Interesting Stories of the 

 Kentucky Derby 



1884 — Pressure had to be applied to Isaac Murphy, 

 the great Negro jockey, to get him to ride Buchanan 

 in the Derby of this year — which Buchanan won. 



Few horses were ever wilder at the post, or more 

 erratic during the running of a race, than Buchanan. 

 From the time he entered the paddock, until he re- 

 turned to the judge's stand — and even after that — 

 his actions were unpredictable. 



Murphy had ridden Buchanan at Nashville. After 

 going through rodeo tactics at the post, Buchanan 

 broke with his field, then went on a bolting ram- 

 page. He was all over the track, and because of 

 this, Murphy announced at Louisville that he would 

 not ride Buchanan in the Derby, as he had promised. 



Messrs. Cottrill and Guest, owners of Buchanan, 

 then sought out the officials at the Downs, who 

 ruled that if Murphy did not ride Buchanan, he 

 would not be permitted a mount in the Derby. 

 When there was talk about the possibility of Murphy 

 being barred from riding during the entire spring 

 meeting, he became worried, and told the officials 

 that he had changed his mind, and would ride 



—78— 



