Social media had a field day in the moments after super longshot Rich Strike galloped to victory in the Kentucky Derby. But once the outrider and lead pony came to collect Rich Strike and lead him to his jockey’s on-track post-race interview and the winner’s circle, things took an unpredictable and nasty turn.
The big chestnut started to savagely attack both the outrider and his pony. The outrider made several attempts to get the racehorse to stop biting him and his horse, eventually resorting to a physical correction (bop on the nose) that left non-horse savvy viewers outraged, many of whom took to social media to express their horror. Some called for the outrider, a seasoned pro named Greg Blasi, to be fired.
Even PETA weighed in with an official statement. In an outrageous claim, the organization implied the actions were due to Blasi’s personal rage that a horse connected to his brother lost the race! “PETA will be filing a complaint about the outrider Greg Blasi, who appeared to hit Rich Strike,” the statement reads. “Blasi should have let go of the horse until he calmed down, and the lead pony should have had protective gear. Stewards must also question whether Blasi was angry that Derby favorite Epicenter didn’t win, as his brother Scott Blasi works for Epicenter’s trainer…”