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.
asserted
that → win → Sacramento
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.
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statue → stand → Paso
When the theft was discovered, only a single bronze hoof remained attached to the concrete base.
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hoof → discover → base
Sacramento police are investigating the disappearance and have asked the public for information about the statue or those responsible.
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police → investigate → statue
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.
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horse → remove → location
The 1886 Kentucky Derby winner behind the statue
Ben Ali won the 12th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in 1886 and became the first horse with a California connection to win the race.
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winner → win → race
He was associated with Rancho Del Paso, a major horse-breeding operation in the Sacramento area.
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He → associate → 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.
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ranch → establish → century
Ben Ali’s Derby victory became part of the region’s racing history and helped preserve the connection between the horse and Sacramento.
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victory → become → horse
More than a century later, that history was commemorated with a bronze statue on Del Paso Boulevard.
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history → commemorate → Boulevard
The sculpture was created to honour Ben Ali and recognise his association with the historic Rancho Del Paso.
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sculpture → create → Paso
The $80,000 statue became a Sacramento landmark
The life-size bronze statue was installed on Del Paso Boulevard in 2007 and formally dedicated in 2008.
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statue → become → 2008
It stood near the Sacramento Youth Center in the 1900 block of Del Paso Boulevard at Winnipeg Street.
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It → stand → Street
The sculpture was positioned on a concrete base in the road median and became a familiar feature of the North Sacramento neighbourhood.
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sculpture → position → neighbourhood
The statue was valued at approximately $80,000 and represented more than an artwork because it commemorated a specific chapter in the city's history.
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it → value → history
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.
uncertain
horse → travel → legacy
Its disappearance has now left an empty space where the historic monument once stood.
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monument → leave → space
Thieves sawed through the bronze horse's legs
The theft was discovered after the statue was removed from its concrete mounting.
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statue → saw → mounting
Reports said the thieves sawed through the bronze legs to take the horse, leaving one hoof behind on the base.
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thieves → say → base
The remaining hoof and severed section of the sculpture provided a visible indication of how the monument had been removed.
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monument → remain → indication
Taking a nearly 7-foot bronze statue would have required considerable effort and some means of transporting the heavy sculpture away from the site.
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Taking → take → site
Despite the unusual nature of the theft, investigators have not publicly established a motive.
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investigators → establish → motive
It is also unclear whether the thieves intended to sell the bronze for scrap, resell the artwork or had another reason for targeting the monument.
uncertain
thieves → intend → monument
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
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Police → continue → disappearance
Only one hoof was left behind
The theft has drawn attention because of the unusual scene left at the former location.
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theft → leave → location
Instead of finding the complete statue, people were left with the concrete base and a single bronze hoof.
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people → find → base
Images of the site show the severed section where the horse had previously stood, highlighting the scale of the theft.
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horse → show → theft
Community members have expressed disappointment over the loss because the statue was a visible reminder of North Sacramento’s connection to thoroughbred racing.
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statue → express → racing
The monument also carried historical significance because of Ben Ali’s connection to Rancho Del Paso and his Kentucky Derby victory.
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monument → carry → Paso
Replacing the sculpture would be expensive, with reports putting its value at around $80,000.
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reports → replace → 80,000
The city does not have immediate funds set aside to replace it.
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city → have → it
Police are searching for the missing statue
Sacramento police are investigating the theft and have asked anyone who may have information to contact authorities.
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who → search → authorities
Investigators are working to determine who removed the statue and where it may have been taken.
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it → work → statue
The Del Paso Boulevard Business Association has also drawn attention to the disappearance as community members hope the sculpture can be recovered.
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sculpture → draw → disappearance
The case remains open and there is no confirmed motive for the theft.
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case → remain → theft
Until the statue is found, the single bronze hoof is the only remaining piece visible at its former location.
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hoof → find → location
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.
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began → begin → Sacramento
The Aporia
