Madrid miracle: horse honors dead trainer

Something spectacular, magical even, took place on the last Sunday in June at Madrid's La Zarzuela racetrack. This special something drew a collective gasp from the grandstand, followed by a thunderous ovation and tearful hugs all around.

"Nobody gave a dime for this horse..." was the recurring comment. And yet Achtung, a four-year-old thoroughbred who was a complete outsider, with odds of 40-1, crossed the finish line first in Spain's most important race, the Gran Premio de Madrid.

But in a sad turn of events, the horse's longtime trainer, Roberto López, 42, had died of leukemia just a few hours earlier at a Madrid hospital, and was thus unable to enjoy the surprise win.

The public knew it, and people cried out of sheer emotion.

It was the 78th running of the Gran Premio, the grand-daddy of Spain's thoroughbred races. Twelve horses were vying for a purse of 85,000 euros, of which 50,000 would go to the winner, and a place of honor in Spanish racing history. Winning this race was Roberto López's biggest dream, just as it has been for every thoroughbred owner, trainer and jockey in Spain since 1919.

The television commentator called it "the most emotional of all victories" in the history of the entire race

Despite his terminal disease, López was there beside his charge almost to the very end, just a few weeks before passing away. He had placed all his faith as a trainer in Achtung despite the animal's poor showing. A stayer more than a sprinter, Achtung always seemed to run out of time before he could really find his stride.

Very few people besides his rider, Marino Gomes, believed in the horse. But then, López was always a fighter. During the years when the racetrack remained shut and on the verge of being razed to make way for a property development, he emigrated to France and honed his training skills, returning to Spain as soon as La Zarzuela reopened in 2005.

At first it looked like the 2,500-meter race would end as expected, with the clear favorite, Entre Copas, taking an early second place and holding on to it, while Achtung broke late and trailed the field dead last. Then, as the horses came down the final 500-meter stretch, Marino Gomes found an opening in the middle of the field and asked his horse for everything he had. And Achtung responded with a sudden burst of speed that pushed him through the hole and started swallowing up the gap between himself and Entre Copas; a roar went up in the grandstand as Achtung kept accelerating, finally passing under the finish wire first by just half a length. The television commentator called it "the hand of God" and "the most emotional of all victories" in the entire history of the race. And truly, Achtung appeared to be propelled forward by hands, or heels, that were not his jockey's. Some witnesses had no doubts in describing the race as "a miracle."

Back in the winner's circle, Gomes cried uncontrollably as he hugged the owners and talked to the press. In between sobs, the jockey said that he had felt like he was flying, and that this was Roberto's victory, because he was there among them. Everyone standing by a sweaty Achtung agreed: "It's like a miracle."