Name Frank Hayes | Role Jockey | |
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Died 1923, Belmont Park, New York, United States | ||
Frank Hayes (1888–1923) was a jockey who, on June 4, 1923, suffered a fatal heart attack in the midst of a steeplechase at Belmont Park in New York State, USA.
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The accident
The thirty-five-year-old Hayes had never won a race before and in fact by profession was not actually a jockey but a horse trainer and longtime stableman. The horse, a 20-1 outsider called Sweet Kiss, was owned by Miss A.M. Frayling. Hayes apparently died somewhere in the middle of the race, but his body remained in the saddle throughout. Sweet Kiss eventually crossed the finish line, winning by a head with Hayes technically still atop her back, making him the first, and thus far only, jockey known to have won a race after death.
Aftermath
Hayes' death was not discovered until Miss Frayling and race officials came to congratulate him shortly after the race. It was suggested that the fatal heart attack may have been brought on by Hayes' extreme efforts to meet the weight requirements, possibly followed by the excitement of riding to the front of the pack. The newspaper reported he had slimmed down from 142 pounds to 130 pounds in a very short time.
After the discovery of Hayes' death, all further post-race formalities were waived by the Jockey Club, the result being declared official without the customary weighing in. Hayes, dressed in his colorful racing silks, was buried three days later. The horse was never in a race again. It was claimed that Sweet Kiss was nicknamed "Sweet Kiss of Death" for the rest of her life.