Kentucky Derby Horse Great White Late Scratch From Race After Frightening Moment Before the Start

Great White was a late scratch after a scary moment shortly before the race began. | @NBC

The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby had a thrilling finish, with Golden Tempo coming out of nowhere down the stretch to get a historic win, but there was a scary moment right before the race that forced one horse to be a late scratch and left a jockey lucky to escape without an injury.

This all happened as the horses were being led into the starting gate at Churchill Downs. Great White, who was slated to be the biggest horse in the race at around 1,370 pounds, flipped over and tossed Alex Achard to the ground.

Here’s how that moment played out:

Here is Great White flipping backwards#KentuckyDerby pic.twitter.com/HjhK3wy3ku

— Lunar Surfer (@TheLunarSurfer) May 2, 2026

Thankfully the horse and jockey didn’t suffer any injuries. Great White was quickly led off the track to get looked at by veterinarian, while Achard was then forced to watch the race after coming just a few minutes away from competing in it.

Why Golden Tempo’s Kentucky Derby win was historic

Golden Tempo, who closed at 23-1 odds, was way back in the pack for most of the race before making a frantic push down the stretch to edge co-favorite Renegade (5-1) and longshot Ocelli (75-1).

Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Derby, which is pretty awesome.

"In the summer of 2017, I was really at a crossroads in life," DeVaux said on NBC after the race. "And [my husband] told me I owed it to myself to at least try [horse training] and he had the faith in me and saw what I didn't see."

WHAT A FINISH!

Golden Tempo finishes first in the Kentucky Derby, making Cherie DeVaux the first-ever female trainer to win 👏

(via @NBCSports) pic.twitter.com/r4XfVy1iGi

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 2, 2026

The win was even more incredible considering that Golden Tempo was in last place at one point. Check this out:

FROM LAST PLACE TO KENTUCKY DERBY GLORY, WHAT A RACE FOR GOLDEN TEMPO! 🐎

📺 The 152nd Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yUIczKx4SX

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 2, 2026

Final Kentucky Derby results

1. Golden Tempo (23-1)

2. Renegade (5-1)

3. Ocelli (7-01)

4. Chief Wallabee (7-1)

5. Danon Bourbon (14-1)

6. Incredibolt (27-1)

7. Commandment (7-1)

8. Wonder Dean (20-1)

9. So Happy (6-1)

10. Emerging Market (11-1)

11. Further Ado (7-1)

12. Potente (23-1)

13. Six Speed (40-1)

14. Robusta (50-1)

15. Albus (50-1)

16. Intrepido (55-1)

17. Litmus Test (34-1)

18. Pavlovian (52-1)

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