Murphy, Isaac Burns

Murphy, Isaac Burns

(born 1861, Fayette county, Ky., U.S.—died Feb. 12, 1896, Louisville, Ky.) U.S. jockey. He was one of the first jockeys to pace his mount for a charge down the homestretch—a technique soon described as the “grandstand finish.” He was the first three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby (1884, 1890, and 1891), and his career winning percentage of 34.5 has never been equaled. At his peak in the late 1880s, he became the highest-paid athlete in America, earning close to $20,000 a year. He was the first jockey elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame and one of only two African Americans inducted.