Rosa Hoots (1859-1917) Rosa is the first woman to own and breed a Kentucky Derby winner in Black Gold. She was born in Osage, KS and is part of the Osage Indian Tribe. Her people were removed from their land in Kansas and relocated to Tulsa, OK. Their new land was rocky and barren but they bought it from the government anyway so they could never be moved again. Rosa married a hard-headed Irishman named Al Hoots in 1886. Al had a good eye for horseflesh and he purchased Useeit for 80 acres of their cow farm. Al raced the mare and she won 34 races. At one point Al lost Useeit in a claiming race at Juarez, Mexico. Brandishing a shotgun he refused to turn her over. He and the horse were banned. The story goes as Al was dying, he had a dream that Useeit would be bred to an outstanding stallion and that foal would win the Kentucky Derby. Rosa kept the horse after Al died. A few years went by and the Osage Nation found oil on their land. Rosa was a full member and she used her mineral income to ship Useeit to Colonel E. R. Bradley's farm in Lexington, where she was bred to Black Toney. The union produced a jet-black foal which Rosa named "Black Gold", an Indian expression for the oil that was now making her Osage Nation wealthy. Black Gold won 9 races as a two-year-old. His 3-year-old season started out with 4 consecutive wins. On May 17, 1924 Black Gold won the Kentucky Derby at it's 50th anniversary. For the Anniversary a new tradition was implemented in singing "My Old Kentucky Home" (and we have been tearing up ever since). They also designed a new trophy: a nearly two-foot-tall, three-and-a-half-pound solid gold loving cup, with a horse and jockey on the lid. Rosa got in the winner's circle but she seemed embarrassed with the hoopla and photographers. Black Gold went on to win some very prestigious races but eventually retired due to injury. He was sent to stud and was sterile and put out to pasture. He made a comeback at the Fairgrounds in 1928. Nearing the finish line he broke down and was euthanized. Schools were closed the following day and they buried him in the infield. They named a race after him and it became a tradition for the winning jockey to place flowers on Black Gold's grave in tribute. Black Gold was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.