LATEST PRESS RELEASES
Nov. 11, 2019
62nd Laying of the Wreath Ceremony to Celebrate Career of Black Gold
Three Generations of Owner Rosa Hoots’ Family to Participate
The famed racing career of Black Gold will be honored with the annual Laying of the Wreath ceremony to be held February 29, 2020 at the Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The ceremony dates to 1958 and the first running of the Black Gold Stakes. The race for three-year-olds annually pays homage to the legacy of the famed Black Gold, a winner of four derbies during his three-year-old season.
Each year family members of Black Gold’s owner Rosa Hoots, participate in a ceremony held in conjunction with the Black Gold Stakes. Following the race’s trophy presentation, family members solemnly enter the racetrack’s infield and place a horse-shoe shaped wreath of roses on Black Gold’s grave marker.
For the 62nd annual presentation there will be representatives from three generations of Rosa Hoots’ family. The representatives will include: great-granddaughter, Rochelle Martino and her husband Tom McGehee; great-granddaughter and manager member of Black Gold Legacy, LLC, Theresa Freeman Collins and husband Randy; great-great granddaughters Michelle Macdowell of Black Gold Legacy; and Miranda Ippolito, her husband Jon and their children Izzy and Max.
In addition, the Historic New Orleans Collection Museum has arranged to include a replica of the 1924 Kentucky Derby trophy [on loan from the Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, KY], to be displayed in The Crescent City Sport Exhibit: Stories of Courage and Change. The exhibit will run from Nov. 22, 2019 through March 8, 2020 and can be seen at the Historic New Orleans Collection throughout in the exhibition center, located at 520 Royal St., in New Orleans, LA.
The original trophy was first made for the 50th running of the famed “Run for the Roses” won by Black Gold, but was later stolen from the family. A replica was crafted in exact detail to the original by Hoots’ family members and was presented to Hoot’s grandson Richard Freeman in June of 2000. It was later donated to the Kentucky Derby Museum in 2007.
Black Gold Legacy, LLC, will be offering official Black Gold merchandise that day from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Clubhouse Level of the track. Hoots’ family members will be there and encourage racing fans to come and share stories and shop for authentic Black Gold memorabilia.
The family’s sincere thanks are extended to Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots for
hosting and continuing this event commemorating Black Gold, Rosa Hoots, his owner and jockey, JD Mooney.
www.blackgold1924.com
For more information: Contact Theresa Freeman-Collins
colus1776@msn.com
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Press Release
Nov. 11, 2019
November 11, 2019 – Denver, CO PRESS RELEASE
7th annual Useeit Stakes will be held on December 15, 2019.
Generations of Owner Rosa & Al Hoots’ Family to Participate
Useeit, the famed Oklahoma sprinter and thoroughbred race horse, will have the 7th annual race in her honor which is run at the Remington Park track in Oklahoma City, OK. The race is open to 7 year old filly’s that have been born in Oklahoma.
The descendents of Rosa and Al Hoots, owners of the dam of Black Gold, a winner of four derbies during his three-year-old season, will be attending to participate in awarding the trophy to the winner of the race.
A compelling story of Rosa Hoots, an Osage Indian from Oklahoma, a widow at the time of breeding Useeit, carried out her husband’s death bed wish, which was to breed a brown mare [Useeit] to a famous Kentucky stallion [Black Tony], and a derby winner would be the result. She was living in a man’s world of horse racing, yet would be the second woman to own a thoroughbred horse to win the derby; but she was also the first woman to own and breed a derby winner.
The representatives will include: great-granddaughter, Rochelle Martino and her husband Tom McGehee; great-granddaughter and manager member of Black Gold Legacy, LLC, Theresa Freeman Collins, fellow member of Black Gold Legacy, Christopher Freeman and great-granddaughter, Marcia Rodriquez, will be attending.
In addition, the Historic New Orleans Collection Museum has arranged to include a replica of the 1924 Kentucky Derby trophy [on loan from the Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, KY], to be displayed in The Crescent City Sport Exhibit: Stories of Courage and Change. The exhibit will run from Nov. 22, 2019 through March 8, 2020 and can be seen at the Historic New Orleans Collection throughout in the exhibition center, located at 520 Royal St., in New Orleans, LA.
The original trophy was first made for the 50th running of the famed “Run for the Roses” won by Black Gold, but was later stolen from the family. A replica was crafted in exact detail to the original by Hoots’ family members and was presented to Hoot’s grandson Richard Freeman in June of 2000. It was later donated to the Kentucky Derby Museum in 2007.
The family’s sincere thanks are extended to the Remington Race Park for
hosting and continuing this event commemorating Useeit.
BLACK GOLD LEGACY, LLC
Theresa Collins – Managing Member
(For more information: Colus1776@msn.com)
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All rights reserve
“Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren.”
Proverbs 13:22
Rosa M. Hoots, in the Courier Journal, May 1924 stated, “I will give the trophies to my grandchildren, for
them to always keep.” While all four trophies were stolen from her home in Tulsa, OK back in 1934 or 1935, the family continues to
stay vigilant to help recover the remaining 2 trophies, [the Louisiana Derby and Ohio Derby] so this wish of hers can finally become a
reality.
In the word “GOLD” note the difference in the highlighting of the letters “GOD,” to acknowledge God’s blessings in providing the talents
and gifts with which we have been blessed.
In Osage symbology, a horizontal arrow pointing to the left stands for the energy to realize one’s wishes & ideas and can point toward a time of taking action.
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