Only in Cincinnati would a federal court rule that the body that governs the naming of racehorses in Kentucky could actually reject a horse owner’s attempt to call his horse “Sally Hemings”. Why is that? Because the name Sally Hemings is associated with Thomas Jefferson’s slave that he allegedly fathered several children with.
Apparently the Jockey Club which is a private organization is well within its rights to deny Garrett Redmond’s seemingly reasonable request based on its rules that the usage of famous names does require special permission.
“Because he has spent three years insisting he has a constitutional right to name his horse `Sally Hemings’ and that no other name will do, Mr. Redmond now finds himself, like the songster of the 70s, having `been through the desert on a horse with no name,’ ”
Thomas Jefferson himself was prudent enough to never commented publicly on the issue, though even so, some of his remarks have been interpreted as indirect denials.
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