Watch shocking moment ALLIGATOR nicknamed ‘Marty’ walks out onto racetrack leaving horse petrified
AN alligator nicknamed ‘Marty’ left a horse terrified on Friday when it entered the Delta Downs racetrack during a nine-race meeting.
A video posted on Facebook by onlooker Joe Allen shows Marty calmly crossing the dirt track while a handler struggles to control his horse.
Spectators took to Twitter to react to the incident, with one person saying: “I think this gator is well known there, they have a name for him and everything.”
Another added: “I’ve heard of horses ‘coming from behind a tree’ to win with a magnificent final straight burst from the back of the field… but alligators/crocodiles appearing from behind a fence post? That’s a first for me.”
Another fan said: “Wow…..think the Croc is at wrong venue lol.”
However, others have argued that the horse should have been removed from the area straight away.
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One person said: “That horse knows he wants to be no where near that thing!!”
Another added: “The horse has more sense than the handler.”
The Delta Downs racetrack in south-west Louisiana is home to multiple alligators, with similar incidents dating back to 2010.
It is believed that the predators are attracted the area because of the dams and grubs located around the track.
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This isn’t the first time a sporting event has been interrupted by one of these creatures.
During the World Golf Championships last year, Rory McIlroy stepped up to putt just a few yards away from a sleeping alligator.
And earlier this year, golfers at Bonita Bay in Florida were left stunned as one strolled across the green.