Houston Sports - Harriett Peckham
Harriett Peckham Born: May 9, 1930 Sport: Horse Racing (Hall of Fame) My dad was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where horse racing was a staple of life and Derby Day may as well have been an official holiday. The Kentucky Derby was the biggest event on the calendar every year, and I remember being driven by Churchill Downs at a young age to see those iconic twin spires long before they were dwarfed by today's massive grandstands. Yesterday marked the 152nd Run for the Roses there, and for the first time in history a female trainer, Cherie DeVaux, became a Kentucky Derby winner when her horse, Golden Tempo, raced from the back of the pack to win by a nose. Houston's interest in horses has historically been more aligned with their use by cowboys than by jockeys, but in keeping with the momentous achievement by a woman in a male-dominated arena I thought it would be good to turn the spotlight towards a Houstonian who became known as the "First Lady of Quarter Ho...