The Kentucky Derby is one of the most traditional, famous races ever. Thousands of people attend it and many of them place bets hoping to win some cash. Horse racing is the most popular sport for betting. Imagine a horse with odds so low it would seem unwise to bet on, actually winning the race. Well, that is precisely what happened over the weekend, when the horse Rich Strike won with 80/1 odds.

The horse’s Jockey however was suspended for careless riding of the horse. He punched Rich Strike in the face, misused the whip, and let Rich Strike bite a pony after the race. He claimed that you have to be aggressive during a race. Although I agree with that, I’m not sure how horse abuse and letting the horse bite other ponies is necessary to win a race.

Horse racing has seen so many scandals over the years because of how many people bet and try to win money. There have been horses that win races but then later test positive for drug enhancements. Riders have switched horses’ odds of winning or even tried to predetermine the outcome of the race. Many millionaires, even billionaires, bet on these races so there is a lot of influence from them. Even Donald Trump was at the derby, although he didn’t bet on any horses. 

Despite all of this, there were no scandals that influenced the victory of the horse. Rich Strike still won the race even with a terrible jockey nonetheless. He is the horse with the lowest odds to win since 1913.