numerous successes, including winning the 1870 Belmont Stakes as a jockey and the 1877 Kentucky Derby as a trainer. He won the Kentucky Oaks three times. In the summer of 1881, Brown won 15 races at Saratoga.
Through the Historic Review process, the Museum has inducted jockeys Shelby “Pike” Barnes (2011), Willie Sims (1977), and Jimmy Winkfield (2004), honoring Black jockeys who made significant contributions to the sport and who had been largely erased from its history. Abe Hawkins joins that esteemed list this year.
“He’s been on the list for a number of years,” said the Museum’s Bouyea, “and it’s kind of overdue. Racing historian Edward Hotaling wrote a book called ‘The Great Black Jockeys,’ and he really advocated for these candidates. It’s important to acknowledge that Hawkins, an enslaved person, had such a pioneering impact on the sport.”
I agree with honoring Black pioneers in racing at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It’s important to recognize their contributions and impact on the sport.
I agree with honoring Black pioneers in racing at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It’s important to recognize their contributions and impact on the sport.
Agree – It’s long overdue to celebrate the trailblazers who paved the way for diversity in racing. #BlackHistoryMonth