In this article, we are going to take a step back into history to see which horse racing events yielded the most shocking results. These events are set examples that prove that no matter how well you have studied the odds, a turn of events is always a possibility. If you’re a betting man betting sites like the winners enclosure can help you understand which odds are best to bet on.

Let’s start with Animal Kingdom’s rise to fame…

Animal Kingdom and Uncle Mo

Animal Kingdom dashed into stardom in 2011 when the jockey who was supposed to ride him (John Velazquez) was replaced by Uncle Mo. With odds of 21/1 – the duo overtook 3 horses in a deep stretch and they won with great strides.

The shocking part is that Kingdom had never raced on a dirt track before and at the time, he only had four other races under his belt. But despite all odds, Animal Kingdom performed a awesome stunt, leaving many bettors out of pocket.

Calvin Borel and Mine that Bird

In 2009, Calvin Borel and Mine that Bird made the headlines when the racehorse bolted down the track to win by almost 7 lengths. What was even more surprising is that Mine that Bird was bought for the meagre price of $9,500 and his odds were 50/1 when the gates opened.

As a matter of interest, this horse never won another race again.

Giacamo

Similar to Mine that Bird, Giacomo was also 50/1 in when he had spectators in a stir of excitement. In 2005, this ambitious horse came in at first place to beat all odds. Punters were sitting on the edge of there seats and those who bet on the top four finishers in the right order, walked away with $864,253.50 (just by placing a $1superfecta)!

Volponi and Arcangues Defying All Expectation

In the 2002 Classic, held at Arlington Park near Chicago, Volponi beat the odds at 44/1 by nearly 7 great lengths. This came as a huge surprise to horse racing enthusiasts simply because he was a horse that rode particularly well on soft turf but not on dirt. 

Volponi shocked bettors, to say the least. Only those who bet against the odds walked away with a smile that day! Volponi wasn’t the horse who shocked the crowds the most, however. Enter Arcangues.

Arcangues winning the Classic in 1993

As unsuspected as Volponi’s victory was, Arcangues’s win takes the cake when he defied the odds at 134/1 during the 1993 Classic. Starting out in seventh place, this racehorse exploded down the stretch to take first place.

It was at this event that the American champ accumulated more than $3 million.

The Bottom Line…

It makes sense to say that when it comes to betting, the odds are definitely not always in one’s favour. While these are just a few of the surprising moments in horse racing history, each meeting comes with its own line-up of unexpected events.