Frank Hayes, the Only Person to Win a Race While Dead
The tragic tale of an ambitious young man achieving his dream
On the 4th of June, 1923, a horse race took place at New York’s famous Belmont Park. It was a race that would make history for being the only time a dead person has won a race. This is the tragic tale of Frank Hayes.
Frank Hayes was a stable hand who dreamed of being a jockey
Frank Hayes was a 22-year old stable hand and apprentice jockey. He made a living maintaining stables and training horses, all while dreaming of one day becoming a full-fledged jockey. An article in the Times Union Newspaper said:
According to his mother, Frank had been interested in horses from his earliest childhood and his highest ambition was to be a jockey.
One of the horses Frank had trained was a 7-year-old called Sweet Kiss, who was not well thought of by his boss or her owner. But Frank was convinced she could win, and when his employer gave him the go-ahead, he leapt at the chance. It was precisely what he had wanted his entire life.
However, there was a caveat. Frank weighed 142 pounds which, for a jockey, was too much. He was told he could only ride the horse if he dropped to 130 pounds in a matter of…
