Black Gold (horse)

Won Bashford Manor Stakes (USA, 4.5FD, Churchill Downs)
2nd Cincinnati Trophy (USA, 6FD, Latonia)
2nd Tobacco Stakes (USA, 4FD, Lexington)
3rd Breeders' Futurity (USA, about 5.75FD, Lexington)

1924:

Won Louisiana Derby (USA, 9FD, Jefferson Park)
Won Derby Trial (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
Won Ohio State Derby (USA, 9FD, Maple Heights)
Won Chicago Derby (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
3rd Latonia Derby (USA, 12FD, Latonia)
3rd Raceland Derby (USA, 10FD, Raceland)

Honors

National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1989)
Fair Grounds Hall of Fame (inducted in the inaugural class of 1971)

Assessments

Ranked fifth among American 2-year-old males of 1923 by The Blood-Horse

Ranked third among American 3-year-old males of 1924 by The Blood-Horse

As an individual

A good-looking black who was somewhat on the small side, Black Gold was willing and courageous on the track but was plagued by chronic foot soreness which kept him from racing at 4 although he remained in training. He was initially retired due to lameness in his left foreleg and was never sound during his return to racing. He was short-coupled and had a more sloping than average croup. Strong-willed as a youngster, he showed a deteriorating temperament as he aged, possibly due to pain.

As a stallion

Black Gold sired only one foal during his time at stud, a colt that was killed by a lightning strike.

Connections

Foaled at Bluegrass Heights Farm in Kentucky, Black Gold was bred and owned by Mrs. Rosa Hoots, who reportedly turned down as much as US$50,000 for her colt in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby. He was trained by Hanley Webb and was ridden to his Kentucky Derby triumph by J. D. Mooney.

Pedigree notes

Black Gold is inbred 4x5 to 1875 Derby Stakes winner and three-time English champion sire Galopin, 5x4 to two-time American champion sire Bonnie Scotland, and 5x5 to the great foundation mare Queen Mary. He was by far the best horse produced by his tail-female line in half a century or more.

Books and media

Black Gold, a fictionalized account of Black Gold's life, was written by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis. The book was originally published in 1957 and was reprinted by Aladdin in 1992.
Black Gold, a 1947 movie from Allied Artists starring Anthony Quinn, was loosely based on the real-life horse.
The story of Black Gold's Derby is told in “A Dream Derby,” the seventh chapter of The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies. Written by the staff and correspondents of The Blood-Horse, the book was released by Eclipse Press in 2005.
Another account of Black Gold's Derby win is “Black Gold: The King of Derby Winners,” the 17th chapter in Jim Bolus's Derby Magic (1997, Pelican Publishing Company LLC).
Black Gold is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
"Black Gold", chapter 6 of Peter Chew's The Kentucky Derby: The First 100 Years (1974, Houghton Mifflin Company), covers Black Gold's life and Kentucky Derby victory.
Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold explores the reality behind Black Gold's legend as revealed in the newspapers and periodicals of his day. Written by Avalyn Hunter, the book was released by the University Press of Kentucky on September 12, 2023. https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813198040/dream-derby/?fbclid=IwAR0CPzMQT51Z-x6ofuTGA1wX9l6eboXe5nnKcke9hlwH9pZCqsRz7VpSCNE

Fun facts

After Al Hoots refused to honor a claim made for Useeit at the old Juarez track in Mexico, both he and the mare were ruled off the track for life. According to Jim Bolus, it was said to have been Colonel Bradley who intervened on Hoot's behalf to allow Useeit to be reinstated for breeding purposes.
Black Gold was named for the popular slang term referring to oil, which was being produced in large quantities in Oklahoma at the time of his birth.
Black Gold was only the second Kentucky Derby winner to be bred by a woman and owned by a woman (the first was Elwood, bred by Mrs. J. B. Prather and winner of the 1904 renewal for Mrs. Charles E. Durnell) and was the first to be bred and owned by the same woman. Because Rosa Hoots was partly of Native American ancestry and identified as a member of the Osage nation, Black Gold was sometimes referred to as “the Indian horse” in the news reports of his day.
Black Gold was the first Kentucky Derby winner galloped by famous exercise rider Albert "Pinky" Brown, who later galloped the great champions of Calumet Farm's glory days and exercised eight Derby winners during his long career,
Black Gold's Derby victory sparked what has been called “The Great Runout” and “Black Saturday” among bookmakers who found themselves unable to pay winter book bets made on the Derby favorite back when he was a 100-1 long shot.
Black Gold was the first Kentucky Derby victor to be awarded the golden trophy that is now a traditional part of the winner's awards. The original trophy was made in honor of the Derby's 50th anniversary and was designed by George L. Graff. Since then, a 14-karat gold trophy surmounted by an 18-karat gold horse and rider and embellished with an 18-karat gold horseshoe has been individually crafted for each Derby winner. Half-size silver replicas go to the winning trainer, jockey and breeder.
Black Gold was the first Kentucky Derby winner to win four Derbies during the course of his 3-year-old season. 1897 American Horse of the Year Ornament and Claude, a 1900 son of Lissak and Lida H., had previously won four Derbies, but Ornament's wins were in the St. Louis Derby, the Detroit International Derby, the Latonia Derby, and the Oakley Derby, while Claude's collection of these 3-year-old prizes included the California, Tennessee, St. Louis, and Canadian versions. While Candy Spots (in 1963), Smarten (in 1979), Snow Chief (in 1986), Lost Code (in 1987), and Olympio (in 1991) also collected four Derbies during their 3-year-old seasons, Black Gold remained the only Kentucky Derby winner to have won three other Derbies until California Chrome duplicated his feat in 2014.
On the day following Black Gold's death, public schools were closed in New Orleans to allow children to attend the popular horse's funeral.
The Black Gold Stakes is run annually at the Fair Grounds. Tradition requires the winning jockey to take flowers and lay them on Black Gold's grave, often in company with descendants of Rosa Hoots, who frequently attend the race.
Black Gold's dam Useeit, a noted sprinter who set three track records during her lengthy racing career, is honored by the running of the Useeit Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma. A state-bred race for 3-year-old fillies, it is contested over one mile on the main track.
Black Gold was the only horse to win both the Louisiana Derby and the Kentucky Derby until Grindstone did the same in 1996.
Breyer's model of Black Gold is #1294. It is part of the company's Traditional-sized lineup and was most recently sold as a set with a reprint of Marguerite Henry's book on the horse.

Photo credit

Black Gold in the stud, 1925. Photo by Leonard S. Sutcliffe. From the Keeneland Library Sutcliffe Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions related to the use or licensure of this photo.

Last updated: September 9, 2024