What happened when horse, jockey fell on the track just before the Kentucky Derby?
Great White, owned by Three Chimneys Farm and trainer John Ennis, bucked and fell just moments before the Kentucky Derby, toppling jockey Alex Achard onto the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
As other horses were being loaded into the starting gate, the gray gelding reared onto his hind legs and fell to his back, then flipped over and got back onto his feet. Achard also got up quickly, appearing unharmed.
Great White was evaluated and then scratched due to the incident, and for a short time, all the horses were taken from the starting gate before the race.
“Great White spent the race in the paddock following his scratch,” Daily Racing Form writer Nicole Russo said in a post on the social media platform X. “He walked home with the rest of the field postrace and appeared to have no visible serious injuries.”
Great White, No. 21, was the fifth horse to scratch in this year’s race, which reportedly ties a 1936 record that was again reached in 2023, according to The Sporting News.
Great White was added to the Derby lineup after Silent Tactic scratched because of a bruised foot earlier in the week.
The Puma became the fourth scratch of the race Saturday morning, because of a skin infection and swollen pastern.
Fulleffort and Right to Party were also scratched from the field in the days before the race.
Great White, who stands over 17 hands tall, was sired by Volatile and his dam is Kelly Bag, who was fathered by Uncle Mo. His odds early Saturday were 50-1.
Saturday’s race would have been the first Derby for Achard and Ennis, the Associated Press reported.
Social media was abuzz with comments about the incident after the race, with many people wishing Achard and Great White well.
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:43 PM.
