He is a grandson of Northern Dancer. No, he didn't win the Dubai World Cup or the Kentucky Derby, in fact he raced 100 times and won 0. He had to be banned from Finger Lakes Racetrack because of too many starts where he wouldn't leave the gate (he did seem to inherit his grandfather's stubborness, he just couldn't apply it in the same way). He liked pizza, ice cream, cupcakes and especially Doritos and beer. His owner traded his old Ford pickup to acquire him. He created such a following that his adoring fans would bet him down to favorite with little hope of finishing in the money, let alone winning. He is retired now and living on a farm in Greenfield, NY with 20 other horses who through the popularity of Zippy are kept in food and board. There is now a book about Zippy Chippy and you can read more about him here. There are also 2 interviews with the author below. I remember as a child going down to Fort Erie racetrack to see Annabel the wonder horse race, she was a similar story. Not everybody can be a winner ... but they can still be lovable and heroes in their own way.
NY Post article
http://nypost.com/2016/03/27/the-horse-that-lost-100-races-but-won-the-heart-of-a-family/
CTV News interview with author
http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=840592
CH CH interview with author
http://www.chch.com/horse-racings-lovable-loser/
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