Zippy Chippy was a thoroughbred race horse, a bay gelding.
Instead of being noted for its winning prowess, surprisingly, Zippy Chippy was rather noted for its winless streak; for being winless in 100 races.
Zippy Chippy’s 100th loss occurred on September 10, 2004, in the Northampton Fair at the Three County Fairgrounds.
Zippy Chippy went off at odds of 7-2, making him the second betting choice; however, Zippy Chippy finished last.
In December 2004, Zippy Chippy retired from racing to become an outrider pony at his hometown track, Finger Lakes racetrack in Farmington, New York, where he’d been banned from racing on September 8, 1998, after failing to leave the gate with the rest of the field for the third consecutive time.
As an outrider pony, Zippy Chippy escorted horses in the post parade and led them to the gate.
In 2000, People magazine included Zippy Chippy on its list of that year’s most interesting personalities
Zippy Chippy was owned and trained by Felix Monserrate and at Capritaur Farm in New York.
Tom Gilcoyne, a retired historian for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, said that Zippy Chippy “…hasn’t done anything to harm the sport. But it’s a little bit like looking at the recorded performances of all horse races through the wrong end of the telescope.”
Felix Monserrate, who had boarded Zippy Chippy, acquired the horse in 1995, in a trade for a 1988 Ford truck. Eventually, Zippy Chippy was banned from competing at numerous tracks. The only track not to ban him was at the Northampton Fair.
Sadly, Zippy Chippy passed away on April 16, 2022 at the age of 31.
Zippy Chippy passed away with a record of: 100 starts, 0 wins, and lifetime earnings of $30,834.