Newz Forum: OTHER: Zippy Chippy loses for 100th time

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- Zippy Chippy, thoroughbred racing's all-time loser, made it 0-for-100 Friday when he finished last in an eight-horse field at the Three-County Fairgrounds.

The 13-year-old brown gelding's awful record has made him something of a celebrity. He was a crowd favorite in Northampton, where plenty of brave bettors wagered on Zippy Chippy at 7-2 odds, including Al Supple, who picked him on a $6 trifecta ticket.

"I think he'll be in the money," Supple said.

He was wrong. Zippy never recovered from a slow start in which he bumped shoulders with Patuxent Wind coming out of the gate.

"He was dead last. Poor thing," said Jean Douglas, who also bet on him, as did her husband.

"We've seen him run three years in a row," Jim Douglas said. "We bought Zippy Chippy shirts and everything."

The horse, stabled at Finger Lakes Race Track in New York, tied the mark for thoroughbred futility in 1998, losing his 85th consecutive race. Soon after he was banned from his home track for failing to leave the starting gate for a third time.

Zippy Chippy's only successes have come against human competition. He's twice won footraces against minor-league baseball players.

Despite the milestone, owner-trainer Felix Monserrate says he has no plans to put Zippy Chippy out to pasture. In fact, he'll be running in Northampton again next weekend.

"He got a bad break today," said Monserrate, who acquired the horse in 1995 in exchange for an old van. "He will come here next week again."

A horse named Biggs won the race, the second of the day at the fair, followed by Patuxent Wind and Big Shoulders.