Horses like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Citation go down in history for winning the Kentucky Derby. You might also be interested in the stories of some horses that didn’t win.
1. Dancer’s Image 1968
The only Kentucky Derby winner ever disqualified after the race was over was Dancer’s Image in 1968. The horse came from behind (last place, in fact) and crossed the line 1.5 lengths ahead of Forward Pass. Then traces of phenylbutazone were found in the post-race urine test. Drug tests were fairly new in horse racing at the time. Phenylbutazone is a pain killer that relieves inflammation of joints. Some tracks allowed it at the time, but not Churchill Downs in 1968. However, the drug was legal in the Derby in 1967 and 1969. Veterinarian Dr. Alex Harthill prescribed the drug for Dancer’s Image the previous weekend, considering it would be out of the horse’s system by Derby day. Harthill had previous troubles over racehorses and drugs. There was also suspicion that Dancer’s Image was set up as retribution for owner Peter Fuller’s contribution of an earlier race’s winnings to Coretta Scott King.
2. Native Dancer 1953
Native Dancer was sire to Dancer’s Image, and was named Horse of the Year in 1952 and 1954. They called him the Gray Ghost. Going into the 1953 Kentucky Derby, he was far and away the favorite, with the shortest odds in Derby history. But he was bumped twice during the race, and came in second to long shot Dark Star by a nose. It was the only race Native Dance ever lost. You can relive the 1953 Derby in this video.
3. Gallant Man 1957
Gallant Man was in the lead at the 1957 Kentucky Derby when legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker made the blunder of his life. Shoemaker misjudged where the finish line stood and stood up in the stirrups to celebrate victory -before the race was over! Iron Liege took the lead and won by a nose. Gallant Man never won a championship, but raced well, beating Bold Ruler and Round Table (both eventual Horse of the Year winners) in different races.
4. Display 1926
Display was a difficult racehorse. Known as The Iron Horse, assistant starters dreaded dealing with him. Display did not want to line up at the post, ever. He once led a starter around for 15 minutes before he would enter the gate! But once the pistol sounded, he was a runner -sometimes. He finished tenth in the 1926 Kentucky Derby, then went on the win the Preakness Stakes. Display was more successful as a stud, siring 1935 Horse of the Year Discovery. His descendants include Native Dancer, Bold Ruler, and other champions.
5. Eight Belles 2008
The saddest story from the Kentucky Derby is that of Eight Belles. The filly ran the race of her life in 2008, coming in second to Big Brown. Then while pulling up after the race, both her front ankles broke. Unable to be moved, Eight Belles was put down on the spot, to the horror of the Derby day crowd.
Eight Belles’ death incited controversy on the future the Derby, of thoroughbred racing, and even horse breeding. From the Washington Post:
There is no turning away from this fact: Eight Belles killed herself finishing second. She ran with the heart of a locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles for the pleasure of the crowd, the sheiks, oilmen, entrepreneurs, old money from the thousand-acre farms, the handicappers, men in bad sport coats with crumpled sheets full of betting hieroglyphics, the julep-swillers and the ladies in hats the size of boats, and the rest of the people who make up thoroughbred racing. There was no mistaking this fact, too, as she made her stretch run, and the apologists will use it to defend the sport in the coming days: She ran to please herself.
Eight Belles was buried at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Image by Flickr user WindsurfGirl.
I used the word “non-winners” in the title because no horse who qualifies to run in the Kentucky Derby is a loser. The 136th annual Run for the Roses is this Saturday in Louisville.
Comments (16)
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That Washingon Post exerpt made me cry.
posted by Erin on 4-29-2010 at 10:42 am
Man.
That is so sad how the jockey is holding his horse. Looks like hes crying into it.
posted by Chrystani on 4-29-2010 at 12:03 pm
How sweet. A beautiful horse races solely for a man’s pleasure and wallet. The moment it can’t perform, kill it, anytime, anywhere. Because it was just an animal. Ahh, humans.
posted by bubba on 4-29-2010 at 12:32 pm
A few more…
- Sham (1973) – He ran the fastest time in Derby history…too bad Secretariat did, too.
- Forego (1973) – Finished 4th. Went on to become perhaps the best all-around runner in the 1970s, winning both the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprinter AND the TWO MILE Jockey Club Gold Cup in the same year. Also in the Hall of Fame, rated as the #8 racehorse of all time.
- Alydar (1978) – The only horse to ever finish 2nd in every single Triple Crown race.
posted by Patten on 4-29-2010 at 12:41 pm
@ Bubba
They didn’t kill Eight Bells just because she would no longer be able to perform, it was the only thing they could have done for her. Horses are typically put down with severe leg injuries. Its the only humane solution that I know of.
Though I don’t really get Horse Racing or Dog Racing either.
When I graduated from High School my brother told me to put all of my graduation money on a horse that went on to win the Preakness, he was kidding but I wished I would have listened.
posted by Brit on 4-29-2010 at 2:32 pm
bubba — if a horse breaks two legs, it is nearly certain that the horse will die, and in great agony. The horse was not put down because she could not perform. She was put down to end her suffering. This is true whether the horse breaks two legs on a racetrack or in a quiet paddock or on the steppes of Mongolia, where modern horses originated. There is controversy about what should properly be done in such cases, but would it have been better to haul her off the field first? No; it would hurt her badly. Could she be rehabilitated? No. Horses simply do not survive losing both front legs. Consider the case of Barbaro. With only one broken leg, most thought he should be put down, but his owners loved him so much they wanted to give him a chance. I’ve come to believe they did the right thing in his case, but could the average horse tolerate what he had to endure in an ultimately failed effort to save his life? *Should* the average horse be asked to tolerate multiple orthopedic surgeries, prolonged confinement to a barn, great pain, and the risk of laminitis on what is frankly only a dim hope of success? That’s not easy to answer.
posted by Calli Arcale on 4-29-2010 at 2:44 pm
Calli Arcale I applaud your comment. Reading the saddest story of Eight Belles brought back all the tears I shed over a horse I had never even knew existed. I was shocked at what could happen to a horse and couldn’t believe there is never a warning with such things. I also thought of Barbaro. What a grueling, heart breaking struggle for life. Trying to save these horse just doesn’t ever seem to work that I can recall. Here’s to Eight Belles! May her last moments always remind us of the need to monitor all we do – in sports, as well – with compassion. To Barbaro, the valiant warrior to the end! May we all live a life worth fighting for.
posted by hummer on 4-29-2010 at 3:31 pm
the washington post excerpt brought me to tears…what a beautiful tribute.
posted by sarah on 4-29-2010 at 4:05 pm
Not sure I agree, except with the basics (I mean, who hasn’t ever heard that a race horse needs to be put down when it breaks a leg (or 2) during a race?). But, as long as we continue to use animals as commodities, we will thoughtlessly toss them out in the trash when we’re done with them, like commodities.
posted by bubba on 4-29-2010 at 4:26 pm
A horse that breaks its leg on the farm is just as bad off as a horse that breaks its leg in a race.
In fact, more horses breakdown on the farm than at the track. They’re just fragile creatures in general.
posted by Patten on 4-29-2010 at 6:01 pm
Another thought about Eight Bells & Barbaro. Horse’s travel with most their weight in the front. If a horse is galloping and breaks a hind leg, it’s not good certainly but much better if it had broken it’s front. With all that weight & force, a front leg break is often catastrophic and there’s not much leg left to put back together.
While it made for bad public relations for a horse to be put down in front of a huge crowd, it was the most humane thing to do for Eight Bells.
Horses make for lousy orthopedic patients. They are designed to be moving pretty much of the time and mentally and physically can’t handled the amount of confinement needed fully repair a seriously broken leg.
posted by cj on 4-29-2010 at 7:24 pm
Erin,
That’s not the jockey. That’s a worker at the track. Jockey’s are much smaller and don’t wear readio’s on their hips. They also wear silks.
posted by Tikaz on 4-29-2010 at 10:13 pm
Erin,
That’s not the jockey. That’s a worker at the track. Jockey’s are much smaller and don’t wear radio’s on their hips. They also wear silks.
posted by Tikaz on 4-29-2010 at 10:14 pm
When I read the name of Native Dancer, I was reminded that he left one rather amazing legacy to the racing world. His grandson, Northern Dancer, a horse that was Canadian bred and born,not only went on to become a Kentucky Derby winner but also became the most influential Throughbred sire of the 20th century…his offspring collectively have won more stakes and championships than any other lines out there.
posted by Saffrom on 4-29-2010 at 11:33 pm
Bubba wrote:
But, as long as we continue to use animals as commodities, we will thoughtlessly toss them out in the trash when we’re done with them, like commodities.
I wouldn’t agree on that. Many TBs go on to second careers as riding horses and live out their lives as cherished pets & riding companions. The key thing is if they are sound at the end of racing. With that in mind I have two concerns about modern racing:
1 – One concern is that, IMHO, they are training racing TBs too young, often starting at 18 months. I believe putting such young horses into hard training creates long term soundness issues. I think they should ban all 2 year old races and make the Kentucky Derby for 4 year olds or, even better, make it open for all ages.
2) Another big problem, IMHO, is that there is a trend to breed for early speed but not for long term soundness. Eight Bells’ sire, Unbridled Song, is getting a reputation for siring extremely fast horses with fragile legs. This year one of his sons, Winslow Homer, was a favorite to run in the Kentucky Derby and winning big until he suffered a stress fracture (he was not put down but is being treated). There is another of his get in the race (Mission Impaszable) and I’m a bit uneasy about that.
posted by cj on 4-30-2010 at 6:35 am
The funny thing with Dancer’s Image is that now, you’d be hard-pressed to find a barn without phenylbutazone (more commonly known as bute) in it. It’s basically the equine equivalent of Tylenol – mix a scoop in with the feed if the horse is in pain. It can cause problems with the digestive system though – 1975 Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure died when he suffered a gastric rupture, brought on by too much bute when he had a case of colic.
I will never forget the horror of seeing that Eight Belles had broken down. She’s just one of many – George Washington broke down in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pine Island broke down in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and you can go back to other horrific breakdowns, like Go For Wand or Ruffian. I witnessed one myself when I went to watch the Arkansas Derby last month – in the second race, Gold Ember broke down and the dreaded blue tarp went up. It’s all a direct result of an industry where people want horses who grow quickly, start training them long before their bones and joints are developed, and breed them to be as fast as possible, generally at the expense of their bone quality. You have stallions with horrible hooves who become popular sires (Storm Cat, Big Brown), you have horses with conformation issues and bone density similar to a bird, but hey, if he can run fast, that’s all that matters.
I love horse racing. I hate the breeders.
posted by Kate H. on 5-5-2010 at 12:23 am