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Secretariat won a virtual edition of the Kentucky Derby, before 12 other horses that ever conquered the Triple Crown.
The triumph in the video game modality came 47 years after the bay colt won the royal race in Churchill Downs.
Saturday’s competition, at a simulated distance of a mile and a quarter, was held on the same day that the 146th edition of the Royal Derby would have taken place, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Derby was rescheduled for September 5.
Secretariat was the 7-2 favorite, although there were no cash bets. Instead, fans who selected the winning horse online entered a contest to win a luxurious experience during the Derby.
Chrchill Downs promised to match a million dollars in donations from fans to aid efforts in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Virtual Derby was part of a three-hour broadcast on NBC, which showed parts of the original 2015 coverage, in which American Pharoah achieved its first triumph on the way to conquering the Triple Crown.
Before that, 37 years had passed without a horse conquering the three main races of American horse racing.
The show started when Steve Buttleman used his bugle to signal that the race was about to start. He did it from the front steps of his Louisville home.
Then, images of the empty bleachers, the betting lockers and the jockeys’ space were shown.
The stable area should reopen on May 11. Five races would mark the resumption of activity five days later.
“It’s weird not being there,” said Bob Baffert, who trained American Pharoah and was interviewed from his California home.
Secretariat was twice named the Horse of the Year. He swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1973. He conquered that last race by no less than 31 lengths, a record. AP
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