The annual Kentucky Derby rivals Britain’s famous horse races for pomp and spectacle.
… Weep no more, my lady/Oh!
In fact, Foster’s song refers to a much darker time in American history.
The song is actually an anti-slavery statement
Smithsonianmagazine explains the startling origins of the Derby anthem.
Out of context, that verse also became racially tone-deaf, since it included a controversial word for slaves.
Not until 1986 did the state legislature officially change the lyric to “people.”
