This Horse Racing Photofinish Was So Close The Wrong Horse Was Awarded The Win Due To An Optical Illusion

Horse Racing, Racing Horses

iStockphoto / Nigel Kirby Photography


Despite everyone in my family having to wear eyeglasses and having messed up eyesight, I’ve somehow made it this far in life with perfect 20-20 vision. Across the five senses, it’s probably the best thing I have going for me at this point. And in spite of having perfect eyesight, I was still mindfucked by this photo finish.

I’ve been to my fair share of horse races too. I was in the stands at the Belmont Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown and had a perfect view of that runaway finish. My uncle’s cousin is Steve Cauthen, the youngest-ever jockey to win the Triple Crown of Horse Racing when he won it on Affirmed in 1978.

I grew up around horses, and I’d like to think that I can at least process what’s happening at the end of a race, especially when I’m presented a still image of the photofinish. Still, I was just as stumped at the race officials on this one.

At Kempton Park in the United Kingdom, Loving Grace was initially named the winner after officials reviewed the photofinish only to have that decision reversed and Albadr named the winner upon closer inspection fo the photograph. Can you see what’s happening here?

Here’s the highlighted portion that you need to see in order for your eyes and mind to properly process what’s going on in this photograph:

If I’m a bettor in the stands and I’m told that my horse won after a photofinish review only to have that REVERSED after the fact then I’m pisssssssed. Not that they should’ve let the wrong result stand, they just should’ve gotten it correct the first time around instead of giving false hope to the local gamblers.

I don’t know why but this made me miss those Optical Illusion books from the early 90s that used to be in every home in America. We as a society don’t spend enough mindless time looking at optical illusions anymore.