“Winning and strength aren't always the most important factors in life." ~ Ecclesiastes 9:11
The grey thoroughbred gelding was bred to be a champion. He
was the great-great-grandson of Bold Ruler, who had fathered Secretariat, and the
grandson of Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer. Owners had hopes when
three-year-old Zippy Chippy strode into the gate for his debut at Belmont Park
in 1994.
Horse racing fans love
a winner. Zippy was anything but. He would be forever immortalized, not for his
winning ways, but for his perfect winless record.
Felix Monserrate bought
the horse in 1995, in a trade for a 7-year-old Ford truck. Most people believed
he got the worst of the deal.
From his earliest
days, Zippy was a free spirit. He never really took to harnesses or saddles.
Told to run in one direction, he did the opposite.
His diet consisted
largely of cupcakes, popcorn, pizza, and ice cream. He favored Doritos with
beer and occasionally shared both with Felix.
Zippy was banned from racing at his hometown Finger Lakes racetrack in 1998 after failing to leave the starting gate for the third consecutive time. His suspension became a cover story in the USA Today newspaper in 2000, and he made People magazine’s list of one of the year’s most intriguing personalities in 2002.
Comedian Jay Leno made
Zippy something of a cult hero around racetracks. He’s probably best remembered
by the slogan displayed on the official Zippy Chippy coffee mug, “Winners
Don’t Always Finish First”.
“What’s the rush?” Zippy must have
questioned. As a result, he lost every race he entered. His final race occurred
on September 10, 2004. He went off at odds of 7-2, making him the second
betting choice; however, Zippy Chippy finished dead last.
He retired that December,
with zero wins in 100 races. (He did beat two minor league baseball players
during his racing career). With career earnings of just over $30,000, Zippy's legacy
stands as the all-time losingest racehorse ever.
He lived out his
life’s last furlong at the Old Friends at Cabin Creek retirement farm in
upstate New York, where the beloved thoroughbred died at the age of 31.
“Running for the Roses”
gets its name because of the magnificent blanket of 564 red roses given to the Kentucky
Derby’s winning racehorse. Zippy reminds us there's so much more than racing
from point A to point B. Sometimes it's better to just stop and admire
them.
Far better horses
ended up as footnotes in someone else’s story, but Zippy’s defiance of the
usual success parameters made him famous, made him loved, and somehow made him successful
in life.
Faithful Father, we are awestruck by Your
workings in our lives. Our hearts are full of gratitude today. You’ve shown us
time and time again that nothing is impossible for You, and always there when we
need you most. Amen
