Great White’s dramatic incident before the Kentucky Derby caused a significant delay and led to his scratching from the race. The horse threw his jockey, Alex Achard, just minutes before the event began in Louisville, Ky.
Trainer John Ennis confirmed that Great White is doing well after the incident. “He’s perfect. Very fresh. (The incident) took nothing out of him,” Ennis said. Achard walked away from the incident under his own power.
The incident occurred when Great White was spooked while waiting to enter the starting gate. He flipped and fell backwards, almost landing on Achard. As a result, track veterinarians decided to scratch him from the race.
The race was delayed due to this unexpected event, but it eventually went off without further incidents after Great White was led away from the gate. Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby with odds of 30-1.
Great White only entered the Derby field after Silent Tactic was ruled out because of a foot injury. Observers noted that things got very interesting even before the Kentucky Derby got underway when one of the horses reared up and threw his jockey.
Fortunately, both Achard and Great White appeared to be okay after the incident. The next steps for Great White remain uncertain, but he is expected to recover fully.
