Loose horse takes a trip down Route 1

Around 9 a.m. (EST) Friday morning, commuters traveling on

U.S. Route 1 in North Laurel, Maryland, saw something they will never forget: a loose horse

heading south without its rider.

Bullet Catcher, a four-year-old gelding from the Jerry Robb

stable, tossed jockey Jeremy Rose while heading back to the barn after a morning

workout and got loose. The son of Strong Hope then made his way out of the

stable gate, made a left on Whiskey Bottom Road and another left onto Route 1

before being caught, un-injured, after a 1.6 mile journey.

The trip included

parts of Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's Counties.

"You think you've seen it all," said former rider Mark

Rosenthal, who co-owns the gelding.

Jockey Abel Castellano captured part of the adventure down Route 1 on his

mobile phone.

"I had finished working a horse and was coming to the jocks room when I saw a

horse run by heading out of the stable gate," Castellano said.

"I decided to follow the horse and maybe when he stopped I could catch him.

"All

of a sudden we got to Route 1 and there was a red light. I saw the cars driving

by and I said 'Oh my God, we're going to have an accident' but at that moment it

changed to a green light to make a left and the horse just made a left. I went

'Oh, we're so lucky so far' then we got the point where the road splits, you go

right so that horse he keeps to the right, so we follow him.

"The horse is still running 30 miles an hour. Finally he slowed down in front

of the Chrysler dealership almost to Main Street and we were able to catch him.

The story had a happy ending but it was scary."

Trainer Charles "Snake" Frock was also part of the group

that caught the Maryland-bred, who has one win and three on the board finishes

in six lifetime starts.

"I have never seen anything like it and I have been at the

racetrack for more than 50 years," Frock remarked. "I was coming from the farm in

Westminster and saw him on Whiskey Bottom Road and did a U-turn to try to help.

My trailer was full with hay and I had another horse in the van.