Interview with Carlton "Sunny" Wright, April 21, 2008

Partial Transcript: Alright. I think we're okay.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening section, Wright talks about how he was first introduced to horses as a child. His father worked as a security officer at a race track in St. Louis. Wright talks about how his dad used to take him to watch horses and how Wright began working at the track.

Keywords: Kitchens; Loose; Race tracks; Ridings; Talking; Teaching; Walking

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Childhood; Children; Horse racing; Horses; Keeneland (Ky.); Racetracks (Horse racing); Veterinary medicine

Partial Transcript: And as I turned ten, they sent me to the track kitchen.

Segment Synopsis: Wright tells the story of how he was injured as a child at the track. A horse kicked him and he lost all feeling in his legs. He talks about the treatment the people at the track used and how he recovered from this injury.

Keywords: Injuries; Numb; Rides; Riding; Tracks

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Alcohol; Horses; Racetracks (Horse racing)

Partial Transcript: But you know, young lady, the part--the enjoyment part about this...

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the family who raised him. He was adopted by a white family in St. Louis and never had any problems with racism while he was in St. Louis.

Keywords: Adoption; Grandmothers; Kitchens; Moms; Mothers; Sisters; St. Louis (Mo.); Talking; Tracks; Whites

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; African Americans--Social conditions; Discrimination in restaurants.; Horses; King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; Race relations; Racism; Segregation

Partial Transcript: When I first to New Orleans, all my buddies was for me being on the race track to go to New Orleans every year.

Segment Synopsis: When Wright went to New Orleans during the Civil Rights Movement, he experienced racial discrimination. This was the first time he had ever experienced discrimination due to his skin color and he almost didn't go back to New Orleans because of it.

Keywords: Blacks; Buddies; Cried; Free; Ladies; Whites

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions; Civil rights movements--United States; Horses; King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; New Orleans (La.); Race discrimination; Race relations

Partial Transcript: But I guarantee half of the peoples in Georgetown knows me because we used to have like the senior citizens come out here and by bus loads and eat.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the different people he was friends with and how those friendships have helped him through life. He talks about the time he went down to Tennessee and called up one of his friends to tell them about Tennessee and the types of women who were in Tennessee.

Keywords: Big; Friends; Sales; Tennessee; Wife

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horses; Racetracks (Horse racing); Racism

Partial Transcript: And I got one regret.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the one regret he has. He was not able to finish his education and had to be taught everything he knows by older people. He goes on to tell stories of how people would not serve him at restaurants due to his skin color.

Keywords: Schools

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; African Americans--Social conditions; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Discrimination in restaurants.; Education; Horse racing; Race discrimination; Race relations; Racism

Partial Transcript: So you were thirteen when you started riding horses?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about how the business has changed since he started working on the race track. People seem to not care as much about the horses as they do about getting paid. The older forms of care have also gone out of style and people don't care for the horses in the same way they used to.

Keywords: Faster; Nobody; Rubbing; Trainers; Walking

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Alcohol; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horse industry.; Horses; Veterinarians; Veterinary medicine

Partial Transcript: So when you were working as an exercise rider were you also working as a groom?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about when he first came to Kentucky. Wright had never heard of the Derby until his employer mentioned going to Kentucky to see the Derby at Churchill Downs.

Keywords: Bets; Betting; Cheap

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Gambling; Harthill, Alex, 1925-2005; Horses; Horses--Exercise; Kentucky Derby; Van Bert Farm (Ky.); Veterinarians

Partial Transcript: One day I ha--I was working for a young guy named Larry Frontnall (??).

Segment Synopsis: Wright tells a story about one of his friends who used to have a gambling problem. One day, his friend bet on him that he would win a race but ended up losing money on that particular race.

Keywords: Barns; Bets; Betting

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Gambling; Horses

Partial Transcript: But you know, young lady, let me tell you this about my life.

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Wright talks about his life's work, the purpose he finds in his life, and his personal identity. He thinks of himself as a fighter but a friendly person with lots of friends and lots of life experiences.

Keywords: Fighting; Fights; Kitchens; Money

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horses

Partial Transcript: So you're still ornery?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about how he met his wife at the race track and how she changed his life. While they were happily married for many years, they were not always a happy couple. Wright tells some stories about their early married years and some of the misunderstandings they had.

Keywords: Ladies; Lady; Marriage; Money; Relationships; Sisters; Talks; Women

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Gambling; Horses

Partial Transcript: How many kids you have?

Segment Synopsis: Wright briefly talks about his children. He has four children, two of which were adopted. He tells the story of how his daughter tried to get a cell phone for him and would call him every day to make sure he was taking his medications.

Keywords: Adoption; Called; Children; Crazy; Dads; Fathers; Kids; Phones

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horses

Partial Transcript: So how long were you in New Orleans?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about some of the women in his life who care about him and who worry over his health. A lot of those women work at the race track. Wright briefly talks about how back when he first started working at the track, men were the only ones allowed in the horse barn.

Keywords: Tracks; Wife; Wives; Women

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horses; Horses--Care; New Orleans (La.)

Partial Transcript: How long did you ride?

Segment Synopsis: Wright gives an account of his career as an exercise boy. He rode until he was sixty years old. Wright tells the story of how he had to stop riding due to a broken collarbone.

Keywords: Bones; Owners; Passed; Raining; Rode; Stalls

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horse racing; Horses; Women in horse sports

Partial Transcript: You see like last year I was talking to a bunch a them young teenagers.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the lack of appreciation teenagers today have for education and for their parents. Wright talks about his own years as a teenager and what kind of a troublemaker he was.

Keywords: Brothers; Daddys; Fathers; Mammas; Moms; Money; Mothers; Sisters; Teenagers

Subjects: African American families; African Americans in horse racing; African Americans--Education; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Gambling

Partial Transcript: Sunny, how were you treated here when--when did you first come to Kentucky and work?

Segment Synopsis: Wright tells the story of how he ended up working in Kentucky. Before he came to Kentucky, he did not know very much about the horse industry. He loved the city of Louisville and decided to move there and work at Churchill Downs.

Keywords: People; Sales; Walking; Working

Subjects: African American; African Americans in horse racing; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse industry.; Horse racing; Horses; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So what a--since you hurt yourself and can't ride anymore, what ha, what have you been doing?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks a little bit about the issues surrounding his retirement from horse riding. He also talks about the problems his horse riding career caused for his marriage.

Keywords: Hustlers; Marriage; Riding; Saints; Wife; Wives

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horses

Partial Transcript: I'm a race horse man. I'm not--I can't work no eight hours.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about his role in the horse industry and the reputation he wants to have in it. He also talks about some of the worst parts of working in the horse industry.

Keywords: Care; Caring; Negative; Roles; Tracks

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horses; Horses--Care; Horses--Care--History

Partial Transcript: You mentioned a minute ago, uh, Clifford Scott.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the time he spent working for Clifford Scott. At the time, Clifford Scott was one of best African American horse trainers. Wright talks about what it was like working for Clifford Scott and what his personality was like.

Keywords: Books; Clifford Scott

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horse racing; Horses

Partial Transcript: Would you recommend it to a youngster?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about his advice for people who want to go into the horse industry, and some of the training he has given to people over the years about the business.

Keywords: Ladies; Life; People; Sales; Taught; Teaching; Wife; Wives

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Drug abuse; Horses

Partial Transcript: So how come you stay in Kentucky, you like it here?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the circumstances that led him to retire. First, he became ill and ended up having to go to the hospital. After going to the hospital, he worked at a horse sale where a woman accused him of harassment. Between having these two issues in his life, Wright decided it was time to find something else to do.

Keywords: Sales; Sick; Women

Subjects: Discrimination.; Horses; Older people

Partial Transcript: Before you do that, let me ask you a question.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the social life he had on and off of the tracks. Segregation was not an issue for him except when he was in Louisiana or further north of Louisville. He says that the track is not as complicated as people tend to make it out to be because the people are the ones who make the track complicated.

Keywords: Crazy; Go; Limping; Racetracks; Speed

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; African Americans--Segregation; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horse racing; Horses; Keeneland (Ky.); Keeneland (Lexington, Ky.); King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; Louisville (Ky.); New Orleans (La.); Race discrimination; Race relations; Segregation; Veterinarians

Partial Transcript: Alright, well Sunny, I'll go ahead--we've talked a long time.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about how the duties for the care of horses has changed over the years. It used to be that grooms did more of the care for the horses. It was not until about the 1950s that the care of horses went primarily to the veterinarians.

Keywords: Grooms; Needles; Shots; Vets; Words

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horse grooms--Interviews; Horses; Horses--Care; Horses--Care--History; Veterinarians; Veterinary medicine

Partial Transcript: How many people are left like you who remember how to do it right?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks more about the ways that horse care has changed over the years. Right now, people do not care about the type of work they do but only care about the money they make. Wright also talks about some of his favorite employers over the years.

Keywords: Businesses; Caretakers; Helping; Horse trainers; Money

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse industry.; Horses; Horses--Care; Horses--Care--History

Partial Transcript: When you were at Churchill Downs, you were there for a long time--

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the different tracks he has worked at over the years and the different ways he has been treated at those racetracks.

Keywords: Favorites; Moms; Mothers; Race tracks; Racetracks; Tracks; Treatment

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; African Americans--Segregation; Childhood; Children; Churchill Downs Incorporated; Horses; Horses--Care; Keeneland (Ky.); Keeneland (Lexington, Ky.); Racetracks (Horse racing)

Partial Transcript: Tell me about the horses.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the gift he has for picking out great racehorses. Ever since he was young, he knew what a good racehorse looked like. He talks about what that gift has done for him.

Keywords: Best; Picks; Race horses; Racehorses

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Gambling; Horses; Horses--Care; Racetracks (Horse racing)

Partial Transcript: What about jockeys? You've worked with a lot of jockeys, I guess, over the years.

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about his experience working with jockeys. He has worked with a lot of jockeys over the years but never really wanted to be a jockey himself.

Keywords: Exciting; Few; Good

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Belmont Stakes (N.Y.); Horses; Horses--Care; Jockeys

Partial Transcript: Did you like training?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about working with trainers and the problems he had working with them. Trainers would complain of being sick and would have problems drinking.

Keywords: Drinking; Horse trainers; People; Working

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Alcohol; Alcoholism; Horse racing; Horses; Horses--Care

Partial Transcript: When you're looking at a horse, uh, what is it you look for in a good race horse?

Segment Synopsis: Wright talks about the quality of race horses and what makes a good race horse. Horses are not built the way that they used to be and are not as good as the horses in the old days. Wright also tells the story of how one of Clifford Scott's horses won a race and the surprise of everyone in the crowd over Scott's ethnicity.

Keywords: Books; Good; Legs; Race relations; Racial discrimination; Racism

Subjects: African Americans in horse racing; Discrimination in employment; Horse racing; Horses; Horses--Care; Louisiana; Racetracks (Horse racing)

Partial Transcript: We're gonna run out of time here--

Segment Synopsis: In this closing section, Wright talks about his life and what it has meant to him. He talks about how he wishes he could share his life and his experiences with the younger generation and tell them to make the most of their lives.

Keywords: Children; Foundations; Important; Kids; Knows; Life; Regrets; Wife; Wives

Subjects: African American families; African Americans in horse racing; Education; Horses; New Orleans (La.)