California thieves stole $80K statue of 1886 Kentucky Derby winner

An $80,000 life-size bronze statue of Ben Ali, the horse that won the 1886 Kentucky Derby, has been stolen from a road median in Sacramento, California. The nearly 7-foot statue had stood on Del Paso Boulevard for almost two decades and commemorated the horse’s connection to the city’s historic Rancho Del Paso. When the theft was discovered, only a single bronze hoof remained attached to the concrete base. Sacramento police are investigating the disappearance and have asked the public for information about the statue or those responsible. The theft has removed a distinctive landmark from North Sacramento and left behind an unusual mystery over how a large bronze horse was taken from a public location.The 1886 Kentucky Derby winner behind the statueBen Ali won the 12th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in 1886 and became the first horse with a California connection to win the race. He was associated with Rancho Del Paso, a major horse-breeding operation in the Sacramento area. The ranch was established by James Ben Ali Haggin and became one of the most prominent thoroughbred breeding operations in the United States during the late 19th century. Ben Ali’s Derby victory became part of...