page_title: Burnt Cork
hierarchical_section_title: Burnt Cork
caption_attribution_description: Photo of Eddie Anderson with his race horse, Burnt Cork, before his historic Kentucky Derby run, 1943. Burnt Cork, who was the first African-American owned horse to compete in the Kentucky Derby. Kentucky Derby Stories Jim Bolus, Pelican Press, 1998. A search of copyright renewals under artwork for the years 1970 and 1971 show no renewals for Associated Press. A search of copyright renewals under periodicals for the same time frame show that the Spokane Daily Chronicle did not renew their issues for this time period. Another copy of the photo was published in The Decatur Herald page 13, April 29, 1943. The same check for renewal was done in the same time frame as above for The Decatur Herald. This newspaper also shows no renewals. There is no evidence that copyright continues to be claimed on this material if it was ever claimed at all.
context_page_description: Burnt Cork was a thoroughbred race horse, a son of Mr. Bones, who was owned by Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson. His career earnings totaled $21,130 in 38 starts. The horse had 9 wins, places, and shows.
  Burnt Cork became the first horse entered at the Kentucky Derby by an African American owner
  in May 1943.
  As a dark horse among thoroughbreds eligible for the event, he was timed at 0:36 for 3/8 of a mile on April 6, 1943. Fulfilling a pre-race prediction of a last place finish, Burnt Cork came in
  10th in a ten horse field.
  Because of his last-place finish, there was some controversy about whether Anderson had entered the horse into the Derby for publicity purposes. Those who claimed this believed that the great race was marred by it. Frank B. Ward of the Youngstown Vindicator newspaper, devoted a considerable amount of space in his May 7, 1943 sports column to addressing this aspect. He pointed out that the horses of other prominent men had finished last in the past and there had been no outcry when that happened.
context_section_description: Burnt Cork (1940–1944) was a thoroughbred race horse, a son of Mr. Bones, who was owned by Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson. His career earnings totaled $21,130 in 38 starts. The horse had 9 wins, places, and shows.
  Burnt Cork became the first horse entered at the Kentucky Derby by an African American owner
  in May 1943.
  As a dark horse among thoroughbreds eligible for the event, he was timed at 0:36 for 3/8 of a mile on April 6, 1943. Fulfilling a pre-race prediction of a last place finish, Burnt Cork came in
  10th in a ten horse field.
  Because of his last-place finish, there was some controversy about whether Anderson had entered the horse into the Derby for publicity purposes. Those who claimed this believed that the great race was marred by it.  Frank B. Ward of the Youngstown Vindicator newspaper, devoted a considerable amount of space in his May 7, 1943 sports column to addressing this aspect.  He pointed out that the horses of other prominent men had finished last in the past and there had been no outcry when that happened.
  Ward went on to say that the money for Burnt Cork's Kentucky Derby entry was Anderson's to spend, that the dream of any thoroughbred horse owner was that his or her horse might be classed as good enough to qualify for the race, and one could certainly not blame Anderson for that.  Ward continued, saying that Burnt Cork met all Kentucky Derby requirements for inclusion in 1943 and that there were no complaints at all from those who had also entered their horses in the race. He finished this segment by asking what all the shouting was about.
caption: Burnt Cork with owner comedian Eddie Anderson, before the 1943 Kentucky Derby
exif: {}