Whether it’s switching the horse’s place or opting for performance-based drugs, some people will do anything to get their horse across the line and take the top spot. Horse racing has stood the test of time, and seeing that it first came about in 700 BCE in the Greek Olympic games, it’s a spectacle that isn’t going anywhere. It is one of the oldest sports of all time, and though it’s old, the concept has very much stayed the same. For centuries, the stamina and speed of horses have been put to the test, while a crowd of watchers cheers on in excitement over their bets – and although new technologies for monitoring have been introduced, the one concept that has stayed the same is that the first horse across the finish line is the winner.
From the Canadian International Stakes to the Quarter Horse season at Ajax Downs, tournaments and races happen across the world, but there are always prominent memories of scandals in history. Throughout that history, the world of horse racing has become associated with the Royal Family, which has seen the sport earn its title the “Sport of Kings.” Just like the British Royal Family, there’s always a scandal of some sort along the line, so let’s take a look at three misconducts that took the headlines, damaged your bets, and caused a spectacle.
1) Horse Swapping in 1974
Back in 1974, one of the biggest scandals to hit the horse racing news was the Irish Millionaire, Tony Murphy, and his obsession with winning. He had an ultimate passion for all things horse racing, so much so that he tried to pull off a bait-and-switch. He sent one of his horses to replace his winning horse, Gay Future, in the lead-up to the race in Cartmel. Gay Future’s imposter showed no promise of winning while he was being trained by Antony Collins, which is when the odds of winning were more in his favor. Of course, with the trainer helping Tony pull off this swap, their attempt at tricking the bookies over 40 years ago was in full swing. In the hopes of making people see how awful this horse was, he had also entered the real Gay Future into another race, under another alias.
Right before the race, he pulled Gay Future from the fake race and swapped him into his rightful position. With spectators seeing that this horse would be a potential failure, the odds at the time probably were suggesting that all the other horses would come out on top. Once swapped, Gay Future went on to win the race, and win Tony and his trainer over $3 million in today’s currency. While this payout came close to succeeding, they got caught and banned from the racecourse for 10 years by the race’s governing body. They were almost there, but fell at the final hurdle! With all of today’s checks and regulations to safeguard the latest horse betting odds and ensure players have a fair shot, it’s hard to imagine what a stir this sort of event would cause if somebody could get away with it!
2) Bribery in the 1970s
Another scandal to occur in the 1970s was created by the American convicted criminal, Anthony Ciulla. One we know only too well, as he appears in the news everywhere, “Big Tony” was responsible for fixing hundreds of races in his time. He was convicted after bribing jockeys and pressuring them to slow their horses down so that they would not finish in the top three. By doing so, Big Tony was able to get larger payouts and bigger wins, as the horses that weren’t in favor had been wrongfully awarded the victory.
Having bribed jockeys in every state, bar California, Tony finally got spotted, when the jockey that he bribed was too obvious in the race when he began to slow his horse. Tony got offered deals with the FBI once he was caught and helped them with an investigation into horse racing in exchange for a lesser sentence.
3) Failed Drug Testing in 2021
One of the most recent tragedies in horse racing for our generation was the drug failure of the world-renowned Medina Spirit. After winning the Kentucky Derby in 2021, the horse was found to have an extremely high level of betamethasone in his system. This is used as an anti-inflammatory, but it violates all of Kentucky’s medication protocols, and he was struck off his win. After the negative press, his trainer, Bob Baffert, was banned from horse racing until 2024. Unfortunately, Bob’s horses have failed over 30 drug tests in just 30 years, with Medina being the 5th horse in the year 2021.
Horse racing sometimes has issues due to trainers wanting to find quick wins with their horses, and Medina Spirit sadly passed away just two weeks after his win. This should all highlight the importance of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.
One thing we know is that Canada’s regulations are extremely tough, and the “battle of the breeds” in the 2024 season will see some of the star horses compete against each other in appropriate and safe ways. Betting in the world of horses should now occur in a safe and moral space.
