Zippy arrives at Old Friends
Old Friends Welcomes Most Losing Racehorse
Zippy Chippy, a 21-year-old best known for his losing streak on the track— he was defeated in 100 consecutive races—has been welcomed at Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Ky. this summer as a winner.
Zippy arrived July 13 with his buddy Red Down South, on loan from Old Friends satellite facility in Greenfield, N.Y., to be welcomed by a “huge fan base in Kentucky,” according to Old Friends founder Michael Blowen.
Blowen stated in a press release that Zippy, whose motto is, ‘winners don’t always finish first,’ will reside at the Kentucky headquarters through August, giving local fans a chance to come out and say hello to the old boy.
Named by People magazine in 2000 as one of the year’s “Most Interesting Personalities,” Zippy started making headlines in the 1990s after losing 80 starts. This lack of luck, combined with his ornery nature, resulted in Zippy getting banned from most racetracks by the late 1990s. But he continued to race at Three County Fair in Northampton, Mass.
On April 10, 2004, Zippy finished dead last in his 100th start and was retired.
In exchange for Zippy, Old Friends Kentucky agreed to send big race winner Commentator to the Cabin Creed facility to meet fans there. Commentator won more than $2 million on the track, and held the distinction of becoming a two-time Whitney Handicap winner.
With the arrival of Zippy and departure of Commentator, Blowen observed, the exchange was pretty comical.
“This must be the worst trade since the Red Sox sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees,” Blowen stated in a press release.
Day at the Races Planned for Suffolk Downs
On July 28 the Northeast Thoroughbred Sporthorse Association will host A Day at the Racetrack at Suffolk Downs. The event begins at 9:15 a.m., and promises to be informative and fun, according to Velma Emery, head of the Sporthorse organization. Veterinarians will be on hand to discuss issues common to ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds, and CANTER New England representatives will answer questions about how to approach buying an ex-racehorse of your own.
“I am really excited about some of the subjects we are going to present between races,” Emery says.
A total of nine races will be on the card that day, and participants are invited to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy cold beverages, and learn about the life of a racehorse on the track.
The deadline to register is May 24. Registration can be done online. Those interested in attending should register online at www.northeastthoroughbred.com. Questions should be directed to Velma Emery, who can be reached by phone at 508-581-8755, or by email at pemburyhouse@aol.com.
Those interested in viewing horses for sale should contact CANTER New England prior to Saturday. Write to Ellen O’Brien at canterne@canterusa.org.
God bless Michael Blowen and Zippy!! Thank you Susan, you made my heart smile!!
Reminds me of the story of Lese Majeste, a horse that started 190 times (and won nearly $200K) and was retired to Tranquility Farm in Tehachapi, CA. He was purchased after that last race by a man who had recently retired and was spending his time at the track. He noticed this hapless guy in the gate and decided the guy deserved better. TVG did a short piece on him regarding the importance of finding homes for these war horses (and others, of course)–and this was in the days before all the publicity we have today.