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 life-size bronze statue was installed on Del Paso Boulevard in 2007 and formally dedicated in 2008. It stood near the Sacramento Youth Center in the 1900 block of Del Paso Boulevard at Winnipeg Street. Replacing the sculpture would be expensive, with reports putting its value at around $80,000.
Because it commemorated a specific chapter in the city’s history, the statue was valued at approximately $80,000 and represented more than an artwork. Because of the unusual scene left at the former location, the theft has drawn attention. Because the statue was a visible reminder of North Sacramento’s connection to thoroughbred racing, community members have expressed disappointment over the loss. Because of Ben Ali’s connection to Rancho Del Paso and his Kentucky Derby victory, the monument also carried historical significance. What began as a monument to an 1886 Kentucky Derby winner has therefore become the centre of an unusual modern-day theft investigation in Sacramento.
The case remains open and there is no confirmed motive for the theft. The sculpture was positioned on a concrete base in the road median and became a familiar feature of the North Sacramento neighbourhood. For nearly two decades, residents and people travelling through the area could see the bronze horse standing at the site connected to Ben Ali’s legacy. Its disappearance has now left an empty space where the historic monument once stood. Instead of finding the complete statue, people were left with the concrete base and a single bronze hoof. The city does not have immediate funds set aside to replace it. Sacramento police are investigating the theft and have asked anyone who may have information to contact authorities. Investigators are working to determine who removed the statue and where it may have been taken. The Del Paso Boulevard Business Association has also drawn attention to the disappearance as community members hope the sculpture can be recovered. Until the statue is found, the single bronze hoof is the only remaining piece visible at its former location.
Images of the site show the severed section where the horse had previously stood, highlighting the scale of the theft.