Biggest horse racing upsets of 2025

Horse Racing

Racing365
June 27, 2025 1:26 pm

Horse racing would be nothing without its jaw-dropping upsets, no matter how much they annoy punters at the time.

With bettors usually lumping on favorites, most aficionados are over the moon when all-time greats from yesteryear, such as Red Rum and American Pharaoh, romp to glory, just as those two did in the Grand National and American Triple Crown, respectively. Their backers were overjoyed when they duly lived up to the billing and stormed home as short price favorites, but everyone loves a shocker.

The 2025 season has provided plenty of those. In fact, it hasn’t just surprised us; we’ve been downright floored. From longshot winners to heart-wrenching falls, these are the stories that left jaws agape, punters scrambling to recover, and bookies laughing all the way to the bank.

Sovereignty Beats Journalism… Twice

The 2025 American Triple Crown campaign has had perhaps the greatest storyline for decades. The 151st Kentucky Derby kicked things off, and the race had a clear frontrunner. Journalism.

The 3/1 favorite had the stats to back up his top billing, but on race day at Churchill Downs, the famed dirt track was coated in mud after relentless rain. As such, the well-backed star looked uneasy even before the gates flew open, despite heading into the showdown off the back of four straight wins. Sovereignty, meanwhile, headed into the contest at a much more modest 7/1, and while he was certainly considered a contender, he wasn’t exactly grabbing the headlines.

Well, that was all about to change. The Derby started steadily, with longshot Citizen Bull setting the early pace. But then came that final stretch. It turned into a heart-pounding duel between two soon-to-be rivals, and the finish line began to shimmer in the distance.

Journalism had the lead and looked to make his backers happy, but Sovereignty, with jockey Junior Alvarado on board, wasn’t there to play second fiddle. With a perfectly timed burst that could only be described as heroic, Alvarado led his three-year-old colt to snatch the victory by a length and a half, proving that mud isn’t just for splashing around.

The champion controversially sat out the Preakness weeks later, and Journalism responded by emerging victorious. That set the stage for another head-to-head showdown at the Belmont, and this time around, the two protagonists were bona fide rivals. But once again, Sovereignty proved that he had his more-fancied enemy’s number.

At the grueling Test of Champions at Saratoga, the Derby winner once again went off as an underdog, with Journalism the favorite. However, this time, he silenced his doubters once and for all, beating the frontrunner for the second straight time and cementing his spot as 2025’s unlikely star. Now, online betting sites have finally gotten the hint.

The two superstars will go head to head one last time this year at the season-ending Breeders’ Cup Classic. And this time around, popular online sports betting sites make Sovereignty the 4/1 favorite, with his rival down at 7/1. Now the pressure is on Journalism to pick up an upset win of his own and do so in the most lucrative race on the American calendar.

Constitution Hill’s Champion Hurdle Nightmare

Expectations were sky-high for Constitution Hill heading into the Champion Hurdle. The 2023 champion, who missed the 2024 race due to health concerns, was back and labeled a 1/2 favorite. Some believed he only needed to keep standing to claim victory. Fate, however, had other plans.

It all unraveled at the fifth hurdle when Constitution Hill stumbled and fell, dashing hopes across the stands. Just as fans were shifting their bets to reigning champion State Man, the unthinkable happened again. State Man took a misstep at the very last hurdle, tumbling out of contention.

Cue Golden Ace. The 25-1 outsider took full advantage of the chaos, dashing to a spectacular nine-length victory. Jockey Lorcan Williams described it as “the best day of my life.” Constitution Hill walked away unscathed physically, but his reputation took a hit. Subsequent poor performances throughout the season left fans wondering if his best days are behind him.

Hit Row Shocks the World in Dubai

The Dubai World Cup is synonymous with glamour, wealth, and a predictable pecking order of winners. But in 2025, racing norms were gleefully turned on their head. The heavily backed Forever Young was the race-day darling and carried a weight of expectation. And then, along came Hit Row, an 80/1 longshot no one saw coming – except, presumably, a few lucky punters.

Forever Young dominated early, and bookmakers were bracing for record payouts. But in the final 200 meters, Hit Row shot forward, leaving the favorite and the crowd in stunned silence. Crossing the finish line in first, the unheralded horse became an instant legend.

The Meydan crowd erupted. Analysts called it one of racing’s greatest shocks of all time, with even veteran trainers struggling to articulate the enormity of the moment. For those who had the foresight – or sheer luck – to back Hit Row, the celebrations were as wild as the race itself.