Rich Strike highlights horse racing's lack of diversity

[ASFN Admin]

When Rich Strike bolted into horse racing's spotlight in a little over two minutes with his upset Kentucky Derby victory, he shared the stage with his handler, who has long toiled in the shadows constantly tending to the champion colt. Rich Strike's attention stems from winning as a nearly 81-1 long shot, but groom Jerry Dixon Jr.’s newfound recognition comes from being one of few Black horsemen left in the sport once dominated by people who look like him. “I totally understand it because I was looking at something about the Derby and I saw how there were Blacks in the beginning,” said Dixon, 31 and a fourth-generation horseman who works with his father — trainer Jerry Sr. — for Eric Reed, who trains Rich Strike.

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