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Eight Belles, Kentucky Derby Horse, Dies On Track

The Huffington Post   |   May 3, 2008 at 06:58 PM

Read More: 2008 Derby, 2008 Kentucky Derby, 2008 Kentucky Derby Winner, Big Brown, Big Brown Eight Belles, Big Brown Kentucky Derby, Derby Day, Eight Belles, Eight Belles Death, Eight Belles Dies, Eight Belles Falls, Eight Belles Filly Horse, Eight Belles Kentucky Derby, Eight Belles Kentucky Derby Video, Eight Belles Kentucky Derby Watch, Eight Belles Race, Eight Belles Trips, Eight Belles Video, Euthanized, Filly Horse, Hillary Clinton, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby Horse Dies, Kentucky Derby Horse Falls, Politics News
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***SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO OF THE NBC COVERAGE FROM THE MINUTES OF THE CONFUSION AND THEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT***

AP reports:

Big Brown backed up his trainer's boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday - a day marred by the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles.


The cheers for the winner's decisive victory were cut short when Eight Belles, the runner-up, was euthanized on the track minutes after the race when she collapsed with two broken front ankles.

Hillary Clinton last week put her money on Eight Belles to win the race:

"I hope that everybody will go to the derby on Saturday and place just a little money on the filly for me," Sen. Clinton told supporters in Jeffersonville, Ind., ABC News reports. "I won't be able to be there this year - my daughter is going to be there and so she has strict instructions to bet on Eight Belles."

Eight Belles actually ended up finishing second in the race, just behind Big Brown. But in a shocking and tragic development, just as Eight Belles crossed the finish line, jockey Gabriel Saez "heard the worst sound possible - a pop."

Saez said the filly did not take a bad step, but he heard the pop and tried to pull her up.


"I tried to get her to stop," he said. "I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn't stop."

Dr. Larry Bramlege the on-call veterinarian from the American Association of Equine Practitioners said on NBC that the the horse broke both front ankles. She was euthanized on the track.

Here is the NBC coverage as the confusion of Eight Belles down gave way to the announcement she's been put down:

The rest of the AP article is below:

The unbeaten Big Brown took charge when the 20-horse field turned for home. Under the urging of jockey Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory to become the seventh unbeaten Derby winner with his fourth consecutive win. The last one was Barbaro in 2006.


Eight Belles was attempting to become the fourth filly to win the Derby. However, as the horses galloped out around the first turn, the filly fell to the ground and jockey Gabriel Saez jumped off.

An equine ambulance came onto the track, but the filly could not be saved, said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby's on-call veterinarian.

"When we passed the wire I stood up. She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That's when she went down," a distraught Saez said.

 

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collapse TraitorRick See Profile I'm a Fan of TraitorRick

The only thing more pathetic than the spin the horse industry is putting on this is that fact that the mainstream media is playing along with it. Most horse racing columnists are long time handicappers themselves and were hired as columnists because of their knowledge of the sport. They have no interest in reporting the dark side.
The excuse I've heard most often is that "horses love to run"... Yeah, no kidding, many animals do. It's also true that humans love to make money, the more the better, and the sooner, the better.
Maybe they'll kill a few more on national TV, it's the best commercial this "sport" could ever have.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:45 AM on 05/08/2008
collapse Dominicr See Profile I'm a Fan of Dominicr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leesmh9mZOU

was the horse on steroids?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:59 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse MJD615 See Profile I'm a Fan of MJD615

Eight Belles Tragedy Reminds Me of Similar Tragedy with Filly Ruffian.

For those of you who remember the ill-fated match race in 1975 between the great filly Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure, there is an eerie similarity between Eight belles and Ruffian. They looked alike and they were both approximately 17 hands tall. Neither one had ever been defeated in races against other fillies. But, most of all, they both broke down extending themselves to win against colts. Both jockeys said they "wouldn't stop running." I saw both races. The saddest things I ever witnessed!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:22 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse Daniel8168 See Profile I'm a Fan of Daniel8168

So, it's a crime for Michael Vick to fight dogs against each other for money, but it's ok to get on a horse and beat them in order to force them around a track for money?

What Michael Vick did was wrong, and he's serving time for it. Why aren't people involved in horse-racing being prosecuted?

I've read that it was humane to kill Eight Belles because her injuries would likely never heal properly, and she ran a great risk of infection. (yes, KILL. Let's not play with comforting words like "euthanize") The problem I have with the whole situation however is that horses usually need to be killed when they suffer an injury like that, and horse racing is an unnecessary abuse of these animals that risks injuring them in such ways. What is humane about beating an animal to make it run around a track and win a bunch of money for its owners?

Here's my proposal. If people want horse-racing to continue to be legal, then to become an owner of one of these race horses, people should have to have an angry bobcat strapped to their back while they run around a track before each race in which their horse will run. If anyone suffers any injuries that might reduce the quality of their life - just euthanize them on the track.

Horse racing should be as illegal as dog-fighting, and prosecuted as aggressively.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:18 AM on 05/07/2008
collapse hoopesaz See Profile I'm a Fan of hoopesaz

Um, because Michael Vick was being cruel in inhumane to the animals. There is no such evidence of either here.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:26 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse preatorius See Profile I'm a Fan of preatorius

That is a shame. This horse waskilled, and MSNBC seems not to care.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:00 AM on 05/07/2008
collapse Elis See Profile I'm a Fan of Elis

Not many comments anywhere about the jockeys. What if the filly had gone down in the stretch, with 18 other horses behind her? Running at 40mph or more, I doubt few of them would have been able to react fast enough to avoid her. How many more would have gone down? How many jockeys would have been injured, crippled, or killed?
Jockeys get no health insurance or benefits from tracks. They are regarded by the govt as self employed, independant contractors. There are a lot of them, who have no other skills, are too small for a lot of other work, or who are on disability due to injuries, and living in poverty.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:57 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse suigeneris See Profile I'm a Fan of suigeneris


Regardless, the jockeys chose to be there. The horses didn't.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:39 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse Daniel8168 See Profile I'm a Fan of Daniel8168

Not many comments about the jockeys because they make a choice to do this. The horses have no choice.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:04 AM on 05/07/2008
collapse RfilmTV See Profile I'm a Fan of RfilmTV

Can we admit the obvious IRONY and potential prophecy the parallels between Clinton and her tragic horse pick Eight Belles.

First to put in all in context:

The term "Eight bells" can also be a way of saying that a sailor's watch is over, for instance, in his or her obituary.

(It's a nautical euphemism for "finished", Mrs. Clinton -- nice pick)

Why is Hillary parallel to filly Eight Belles?

1) Hillary will stop at NOTHING even if it hurts herself and her party and she is not fit to go the much longer track of this particular race.

2) They both are fillies running against a powerful herd of massive colts. Crossing the finish line is not the only goal here. Surviving is another.

3) Hillary wanted everyone to bet for Eight Belles to win simply because she was female -- and everyone who trusted her lost.

4) The jockey tried to stop Eight Belles but she refused -- she kept running and running... until he heard a sickening "pop" and it was over.

5) The filly was fatally crippled, so they euthanized her. Will this happen to America?

6) Will all fillies will have a hard time running in the "big race" hereafter?

7) Was it the new "artificial turf" that killed Belle?

Our new "world turf" takes brute strength, respect and longevity.

I bet on the sure thing Big Brown and won.

I'm betting on Obama because I do not want an old spooked war horse like

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:09 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse wilhelmR See Profile I'm a Fan of wilhelmR

To the cruelty "human beings" have against other "human beings" we must add the cruelty of "human beings" to "others." Nature is implacable but human nature is very cruel.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:42 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse rjcrane See Profile I'm a Fan of rjcrane

In case most of you aren't aware all of the horses in this Kentucky Derby field had the DNA of Northern Dancer. Eight Belles was one of the more inbred Native Dancer horses in the field having several grandparents of this lineage. While the Northern Dancer DNA has been good for winning races, it also carries a very high risk of leg and foot injuries. Barbaro being another Native Dancer horse that had to be destroyed last year after injuring his leg in the Preakness. The problem with horse racing is that big money has upped the average sales prices of horses at Keeneland to over $100,000 each thus putting more pressures on buyers wanting a more guaranteed return on their investment and thus reducing the studs being used for breeding to a select few that produce more winners. So there is a serious genetic problem in these horses being created by too small a gene pool from inbreeding and only breeding to a few big time studs, which in most cases are horses already carrying a gene for leg problems.

The other major problem is that these horses are put on the track too early in life. The horses wouldn't break down as often if they started to race as four or five year olds instead of three year olds.

The best thing we all could do is boycott this business until they clean up their act.

RJ Crane, topplebush.com

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:48 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Elis See Profile I'm a Fan of Elis

I agree with you. It seems that so long as a sire or dam was fast, they get bred. Doesn't matter if they also have proven a tendency to pass on weak joints, breathing problems, eye problems, whatever. If horses were dogs, the AKC would tell any reputable breeder to spay/neuter these animals, for fear of passing on genetic conditions.

A friend who's into horseracing, told me, that in Europe and the UK, they don't race or train young horses the way they do here. They enter them in shorter races, with smaller fields, and take longer between races. Only when they are 4 or 5, do European and British horses get pushed the way 2 and 3 year olds do in the US. Also, in Europe, fillies and mares race against the boys, quite often, and also beat them quite convincingly. Horses don't break down as they do here, and once retired, live longer. My friend puts these last two, to simply taking it easy on them, when they're young.

I say....start a controlled introduction of other breeds into the thoroughbred line. Introduce more Arab, Trakhener, and other hotbloods into the mix. What the hay, find some healthy, speedy mustangs (in my experiance, mustangs are often both, as well as full of stamina, and extraordinarily healthy) and let them breed to thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds now, are so hopelessly inbred, that along with the good traits of speed, muscle, stamina, all the bad genes also surface.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:54 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse englishprof See Profile I'm a Fan of englishprof

This whole thing reveals the Kentucky Derby to be what it is: a highly glorified cock fight, in which magnificent beasts are used to provide one more plaything (in addition to their corporate jets, second and third homes on the Mediterranean or Gstaad, yachts, and so forth) for the super rich and their egos. If justice really prevailed (as it won't), the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness, as well as the Derby, should be permanently ended. The blood lust for competitive sports is not so bad when human beings are the only participants. What the Barry Bondses of the world may or may not do to themselves to enhance their performance is something they do in full knowledge; they are sentient beings. But it is cruel beyond belief to do this kind of thing to beasts like Barbaro and Eight Belles. The mint-julip-besotted set, with their fancy hats and expensive lawn parties, doesn't really need one more rendition of "My Old Kentucky Home." They can find plenty of other entertainments.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:23 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse dragonfur See Profile I'm a Fan of dragonfur

Works great! Nice to have a place to vent--and to comment on others' vents! Thanks!!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:10 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse nerakami See Profile I'm a Fan of nerakami

Wasn't this the horse, Hillary told folks to bet on ???? Premonition of things to come ???

May Eight Belles & Hillary's campaign both rest in peace....

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:02 AM on 05/06/2008
collapse RedEyes See Profile I'm a Fan of RedEyes

Yes, horse racing is SO barbaric. Don't believe me? Watch "Seabiscuit" and "Dreamer". It's absolutely sick that Hollywood makes their blood money off of movies like this. Just 2 more examples of filth our children don't need to be exposed to.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:33 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse hoopesaz See Profile I'm a Fan of hoopesaz

Of the "filth" that Hollywood produces, your examples don't even register.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:30 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse Sctt859 See Profile I'm a Fan of Sctt859

experts who were watching the horse and treating her found nothing wrong with her no signs of problems or anything and she was more energetic then most horses out there. Hmm wonder what could have been the only problem... hmm..

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:36 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse Pookie2112 See Profile I'm a Fan of Pookie2112

Shades of Barbaro ... Eight Belle's, you were quite the lady!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:48 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse ErnestineBass See Profile I'm a Fan of ErnestineBass

I just learned that Eight Belles and Barbaro came from the same bloodline. Perhaps they need to add a little large boned Clydesdale DNA into the mix.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:50 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse MyOwnPerson See Profile I'm a Fan of MyOwnPerson

Unfortunately, wouldn't make a good running horse for years, possibly never.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:29 AM on 05/06/2008
collapse auntiecairo See Profile I'm a Fan of auntiecairo

While it's tragic that some racehorses suffer catastrophic injuries it's even worse that alot of them end up as dog food. Would be nice for PETA to use this as an example to go after the horse slaughter industry instead of needlessly trying to blame the jockey, who did what he could under the circumstances. Horses die in Europe too - have seen steeplechases where they fall on their heads and other terrible accidents. Owners and trainers pour thousands of dollars into their animals so it's doubtful they benefit from their death. In Eight Belles case she suffered a freak accident wherein she misstepped and in trying to break her fall broke both ankles. No horse can recover from an injury like that. However it's the owners who run horses in the smaller stake races whose animals are more likely sold for dog food and as meant to send to Europe. I don't think you can stop horse racing - but by making people aware of the fate of many of the horses maybe we can finally shame our President and politicians who continue to block the attempts to ban horse slaughter (and taking them to Mexico to have them killed there) into giving horses the respect they deserve after the hundreds of years of service to our country.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse Pema See Profile I'm a Fan of Pema

There are cam[aigns in different states to end horse slaughter. Go to the ASPCA.org

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:20 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse GaitedHorses007 See Profile I'm a Fan of GaitedHorses007

And BTW, not all stallions are vicious.. apparently some people have never been around the mares when they are in heat. Guess you have never heard of the stallions that get put down because the mares have kicked the crap out of them because they get to danged impatient waiting for the boy to bred them. Wake up and stop making assumptions. A shattered forearm caused by a rank mare on a stallion is not fixable.

That guy saying he would want a stallion, well good for you. Hope you find a decent one like one I got that would not hurt a fly. And his sons, well hells belles, they were all gents too. Funny, I could never geld anyone of our boys and they all sold as stallions....go figure! Personally I would prefer a stallion to a rank mare any day. And I thank God I have the pleasure to own more than one that has also been a true gentleman. Having raised some 40 head, if I had one to pick only one sex to keep, it would be the stallion. Least for me and mine, the boys are predictable moreso than any mare I have seen.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:28 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse GaitedHorses007 See Profile I'm a Fan of GaitedHorses007

I feel very badly for the horse Eight Belles. And yes, this is a tragedy.

What is insane in the insurance game is when you know damn well and good a horse is injured beyond the point it can heal due to its anatomy and when you have to wait HOURS to contact the owner, their insurance company and to also get the vet to come and euthanize the animal when equally a well placed bullet could put the horse out its misery faster in case it was injured..

But no, in the case of some backyard show boarders who insure their animals, and board them, if they insure them and this stuff happens, the horse has to suffer even more just to wait for the heads that be and the powers that be say ok, put the beast down so the owners can collect the money.

To say injuries never happen at home with other breeds is ludicrus. You are talking about a life not a machine. But most irrational people treat the animals as if they were jus tthat, a machine to park.
When it comes to insurance claims, it can be cruelty at its worst and all in the face of protocol so some one can get some money..

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:07 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse amenophisX See Profile I'm a Fan of amenophisX

It's fox hunting in Britain. Here it's injuring and then having to kill horses on the track. We need a national movement to ban horse-racing because of this sort of thing. Horse racing -- the sport of rich egotists and low-life gambling addicts! A sport worthy of being done away with.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:43 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse MyOwnPerson See Profile I'm a Fan of MyOwnPerson

While I don't support horse racing or fox hunting, I would like to point out that I've seen this type of injury sustained by horses having a wonderful day in the field just kicking up their heels. A mis-step is horrible no matter where it happens, but you can't say it only happens in racing, or blame the Jockey for it. Let me tell you the Jockey and owners of this beautiful creature are heart-sick about what happened and it has nothing to do with $$$. Also, she was not killed or murdered, but humanely euthanized. There is a difference. It's unfortunate it had to happen on the track in public view, but having witnessed broken legs on a horse first hand, it's very painful and they don't understand what's happening. All they know is they're in pain and react to that pain. I think what is discounted most by horse sports in general, is age. This filly was only 3 yrs old, probably just barely turned. This means she was being worked as a 2 yr old. She's still a baby. This means that bones may not be fully knit and able to withstand the training requirements of any horse sport. Let's look at the big picture and do the right thing, not just ban racing. Racing is a small piece of the picture.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:36 AM on 05/06/2008
collapse StephenJK See Profile I'm a Fan of StephenJK

KILL horses? I don't think so, pal. I won't let you get away with that. They are EUTHANIZED humanely, quickly. Are you against euthanization? Or are you just anti-sport? These animals have the most pampered lives of all sporting animals. Just because accidents happen doesn't give you the right to demonize a sport and call it's patrons low-lifes. You should try watching what these animals do to each other in the wild. And there's no one there to euthanize humanely when they get chunks of their asses bitten off by rivals or their legs break in the wild and they are left there to die alone. Why don't I hear your outcry about REAL issues like animal abuse and neglect going on every single day in this country including horses. Your concern is misguided, if not ignorant.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:14 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse Horus See Profile I'm a Fan of Horus

So Hillary wanted 8 Belles to win...but BIG BROWN beat the Filly and she only got second place and then had to be put down right there on track?

Hmmm. Is this some kind of omen? LOL. Does it mean that Obama (big brown?) will beat the female contender and thus causing her to go into some kind of fit? BWAHAHAHAHA

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:12 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse operalovr See Profile I'm a Fan of operalovr

I see absolutely NOTHING FUNNY in your jokes and remarks. That horse gave it her all.......and showed a whole lot more class than you do.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:52 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse RandyGaume See Profile I'm a Fan of RandyGaume

Show yourself a man and apologize Dude. A true Texan would never lower himself to make this kind of statement. In fact, us Texans would take you around the corner and give you a good butt whoopin' ...

I'm sure you're better than this. If you see no wrong in what you just shared please go support another candidate.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:15 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse fanoftruthiness See Profile I'm a Fan of fanoftruthiness

There is some bizarre "Oddball" going on there, that's for sure!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:18 PM on 05/05/2008
collapse GaitedHorses007 See Profile I'm a Fan of GaitedHorses007

I guess my question is is when did the Jockey really know when the horse was going down? He heard a pop? But when did he quit on the whip? Why didn't the trainer or their vet pull her?

The horse should have never ran the race. She should have never got to the starting gate. Just my opinion, but then, I beleive in letting the animals MATURE. I don't beleive in drugs to help them do this. It is something NATURE needs to do on her own. But then, what racehorseowner wants a pile of 25-40 year old horses laying around later when the day is done?

Surely the owners knew she was weakboned, but they ran her anyway. They knew one way or the other that mare would pay off. No one was playing stupid there....they knew the game.

And today people are talking more about Eight Belles that ummmm whats his name Brown something that won standing up going to stud at the end of Saturday.....hmmmm....who won that Derby anyway????



(Oops, did I say that?.. yep I guess I did....because you known damn well the Derby horse runs that race once!)

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:55 AM on 05/05/2008
collapse jg08091 See Profile I'm a Fan of jg08091

annoyed canuck...Would you have the same opinion if Big brown were euthanized and the filly had won? I think not. You didn't have this attitude about silly political discourse a few weeks ago when you and fox news savored on a rev. named Wright. Didn't give a damn about a war, mortgage crisis, nor recession. Now that the poor animal Hillary picked not only didn't win but had to be euthanized(killed for those who don't know what euthanized mean). Now you expect the American people to not mention the race. It was okay for Hillary to send Daughter Chelsea to bet and get on tv and tell others the horse reminds her of herself. Now we're dirty obamacans because we mention it. We have a life... With God's help we're going to elect the next Pres. Barack Obama. Oh just in case the race wasn't Divine intervention, did you see God's hand in Hill and Bills state of Arkansas over the weekend? Tornado kills 13 people, Hmmmm strange it's Arkansas huh?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:21 AM on 05/05/2008