August 2, 1790, the 1st official census for Kentucky began. The U.S. mandated that it be completed within nine months. The results: 15,154 free white males of 16 years and older, 17,057 free white males under 16 years, 28,922 free white females, 114 all other free persons, and 12,430 slaves. The total numbers of inhabitants reported was 73,677.
August 2, 1864, the Travers Stakes ran for the 1st time, a year after Saratoga opened . The Saratoga Association named the race after their President, William R. Travers, who won the 1st edition with a horse he co-owned, called Kentucky. Today, it is the oldest three-year-old stakes race in the U.S.
August 2, 1881, Constable James Simpson Harrison, Jefferson County Constable’s Office , died from a gunshot while attempting to serve a warrant for forgery in front of Kendall’s Store on the Salt River Turnpike.
August 2, 1886, Deputy Sheriff Charles Henry Tucker, Casey County Sheriff’s Office , died from a gunshot while attempting to break up a disturbance between two opposing factions on Election Day.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Dayton native Oscar Rasbach , born in 1888 in Campbell County. Oscar composed two operettas and wrote around 20 published songs. Most popular was his 1922 Setting of Trees , the famous poem by Joyce Kilmer. Many 20th-century talented singers performed and recorded it.
August 2, 1901, George W. Ranck, a Kentucky writer and historian from Shelbyville, died doing what he loved . While researching an article about Lexington’s pioneer history, he was so fixated on his work; he got struck by an oncoming train. Mr. Ranck authored the History of Lexington, Kentucky: Its Early Annals and Recent Progress and was a prominent member of the Filson Club.
August 2, 1913, an estimated 7,000 people attended the reopening of Saratoga Race Course, the 50th anniversary of racing at Saratoga . Old Rosebud won the featured race. Later in the meet, he won the United States Hotel Stakes, his 10th victory in 12 races that year. The following May he won the Kentucky Derby.
August 2, 1919, Man o’ War won the 36th running of the United States Hotel Stakes against more formidable competition at the Spa. Upset ran second. Despite getting a bad start and carrying 130 pounds, Man o’ War won easily by two lengths in 1:12.40. The winner took home $7,600 from the $10,000 guaranteed purse.
On August 2, 1923, President Warren Harding died in a San Francisco hotel room, and Calvin Coolidge became the 30th president.
August 2, 1928, William Sylvester Taylor died . William was the 33rd governor for 50 days in 1900 before the legislature intervened and elected another man to the state’s highest office. The other man served as governor for a few days while he died from an assassin’s bullet.
August 2, 1941, Constable Squire Gatlin Rains, Whitley County Constable’s Office , died from gunshots in the Nevisdale area while attempting to arrest a man causing a disturbance on Election Day.
August 2, 1950, Army PFC Douglass E. Carter from Madison County , Army PVT Charles D. Payne from Harlan County , Army PVT Howard Smallwood from Pike County , and Army CPL James E. Sparks from Fayette County , all died in the Korean War.
August 2, 1951, Army PFC David J. Grayson from Fleming County and Army PVT Daniel L. Kremer from Jefferson County , died in the Korean War.
August 2, 1969, Marine Corps CPL Thomas L. Justice from Belfry from Pike County died in the Vietnam War.
August 2, 1973, Stoll Field hosted the Blue Grass National Drum and Bugle Corps Olympics . Over 4,000 young people and their families, a majority from out of state, descended on UK’s campus and surrounding hotel rooms. Winners received $50,000 in prizes.
Saturday, August 2, 1975, undeclared presidential candidate and Alabama Governor George Wallace spoke to a warm crowd at Fancy Farm.
August 2, 1980, U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford, left, laughed with former Gov. A.B. “Happy” Chandler , center, in 1980 at the 100th Fancy Farm Picnic. The event began to draw more statewide and national politicians in the early to mid-1970s.
On August 2, 1981, air traffic controllers went on strike , and President R. Regan told them they had 48 hours to return to work or get fired. Many claimed what happened on August 5 had devastating consequences for American workers and their bargaining power.
August 2, 1990, the Iraqi Army invaded and occupied Kuwait , which was met with international condemnation. The U.S remained in the region fighting wars till 2022, creating America’s longest war.
August 2, 2003, marked the 123rd Fancy Farm, where Congressman and candidate for Governor Ernie Fletcher and Ben Chandler, also a candidate, worked the crowd. The Job Terminator — a giant head with sunglasses which lampooned GOP gubernatorial nominee Ernie Fletcher — made its debut.
August 2, 2009, Rachel Alexandra took on the boys again in Monmouth Park’s GI $1,250,000 Haskell Stakes . She won in the slop and just missed the track record.
August 2, 2012, a two-year-old colt died while galloping . Between November 4, 2011 and March 14, 2013, a 16 month period, Bob Baffert had seven horses die suddenly while racing or training. All occurred on the Hollywood Park main track. None of the sudden deaths occurred at Santa Anita or Del Mar even though Baffert had the same amount of horses at each of the three tracks.
August 2, 2014, nine went to post and a Kentucky bred won Saratoga’s GI $800,000 Whitney Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.
August 2, 2021, Norton Healthcare and Baptist Health became the latest Kentucky hospitals to require staff to be vaccinated . UofL, UK, and other state hospitals had already mandated the experimental vaccines. The hospitals claimed the Delta variant created a dire circumstance.