Horse racing pushed out Black jockeys, trainers and owners. But one owner is pushing back.

A conversation between Greg Harbut, Katherine Mooney, and Madeline Brand. KCRW, October 2, 2020.

Usually the Kentucky Derby kicks off in spring, but it took place in early September this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which threw the race schedule into chaos. The race was met with protests. Activists called out Greg Harbut, the only African American to race a horse at this year’s Kentucky Derby. They wanted him to boycott the race alongside them — in light of Breonna Taylor’s death this spring in Louisville. Harbut is the first African American owner to enter a horse in the Kentucky Derby in 13 years. His family has worked with champion race horses for nearly a century. KCRW speaks with Greg Harbut about his family’s legacy in horse racing. Also joining the conversation is Katherine Mooney, history professor at Florida State University and author of “Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack.”