Midway News
Trick or Treat in Midway
Trick or treat night in Midway will be tonight Thursday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m.
Midway Women’s Club Halloween house decorating awards
The Midway Women’s Club judged the Midway homes decorated for Halloween this past weekend. The awards were as follows: Most Kid Friendly: 111 Turner Street; Best Business: 104 Main Street; Scariest: 119 East Stephens Street; Best Use of Technology: 323 South Winter Street; Best Spider Web: 223 Johnson Street; Best Pumpkin: 106 Cottage Grove; Best Use of Inflatables: 231 Higgins Street; Creepiest: 245 Higgins Street; Best Overall: 211 South Winter Street; Most Fun: 121 Carriage Lane; Best Daytime: 318 North Winter Street; Halloween Spirit Award: 218 West Higgins Street, 128 South Winter Street, 232 West Higgins Street.
Concert benefitting Recovery for Katy and blood drive
Join the Midway Community for a concert benefiting Katy's recovery and blood drive Sunday, Nov. 3, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Kentucky Blood Center's Blood Mobile will be at Northside Elementary School from 1-5 p.m. VELJEETA featuring Sherri Dan & Jeff from Velvet Elvis, Maggie Lander, and Boogie G and the Titanics will perform live from 2-5 p.m. inside the school's gymnasium. There is a $10 suggested donation for the concert.
The Woodford County Library will set up a crafting station for people of all ages to create cards to send to Katy. Enjoy an ice cream cone provided by Railroad Drug & Oldetime Soda! There’s a $2 suggested donation for the scoop. All proceeds go directly to Katy. If you are unable to attend and would like to donate, please visit Katy's Go Fund Me page, which is managed by a family member.
Midway Views
The man behind the marker
One of the historical markers in Midway (outside The Goose and Gander) mentions the historical significance of a man by the name of Edward Dudley Brown, otherwise known as Brown Dick. This marker prompted this week’s column: who was Brown Dick and what was the significance of the Woodburn Estate where he lived to Thoroughbred horse racing?
Ed Brown, aka Brown Dick, was an African-American jockey, horse owner and trainer. His nickname came about because Brown was a fast runner and the local jockeys joked that he was so fast that he could beat a horse called Brown Dick, which was the record holder for three-mile races in 1856.
He was born a slave in 1850 and sold as a 10-year-old at a courthouse sale in Lexington to the Woodburn Estate (part of this now makes up Airdrie Stud). Woodburn was owned by Robert Alexander, a Scottish immigrant, who came to Virginia from Scotland in 1786 and bought Woodburn in 1790.
It was here in Woodford County that Brown Dick learned about Thoroughbred breeding and racing. He was a groom and jockey first, due to his height, and from 1864 (at age 14) to 1870, he rode winners such as Asteroid, Kingfisher, Bayswater and Merrill. It was on Kingfisher in 1870 that he won the Belmont.
Brown had a hard time making weight as he got older, so after a brief time as a steeplechase jockey, he became a trainer. As a trainer, he moved to the farm next-door to Woodburn and won the Kentucky Derby with Baden Baden in 1877. He won the Derby again in 1896 with Ben Brush, but this time on his own as an owner and trainer! And won for a third time in 1898 with John Madden’s Plaudit.
Brown also won the Kentucky Oaks with Monrovia in 1893, and then with his own filly Etta in 1900. Brown became very successful at that time through his training endeavors, especially as a man who had begun life under much different circumstances as a slave. The racetrack stories of the time talk about his generosity, and during his life had some financial problems largely because he loaned money to people but was never repaid.
He died at 56 years of age as one of the wealthiest African-Americans in Kentucky and is a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Not bad for a boy who started out a slave.
The Breeders Cup Championships will be held this weekend. Perhaps another Midway-bred and raised horse can add to Midway’s history of raising champion racehorses when the starting gates open at Santa Anita Friday and Saturday. Some of these include: Code of Honor, which runs in the Breeders Cup Classic for Lane’s End Farm, and the previously mentioned Got Stormy, which runs in the TVG Mile for Southern Equine Farm and Gary Barber. Catalina Cruiser was bred by William Farish, but is now owned by Hronis Racing, will be returning to his roots when he begins stallion duty at Lanes End after the Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile.