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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Caroline Louise Dudley, better known as Mrs. Leslie Carter, who was born in 1857.

Wednesday, June 10, 1868, General Duke beat five others to win the 2nd Belmont Stakes.  Lexington’s son covered the 1 5/8 miles in 3.03.00 to win $2,800.  The Preakness began in 1873 and the Derby in 1875.

June 10, 1871, the U.S. traveled to Korea to establish trade and political relations, when the trip suddenly turned violent.  Six hundred and fifty Americans landed and killed over 200 Koreans.  Lexington native Lt. Hugh Wilson McKee died, one of three Americans.

June 10, 1883, Fulton County lynched Henry Colbert, a black male, for an attempted rape, the 9th recorded Kentucky lynching from 1882 through 1921 according to the link.

June 10, 1888, Henderson County lynched James Foster, a black male for rape.  Kentucky’s 36th recorded lynching according to the linked source.

Tuesday, June 10, 1890, Morris Park Racecourse hosted the 1 ½ miles Preakness and 1 ¼ miles Belmont Stakes.  The Preakness ran for three-year-olds and upward for the only time.  None of the Derby horses ran in either race.

Wednesday, June 10, 1891, Foxford won the 25th Belmont Stakes by a neck, going 1 ¼ miles in 2:08 ¾ on a good track.  The winner took home $5,070.  Garrison up, trained by M. Donavan and owned by C.E. Rand.   The Preakness did not run.

June 10, 1899, an assailant sniped Tom Baker while being protected by the National Guard at the Clay County Courthouse in Manchester.  Mr. Baker testified in the Wilson Howard murder trial.  Much of the Baker-Howard Feud died after these events.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Benton native Joe Creason, a newspaper columnist and collector of Kentucky folklore, who was born in 1919.

June 10, 1938, Hollywood Park held their opening day.

June 10, 1944, Brownie, Bossuet, and Wait a Bit made turf history before 25,386 rain-coated Aqueduct customers.  They finished in a triple dead heat in the 46th running of the Carter Handicap.

June 10, 1951, Marine Corps CPL Robert L. Allender from Pewee Valley in Oldham County died fighting in the Korean War.

On June 10, 1952, geologist and engineer Willard Rouse Jillson wrote the introduction to his book The First Oil Well in Kentucky.  The book details the story of the Beatty oil well in Wayne, now McCreary County, in 1818.

June 10, 1953, Army CPL Donald L. Menken from Letcher County died fighting in the Korean War.

On Monday, June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave his “A Strategy of Peace” speech at American University’s commencement address.  The lecture was unusual in its peaceful outreach to the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War and is one of Kennedy’s finest and most important speeches.  Today, the MIC would never let a president echo similar sentiments.

June 10, 1965, Army PFC Walter R. Gray from Big Clifty in Grayson County died fighting in the Vietnam War.

June 10, 1968, Marine Corps LCPL Roger T. Burrows from Georgetown and Army SGT Kenneth D. Hinkle from Manchester, died fighting in the Vietnam War.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Fort Knox native Mike Doughty, born in 1970.  An indie and alternative rock musician, his songs have been featured on TV shows such as Bones, Grey’s Anatomy, Veronica Mars, and many others.

On June 10, 1971, a group of black athletic officials, athletic directors, and parents filed suit in U.S. District Court to end what they called the “racially discriminatory policies” of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.  Meanwhile, in Washington, the Federal Trade Commission told U.S. corporations they had to substantiate their advertising claims.

June 10, 1975, three witnesses wanting to oust their boss, Henry E. Cowan, Superintendent of the Kentucky State Penitentiary, gave secret testimony to the Governor’s Select Commission.  Critics of Cowan’s administration said he was inept and corrupt.

June 10, 1977, Horse Cave Theatre in Hart County staged its inaugural production, George Bernard Shaw’s CANDIDA, with Warren Hammack directing.  Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight, Governor Julian Carroll, and 353 other patrons dedicated to fulfilling a dream of bringing professional theatre by equity actors to the stage of a long-defunct opera house in a town of 2,000 residents, sat in the audience.

June 10, 1982, scientists announced the discovery of the oldest fossil remains of a human ancestor, a four-foot “apeman” with the brain of a chimpanzee but the upright stance of a man.  The creature may have lived four million years ago.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Tyler Matl, born in 1994.  Tyler’s singles “Gravity” and “All I Ever Wanted,” earned several Awards and reached top 10 statuses around the globe.

June 10, 2000, Kentucky bred and Keeneland graduate Commendable won the 132nd Belmont Stakes over ten others for a $1,000,000 purse.  D. Wayne Lukas, Mr. & Mrs. Lewis, and Pat Day completed the winning connections.  Derby and Preakness winners Fusaichi Pegasus and Red Bullet skipped the race, not since 1970 had both winners missed the 3rd leg.  Commendable snapped a six-race losing streak; his last win was his maiden win in August.  He paid $39.40.

On June 10, 2006, Kentucky bred and Keeneland graduate Jazil won the Belmont Stakes to give Sheikh Hamdan of Shadwell Farm his 1st U.S. Classic.  The sheik bought him from Lane’s End consignment for $725,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale.  Jazil’s half-sister Rags to Riches won the Test of Champions the following year.

June 10, 2009, after months of on-and-off negations, House and Senate leaders shook hands on an agreement to change Kentucky’s public retirement system, an effort aimed at staving off financial ruin.

June 10, 2016, Louisville welcomed home their favorite hometown son one last time.  The 23-mile long Muhammad Ali funeral procession included a drive by of his childhood home on the way to Cave Hill Cemetery.

June 10, 2020, three months after Breonna Taylor died, the Louisville Police Department released the incident report.  The four-page report lacked details and only contained the essential facts already known to the public.  The same police department also announced they would no longer use tear gas on protestors unless specifically ok’d by the chief.  Meanwhile, in Frankfort, Governor A. Beshear justified the National Guard’s killing of Louisville restaurant owner David McAtee.

June 10, 2021, nursing homes reported a 44% vaccination rate for employees by a Medicaid survey.  That was one of the 10 lowest rates in the country for such facilities and was significantly less than the 58% vaccination rate for Kentucky adults.

On June 10, 2022, Kentucky reported an increase in positive coronavirus cases across the state, with 16,004 deaths.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had rated 19 counties “high community levels” and 28 counties “Medium levels.”  In addition, they deemed 90 of the 120 counties as “high community transmission levels.”  Zero of the counties ranked as a “low community transmission level.”  These useless terms are reminiscent of the color codes used by the federal government to judge the probability of a terror attack.  The government used both gauges to keep the public on continual edge.

On June 10, 2023, Kentucky-bred Arcangelo won the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes.  Belmont Park hosted for the 112th time.  Trainer Jena Antonucci became the 1st female trainer to win, making her the 1st female trainer to win any American TC race.  Javier Castellano and Blue Rose Farm also received a piece of the $1.5 million purse.