"Saddlesore Galactica" is despised by many television critics and fans, according to Long. It has been described by About.com's Nancy Basile as one of the season's worst episodes, by Marco Ursi of "Maclean's" as the worst episode of the series, and has frequently been cited by fans as an example of the show jumping the shark. Criticism has been directed at its outlandish plot, which, among other things, features elf-like jockeys who lure Homer into their secret lair where they threaten him to stop Duncan from winning.