2 minute read
CINZANO
CINZANO
The National Sporting Library & Museum recently hosted a discussion with author Daniel Torres Rodríguez about his incredible book, Cinzano: Champion, Convict and Legend
Cinzano: Champion, Convict and Legend details the unbelievable story of a winning racehorse, his mistaken identity, and the scandal surrounding it. One of the most outrageous wrongdoings in U.S. racing history began when a colt named Cinzano was purchased at auction in Uruguay. The champion colt won several important races in Uruguay before being sold to Dr. Mark Gerard, Secretariat’s veterinarian, and shipped to the United States.
Gerard’s horse purchase included an unremarkable bay colt with a white star named Lebón. The two horses were shipped together and spent just one day at Dr. Gerard’s farm before Cinzano met his untimely demise. The horse’s tragic death resulted in his new owner collecting thousands of dollars in insurance money. Strangely, no questions were raised when Cinzano’s body was unceremoniously dumped into a landfill.
Shortly after Cinzano’s death, Lebón, the horse with whom Cinzano was purchased, was shipped to race at Belmont Park. The decision to run the longshot horse, a dirt sprinter, in a 1 ¼- mile turf race was unusual, but the 57-1 odds made perfect sense. To everyone’s surprise, Lebón was easily victorious, and Dr. Gerard collected $80,440 on his bet.
Following several impressive wins, red flags were raised, and a fraud investigation ensued. The investigation revealed that the champion, Cinzano, was switched with his travel partner, Lebón, and was still alive and well. Dr. Gerard, who orchestrated the switch, was charged with fraud, bribery, and witness tampering, and several others, including his wife, were implicated.
Cinzano was barred from flat racing, but his winning streak continued on the point-to-point circuit after he was sold to Randy Rouse. Cinzano was undefeated in ten starts before retiring to Rouse’s farm in Virginia, where he lived until he died in 1999 at the age of 26.
