Regular readers of Turf History Times will be familiar with these two Louisiana hometown heroes: the 19th-century champion Thoroughbred Lecomte, and his leading rider, Black jockey Abe Hawkins, both of whom will be inducted into the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame this Friday, August 2, 2024. This year, the Historic Review Committee considered applicants with careers prior to 1900, and we were pleased to learn this past spring that these two athletes were chosen and will finally achieve their rightful place in racing’s Hall of Fame.

While preparing this post for publication in advance of Friday’s event, the Times was contacted by Daily Gazette writer Teresa Genaro, who writes about the sport for the Upstate New York newspaper. We were happy to contribute for her Gazette piece some photos of Abe Hawkins’ memorial signage that stands at the former site of Duncan Kenner’s Ashland plantation in Geismar, Louisiana, where the enslaved jockey resided. Read this piece in the Daily Gazette here.

Hawkins had not been the regular rider of Lecomte, but Kenner allowed the horse’s owner Thomas J. Wells to enlist the jockey to pilot Lecomte in an 1854 rematch against Lexington in New Orleans–Wells’ trainer, Hark, having advised him that “If you can get Abe to ride Lecomte he will beat Lexington certain.” Read more about Abe and Lecomte’s success in our piece, “A Legacy of Triumph: More Stories of Duncan F. Kenner and Abe Hawkins at Ashland Plantation.” Also find more information about the former Ashland plantation in our piece contributed to Louisiana Cultural Vistas, “Diligent Restoration: The renovation and remarkable history of Ashland–Belle Helene plantation.”

Lecomte continues to be remembered annually through the Lecomte Stakes (G3), the Kentucky Derby prep race held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in January. Learn more about this race’s history in our previous post, “Lecomte remembered–as a sprinter?” 

Updated: The live stream video for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony held at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, on August 2nd is now available for viewing here.