Making a stand against social injustice at a racetrack is nothing new. Perhaps the most famous example occurred more than a century ago when Emily Davison walked out in front of the horses competing in the 1913 Epsom Derby in England. Stepping out from the inside bend at Tattenham Corner at Epsom, the suffragette was struck by King George V’s runner Anmer and unfortunately later died having never regained consciousness.
In recent years several protests have taken place at, or outside of, racetracks. Foremost in our mind was at Churchill Downs for last year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). A summer’s worth of protesting over the death of Breonna Taylor and other national social injustice issues were addressed during Labor Day weekend in a daylong march from downtown Louisville to the gates of Churchill Downs.