Trainer Gives New Details on Horse That Fell at the Kentucky Derby

It's not totally unheard of for a jockey or a horse to get so injured that they are out of the Kentucky Derby competition altogether. However, it does happen, and when the horse Great White fell at the 2026 event and his jockey, Alex Achard, fell with him, it left some people concerned for both of their safety.

So, what happened to the horse that fell at the Kentucky Derby? When a horse is taken out of the race, or scratched, it's often due to medical reasons. And, in the case of the 2026 Kentucky Derby, Great White wasn't the only horse that had some issues related to his fate of competing or being scratched.

And afterward, his trainer shared an important update on social media.

According to Fox News, Great White reared on his legs and fell back at the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. This was before the race started, but, for unknown reasons, the horse seemed to get startled. When he fell onto his back, Alex also fell. Great White was close to falling on top of Alex, but that reportedly did not happen.

Great White was scratched from the Derby due to the fall. Great White's trainer, John Ennis, spoke to AP News after the incident at the racing event.

"He's perfect," John said of the horse. He added that the fall "took nothing out of him." Unfortunately, he was still unable to race and, because of the delay caused by the fall, other horses had to be replaced who had been waiting for a long time in their stalls.

After Great White fell, he was able to get up and walk off, as did Alex. But because Great White is also a large horse compared to the others in the race, the fall was especially hard. In this case, he was scratched, meaning he was taken out of the race. However, health-wise, there are no reported issues for the Kentucky Derby horse now.

Alex was also reportedly unharmed after the fall. According to SILive, Alex walked away from the fall just as Great White did. However, since this would have been Alex's Kentucky Derby debut, it was likely a blow for the jockey. Alex probably won't be hurting for racing opportunities, though.

Prior to joining the Kentucky Derby in 2026, he was already known by Churchill Downs patrons in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Derby, Alex's total earnings from races top $1.5 million. He might not yet be at the level of some top Kentucky Derby racers at the highest level, but if he made it to the event in 2026, he could likely make it there again in the future.

It's just not clear which horse he will mount at the Kentucky Derby in the future.