So today I went digging into horse racing history after seeing folks online go crazy about some old Jose Santos Jr. video. Honestly? Couldn’t remember the exact details myself.
Started with basic searches
Hopped onto YouTube first thing. Typed in “Jose Santos famous race“. Tons of short clips popped up, mostly highlight reels. Nothing felt truly “iconic”. Tried adding “Kentucky Derby” cause that sounded right. Bam! That 2004 race kept coming up everywhere.
Finding the full thing wasn’t easy
Got frustrated quick. So many compilation videos with annoying commentary layered on top. Wanted that raw NBC footage. Refined my search: “2004 Kentucky Derby full race NBC“. Scrolled way down past the popular 2-minute edits. Finally spotted it – a grainy upload titled “2004 Kentucky Derby – Smarty Jones vs Lion Heart”. Clicked it faster than a horse out the gate.
Watched the whole thing twice
Settled in with my coffee. Hit play. Right away, Santos looked super cool on Lion Heart. Breaking first, setting a wicked pace. But then Smarty Jones starts creeping up round the far turn. Held my breath watching the stretch run. That moment Santos’ left foot slipped out the iron? Full body chills. He somehow:
- Pulled his foot back FAST
- Never dropped the reins
- Kicked like crazy one-legged
- Kept that horse driving
Finished second by like two lengths – felt way closer watching it!
Why this race matters
It hit different seeing the actual footage. Commentary nailed it: “This is one of the most courageous rides you’ll ever see!” Santos basically glued himself to that horse. Pure instinct, pure grit. Watched it again just to see how smooth he stayed even when sideways. Unreal balance.
Afterwards, felt pumped. Texted my buddy who bets ponies: “Bro remember Santos in ’04? Found the vid.” Ended up watching it together on video call, yelling at the screen like idiots when his foot slipped. Spent the next hour reading old forum threads debating whether he’d have won if the iron held. Place went wild arguing.
Thoughts after rewatching
What stuck? Dude didn’t panic. Not one bit. Total pro. Makes you respect those jockeys way more – things go wrong fast at 40mph. That photo finish would’ve been amazing to see live. Should’ve bet on Smarty Jones back then! Seriously though, why isn’t this race shown more? Pure courage right there. Still gives me goosebumps.
