In racing, humans and horses are partners that collaborate to create memorable moments and great performances on the racetrack and off. The men and women behind these athletes, from grooms and hot walkers to reporters and officials, are a microcosm of the world, reflecting the diverse populations within our own country and beyond.

The history of the sport, though, has shown that some have been excluded over time, but today’s efforts to raise awareness of that exclusion and then to highlight those breaking through that past can reap a multitude of benefits. For one family, one image from the 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve made them want to be a part of the sport’s biggest day, illustrating how important representation can be.

A Special Sight

Erica Hogan-Smith (left) and Felicia Suchart. (Courtesy of the Smith family)

Rich Strike’s bold rail move in the final yards of the 2022 Derby entranced many fans watching from home that day, including two women, Erica Hogan-Smith and her grandmother Felicia Suchart. Both worked with seniors at the Saint Agnes Home, an assisted living facility in St. Louis, and made it an annual tradition to watch the Derby with one of their longtime patients. For years, they enjoyed the sights and sounds of the first Saturday in May via the television broadcasts that brought the experience to viewers everywhere. But the 2022 edition was different.

Leading Rich Strike into the winner’s circle was Jerry Dixon, Jr., the groom who worked for trainer Eric Reed and was the one who cared for the chestnut colt who had just surprised the world with his Derby performance under jockey Sonny Léon. The women were enchanted by what they saw on television: “It was the way he interacted with the horse,” Felicia said. “He was allowed to come out [onto the track] and I saw how he prayed with the horse and the horse blew and he blew.”

What was most impactful about the moment was not just the joy and the care that Dixon showed his charge, but also the fact that, like both women and their patient, he was African American: “I had never seen somebody so contemporary be so attached to a horse (and) that looked like us,” Felicia said.

The moment plus Dixon’s presence in Team Rich Strike inspired their beloved patient to make a prediction: “She looked at me with very intense eyes and said, ‘You will go to the Derby. And I didn't exactly know what that meant,” Felicia remembered. “But then I started planning.”

The loss of their beloved patient later that year made both Erica and Felicia determined to follow through with her prediction. “Erica and I bought two Derby hats, one red, one blue,” Felicia shared. “It was like we sealed the deal by buying the hats.”

A Family Trip at the Races

Pierre and Erica and family. (Courtesy of the Smith family)

Fast forward to 2023, when three generations of the Suchart/Hogan/Smith family traveled from their homes in the St. Louis area to Kentucky for a Bluegrass adventure. Felicia and her husband Michael; Idella Hogan, Erica’s mother; Erica and her partner Pierre Smith; and the couple’s children, Xavier, Terrando, Pierra, Gabrielle, and Iyanna all traveled together for a whirlwind adventure in horse country. Their Derby experience included horseback riding at Nicura Ranch in Berea, a trip to the Kentucky Derby Museum, and both Oaks and Derby Day at Churchill Downs.

When I met them, Felicia and Erica were at the Museum with the kids, all dressed in either racing silks or riding habits. The family explored the history contained within, including the current exhibit Black Heritage in Racing and took in a showing of The Greatest Race, the 18-minute film that captures the hopes and dreams that drive the first Saturday in May. The kids practiced riding in a race through the Riders Up experience. They also ventured to the Louisville Slugger Museum before experiencing the main events, the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday.

“We took outfits out the day before and started getting dressed early. They [the kids] all got up and they were excited about seeing the horses. It wasn't too much of a struggle,” Erica shared about Oaks Day with the kids. They watched the races, petted the outriders’ ponies, and carried their excitement beyond their day at the Downs. “[Xavier] was excited, and before going, he was talking about how he wanted to be a horse on Snapchat,” Erica shared. “They are talking about petting the horses and how their horses will run. They're pretending to be a horse that's racing.”

For Derby Day, Erica and Pierre and Felicia and Michael headed to the Downs for their own chance to take in the pageantry and joy of the event. From trying a cigar to enjoying the culinary options available to racegoers, the grown-ups enjoyed their first Derby. Weeks after their day at Churchill Downs, the joy still radiates in their words. “We were just in a good way,” Felicia shared. “It was just above and beyond.”

‘A Fan for Good’

With Derby 2023 in the books, the Suchart-Hogan-Smith family are already planning another trip to Louisville for Derby 150, inspired by their special patient and the joyous sight of Jerry Dixon, Jr., and Rich Strike. Their grand adventure and the memories they made during their time in Bluegrass underscore what is gained from any effort to show how anyone and everyone can be a part of racing. Representation invites all to the table and illustrates what we can gain from the spectrum of voices that becomes part of the sport. 

“I'm a fan for good. I loved my kids’ reaction,” Erica Hogan-Smith shared as she reflected on the 2023 Kentucky Derby. “I think this experience brought us all closer together too.”