Quality Road's Breeders' Cup Freakout

Quality Road delayed the start of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic for 5 minutes when he decided he was NOT going to go into the gate. A few common tricks were used, but when the blindfold was put on and he found himself standing in the gate, he presumably panicked and lost his head, bucking and kicking and trying to bolt. Thanks to the assistant starters, a human hand was always clenched on a rein and he wasn't able to bolt off and run blind (literally) down the track and crash and kill himself.

He was scratched from the race with a cut on a leg, and went down in history as the first (and so far, only) late-scratch in Breeders' Cup history. The horses were reloaded and Zenyatta blew away to win.

I've never seen a gate mishap like this one. It's one thing to see a horse flip over and be lying down in there, but it's quite another when a 1100 horse has lost his head and puts himself and those around him in grave danger in a metal contraption.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• quality
• road
• zenyatta
• breeders
• cup
• classic
• gate

[JimSpoor]

He just won down at Gulfstream...no problems at the gate either.

[Militarylove2012]

Couldnt ask for better handlers. They did their job and didnt push him. I have a feeling he just knew something wouldnt go right that day so he didnt want to race. Lol call me crazy..

[gerbilsocks]

Racing should not be a sport.

[dickclarkfan1]

@TangoAndAmber You don't know anything about racing either. These horses are bred to run. They are animals that are meant to have their entire body weight supported on their legs for most of their life. On their legs, a horse doesn't weigh a thing, Off his/her legs, they can weight in excess of 1000-1300 pounds, and their bodies are not build to support that weight. Which is why when a race horse goes down and can not get up, it is NEVER a good sign.

[Letswinjeff1]

I LUV QUALITY ROAD!!!! he is a brilliant horse.

[umarmaxmas]

love strong and proud horses, beautiful animal.

[umarmaxmas]

@bbbask wtf

[umarmaxmas]

@WSBT960 is it crack?

[umarmaxmas]

@TangoAndAmber you are indeed a faggot, them beauties are built for running in competition man

[Militarylove2012]

@Militarylove2012 No your right! Barbaro didn't want to load the day he broke his leg. They just know..

[BestBoysLanceAndCash]

Im amazed the other horses didnt start to freak out

[1Clarenceboy]

He's such a rock star ... with that long hair and attitude ... Love and miss that dude!