Bizarre Horse Race Stories

There are a lot of bizarre horse racing stories that probably come off as unbelievable. What makes horse racing exciting is that anything can happen. With these stories, you will definitely experience an emotional roller-coaster ride.

The So-Called Dead Race of History

In 1923, Frank Hayes went through a fatal heart attack and died while riding Sweet Kiss. Fortunately, his body remained on the saddle and even reached the finish line. He even won the race as a 20-1 long shot. It is actually a bittersweet race.

Reports are saying that he died somewhere in the middle of the race. What’s interesting is that his death was not discovered until the officials came to congratulate him. Some said that his fatal heart attack might be the cause of his extreme efforts to meet the weight requirements.

The One and Only

You might not believe it but only one horse completed the race during the Grand National in 1928. With thousands of spectators during the race, no one was cheering for Tipperary Tim.

‘Billy boy, you’ll only win if all the others fall!’, William Dutton’s friend yelled before the race. Dutton, the Tipperary Tim’s jockey, was the only one to successfully navigate the race track and its several obstacles.

What is the Grand National?

It is an annual horse race usually held at Aintree Racecourse. It is also a handicap steeplechase with a total distance of 4 miles and 514 yards. What makes this race very challenging is because it has larger fences. In fact, this race is regarded as the ultimate test of horse and rider. This makes Dutton’s win at the time even more impressive. Almost two centuries old, England’s Grand National is still an ongoing tournament, one of the many tournaments featured in Sportsbet horse racing markets.

The Slowest Winning Horse

During a steeplechase in 1945, the slowest time for a winning horse was recorded. It happened when all of the other horses already fell or were disqualified. Well, Never Mind II is the remaining contender. However, he refused to gallop over a fence. He finished the race around the eleven-minute mark.

No Rider, No Problem

During the Gulfstream Park Handicap in 2013, Fort Larned stumbled at the beginning of the race and lost his jockey. However, he did not stop and kept running. He almost won the race but was declared as non-finisher.

To make sure that Fort Larned and his jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr. did not have any injuries, both were evaluated. Fortunately, Fort Larned only suffered a grabbed quarter in the middle of his left front heel.

Fort Larned is actually an American thoroughbred racehorse with a small white star. He is also known as a hot-tempered and fearless racehorse who also won during the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2012.

The Disqualified Winners

During the Royal Ascot in 1970, the first, second, and third horses were all disqualified for interference. Because of this, the fourth horse was declared as the official winner. The Royal Ascot is actually Britain’s most valuable race meeting.

Too Old to Win

Maccabeus, the winner during the Epsom Derby in 1844 was disqualified because he was too old. This is because the race is only for the three-year-olds. However, he just passed his fourth birthday, is it considerable or not?

What is the Epsom Derby?

Epsom Derby is a G1 flat horse for three-year-old fillies and colts. It is also regarded as the most prestigious out of the five Classics and Britain’s richest horse race. It is annually held at Epsom Downs every first Sunday of June.

With hundreds of horse racing events around the world, there is no doubt that there are still a lot of bizarre horse racing stories left untold. We’ll never know, maybe other Sportsbet horse racing stories deserve the spotlight.