Wild moments from the ostrich and camel races at San Antonio’s Retama Park

Camels and ostriches raced Saturday at Selma’s Retama Park Race Track, making for a quirky occasion. The novelty competitions were wedged between the serious business of horse racing as the track kicked off its quarter horse season.

Chaos unfolded during the ostrich race as two of the birds ran around in circles right out the gate rather than pursue a straight line toward victory. No jockey lasted very long on the unbridled ostriches, and the race ended with the jockeys tumbling in the dust or running after their birds, yelling and waving their hands.

The poor jockeys, professionals though they may be, were no match for the likes of ostriches Slimmy Long Johns and Optimus Plume. With no jockeys left on the flightless birds by the finish line, no clear winner was determined.

The camel races were considerably tamer, and the beasts even allowed Selma Mayor Tom Daly to ride as a jockey. The mayor won handily on Hoofin’ Humphries, breezing past competitors Camela Anderson and Camel Macchiato.

“Nice to win in my own city,” Daly said at the winner’s circle after the race. “I thought I was a goner there when we left the gate!”

Horse racing was the main event, and the crowd of more than 1,000 cheered on victors including Lethal Fast Cash, Zoomin and The Grand Legend. Big money was on the line, with payouts as high as $60,000 and long lines of betters willing to wager on their favored steeds — win, place or show.

The Quarter Horse Season runs through August at Retama Park Race Track. Though the camels and ostriches were for one weekend only, fans of novelty races can return for the wiener dog race at the close of the season on Aug. 17.