Time to step back for a moment and pay tribute to Eight Belles. No words or commentary from me. I’ll let her tell the story:
Edit: 5/4/08:
The tragedy of Eight Belles death in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday has stirred up quie a bit of emotion. If you wish to do something to help race horses, Please consider visiting and donating to the following sites:
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Old Friends – A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds: http://oldfriendsequine.com/
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The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation: http://www.trfinc.org/index.php
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CANTER (The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses): http://www.canterusa.org/
Video#1 – Video made by BitterSweet2525 on youtube.
Video #2 -made by rachellevine on youtube
Video #3 -made by Carlykaiser on youtube.
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What?? If we had a human sport where athletes regularly injured themselves so badly they died, some serious questions would be asked.
When are they going to realize these distances are too far for these young horses???
I look at this one as more of a freak injury. She got the distance with no problems. It was after the race when she was being pulled up that it happened. It could’ve been anywhere on the track. She got the distance though – in splendid fashion. Plus she beat 18 of the best colts in the land.
But, there are valid concerns (as pointed out by Val in a previous comment) about the current trends in breeding that leave horses open to such injuries.
Edit: To quote Valerie, as she said it better than I could: “What happened today was certainly a combination of factors—most notably the continuing overbreeding of big-name stallions by greedy breeders who pass on unsoundness to their progeny and idiotic owners who buy these horses. This has been a key criticism of Unbridled’s Song, Eight Belles’ sire, forever, and yet rather than focus on hardier stock, in American breeding it’s all about speed and greed. “
Five starts as a 2-year-old. What did they expect? Notice that Big Brown did not start at all as a 2-year-old–smart.
I think you’ll see that trend of light-to-no racing as a 2 year old continue to become more popular after the success of Curlin and Big Brown.
Big Brown actually did have one start as a 2 year old – his maiden win.
On the other hand, I think you can make a case that Eight Belles was actually more physically sound with 9 races under her belt. One thing I don’t think is that U.S. thoroughbreds (especially the top ones) are overraced. You’ll see horses in Australia and Europe come back after 7 days frequently. Here we tend to give them 3 weeks.
I think the difference is as Val pointed out. No drugging overseas (we’ve got to get that out of our game), and better breeding. Our horses need more strength and stamina. Those seem to have been overlooked in favor of speed for years now.
I’d prefer we shifted away from so many cheap 6 furlong races and moved to more routes of 1 mile or longer. Perhaps that would help emphasize stamina over speed.
Of course, I don’t think anyone could have “expected” this to happen. The track vet even said that in all his years around horses, he’d never seen this happen before.
I wish Eight Belles hadn’t been put down, but it put her out of misery.
Me too – but it was the humane thing to do. She didn’t have any front legs to stand on. I just hope her suffering was limited.
Sometimes good things come out of tragedies. Since Dale Earnhardt died in his wreck, Nascar has become so much safer with soft walls on the tracks, head restraints and a myriad of other safety devices. Guys have walked away from wrecks now that were much worse than Dale’s. There may be less that can be done to make horse racing safer, but perhaps we’ll see a speedier transition to synthetic surfaces and other innovations in the near future.
Yeah, they have got to get rid of all the inbreeding and drugs. I’ve just lately gotten into horseracing and have been telling most folks that would listen how cool I think it is. Now, I feel kind of dumb about that. I’ll maintain interest, but I think I’ll keep it to myself a little more from here on out.
Don’t feel dumb about it. Every sport has tragedy. Our athletes are just a bit more fragile – but they are also more loveable.
Res in peace Eight Belles. What a lovely filley you were, you ran your heart out at all your races. Your memory will stay with me forever.
Mary
Horses die like this every day. It is a freak “sport” not a freak accident. Did you wear a hat to the race?. The horses are bred with small boned legs, raced when barely ever 100% sound, and the way they trim and shod their hooves is detrimental to the horse (toe long, heel almost chopped off), putting strain on their legs. If they are lucky to live off track and retire, it’s up to horse lovers to pick up the pieces an rehab a horse with slew of leg problems such as slab fractures, bowed tendons, osselets, knee chips, ect. Not to mention major attitude problems thanks to the steroids they are pumped up with.
You’re articulate explanation has left contented: I now know that euthanasia was the best action for Eight Belles because of the near nil success rate together with incredible physical pain in trying to heal a horse’s broken ankle – let alone two. Now, I am overwhelmed with disgust at the real culprit – greed.
May you rest in peace. You succeeded in the the only thing you were trained to do. There was one more horse to beat and you ran you heart out at all costs. If only the owners and everyone involved had as much heart as these horses. Something is obviously wrong with this event. Too many talented animals are being fatally hurt. How many millions have to be won before something is done? It is all about the money and write-offs. Eight Bells should have never been in that race. I will never watch or support this event. I will always wonder how much pain she ran with that day. Also, Big Brown has foot injuries, and he is scheduled to run again in 2 weeks. How sad. I will never forget you Eight Bells. I have seen and watched your videos. You are special. May God Bless You. You are now in no more pain.
I see this tragedy is drumming up a lot of emotion in many people, which is good. I think one thing everyone can agree on is that everything that can be done to protect the horses should be done – and that includes via breeding, training, getting rid of drugging, etc. That and the fact that Eight Belles will not be soon forgotten.
“everything that can be done to protect the horses should be done – and that includes via breeding, training, getting rid of drugging, etc.”
Kevin, when exactly do you see this happening? As long as gambling addicted alcoholics are hanging around at gutter level tracks, where these animals are constantly dying and making a fortune for the “higher end” owners and races, nothing will be done. I pray for the day when placing a horse bet is a criminal offense.
Until then, since you are such an avid horse lover, perhaps you can put all this wonderful energy you have into turning this “sport” around. I think you could make a huge impact.
To Sam: I’m happy to see you are a quick learner. Good for you!
To my mind, the betting isn’t necessarily the factor here; after all, no matter how fast or slow, one horse always wins, with two more in behind him somewhere. Any pace will satisfy bettors.
Val has fully addressed all of the horse-related issues involved, but there is another.
The blame here has to be laid on track designers who know tracks like a big crowd and crowds love a fast race. They want to see records set. Tracks where the horse’s safety has been improved have been criticized, because they may go a decade without a new record, because the softer tracks are safer, but slower.
For the sake of two seconds over a mile and a quarter, tracks are risking the lives of the horses that race there.
I want this on My Liscense plate “gambling addicted alcoholics”! Bet for real, do you feel sorry about the Cow when you huddle up to 16 OZ Prime Rib??
“…Until then, since you are such an avid horse lover, perhaps you can put all this wonderful energy you have into turning this “sport” around. I think you could make a huge impact.”
Well, I’ll certainly try my best.
Kevin, Super nice piece on Eight Belles—–She ran her heart out…For a
moment in the strech, i’t looked like she would fade–But she ran on hard…
Rest In Peace….
Thanks for everyone about my selections—-Just lucky—But I
mentioned earlier about the lack of beyer speed figures. I’t lead me to
Eight Belles-Who fit very well…..And Denis of Cork had the best looking
workouts over everybody-I was told that a few times from people who where
there……..I’ts all luck…..I’t still feels great…
And yes Kevin, I might take you up on giving some of my pick for the
Breeders Cup—Thank You–
I’t looks nice new shooters coming your way for the Preakness…..GREGG
Von Vader: I’m sorry, did I push a button? If so, I think that would be a GREAT license (note spelling) plate for you. Were you referring to me about red meat? Yeah, I haven’t eaten red mead since I was fourteen. Come on, I’m so obviously vegetarian! Oh and, I don’t huddle either.
Thanks Kevin. Good luck and take care!
I’m hearing quite a lot of nonsense. Dogs probably have it worse than horses. Many dogs are mistreated, neglected, and abused by their owners. I had a neighbor who let their dog run loose all the time. It got hit by a car on two different occasions. It didn’t survive the second time. Should we not be allowed to have dogs as pets? Racehorses are never neglected. They have to be cared for 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I worked as a groom at a stable and most of us cared very much about the horses. That’s why we chose to work with them! They can’t wait to get out to the track and run in the morning. If a horse throws his rider and gets loose, guess where he runs? Back to the stable. They aren’t exactly hell bent on escape. For the record, a horse in pain isn’t going to perform well so everything is done to make sure they experience as little as possible. A horse that is sore may be “drugged up” with Bute. OMG! That stuff is the equine equivalent to advil. Oh no, please don’t drug the horses!!! Lol.
Sure, everything is not absolutely wonderful in the life of a racehorse, but racing brings great joy to millions of people around the globe and puts these wonderful animals in the spotlight. It’s better than relegating them to zoo exhibits or letting them roam wild. If you think nature is all wonderful, watch the discovery channel and see how brutal it really is. There’s a zebra getting eaten by a crocodile right now wishing he could be racing instead.
As a horse racing fan for life, I applaud that job that Theresa has done over at the Brooklyn Backstretch.
She says it better than I can:
“To those who claim that the death of a horse is nothing more than a commercial loss, I can tell you with absolute certainty that when a horse goes down—whether it’s in the Derby or on a February Wednesday at Aqueduct—we grieve. We turn away, and we wince in pain, and we hope that we don’t have to see it again. We could turn away entirely; we could abandon the sport as others have chosen to do. But as fans and horse lovers, we choose instead to support the game, to support the players, and to work, with our money and our time, toward making sure that our equine athletes come home safely. ”
http://brooklynbackstretch.blogspot.com/2008/05/so-here-it-comes-porter-and-jones.html
Yes, Theresa posted a good entry …
“Porter and Jones should never have raced Eight Belles against the boys.
And I’m cynical about a lot of it; I believe that trainers juice their horses to win races, and I believe that horses are raced too young (though, God, I love those two year old races at Saratoga), and I believe that there are times when money pays a big role in the decisions that are made”
I believe what she says about trainers. Trainers love “their” horses. Those in the racing industry that take off because of animal cruelty, 9 times out of 10 are trainers. They are the ones that have spoken publicly about what goes on behind closed doors.
Dear Jerry, the groom: I’ve was born around horses and have ridden, trained and competed for 25 years. Thanks to people like you, race horses are shiny and pretty on the outside, but have tons of issues brewing in their tendons, joints, bones and feet. A horse cannot wait to get out of a small stall after he’s been in for 23 hours a day. Race horses love to run, that’s not the issue. Also, a horse will always run back to the stable, it’s his safe place. Horses are herding animals and unless they go nuts, they aren’t going to try to “escape” by themselves. Especially because they’ve just realized they are a race horse and if they don’t run fast enough they will stop being groomed and be sent to the slaughter house. Do you want statistics on how many horses get sent cross country WITHOUT pain meds (or even bute) on broken legs in cramped trailers so some owners can get what they can out of them pound for pound?
Why is no one questioning the connections on this tragedy? If you look at her fractions in past races this year in comparison to this Derby, the pace pressure on her was something she never experienced, but her courage pushed her along anyway and ultimately sealed he fate…. I hope that Larry Jones learns from this lesson and places his horses properly and not for his own interests in the future.
I’m just going to ask that everyone remain respectful of the occassion here or I may have to start moderating the comments.
Let’s keep this respectful and free of arguing. The purpose of this post is to remember a great filly, not provide a forum for people to thumb their noses at the sport and it’s fans.
I’ll kindly ask that anyone leaving a comment for any reason other than to specifically pay tribute to Eight Belles please not do so. Anything else is getting tossed from here on out.
My thoughts and prayers are with the connections of the horse, for they are the ones suffering through this terrible tragedy. They loved the horse more than anyone else, and do not deserve this unwarranted critism.
The mood here in Kentucky is somber following three equestrian deaths during two high profile events. This has been an especially sad and terrible week in Kentucky equestrian sports. Two horses were killed at the Rolex Three Day Event last weekend. Yesterday, the second place winner of the Kentucky Derby collapsed on the track after completeing the race. Having scratched the Oaks in order to be in the Kentucky Derby, Eight Belles, the only filly in this years race was put down after both of her front ankles were broken in her 5 length defeat to Big Brown.
The season in general has been plagued with deadly accidents. Public reaction here in Lexington has been supportive but concerned. It was not immediately clear what had happened to the fallen horse but typical post derby celebration was cut short and Churchhill Downs cleared quickly after word spread that Eight Belles was dead.
As with any sport there is risk. It seems that for now, Kentucky is at the focus of concerns regarding safety in equestrian sports.
Ping =^.^=
R.I.P. – Quiet Man, Frodo Baggins & Eight Belles
Just a note (hat tip to Giovanna) – For anyone looking to do something to help out thoroughbreds, please consider visiting the following the sites and offering a donation:
-Old Friends: A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds: http://oldfriendsequine.com/
-The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation: http://www.trfinc.org/index.php
-CANTER (The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses): http://www.canterusa.org/
She was a beautiful filly.
Hi All,
I ask everyone to watch the race footage again. Watching the last stretch carefully you’ll see Eight Belles nod/bob/lean to the right and Saez pull her head to the rail then whip her and whip her to the finish. He never let up. I’ve never seen a jockey lay into a horse quite like that. Also- on another blog someone close to the racing barn she ran for said that the filly had had a swollen ankle a week or so before the race. The track vet said he’s never seen a breakdown like Eight Belles- after a race and all. I say this Eight Belles’ death must be investigated by an outside agent. Notice too the trainer’s comments on the filly’s death. Read them carefully- he doesn’t seem too set back by the lose. Sure he expresses sadness but he seems damn ready to move on and get his other 48 (!) horses to the races. Yes- 48, which leads to another point- how can anyone sufficiently monitor the health and welfare of 48 race horses?? By the way- a horse high on adrenaline with a whip lashing at it unrelentingly WILL keep running.
Eight Belles was a very loving, kind, and a beautiful horse…This is a tradegdy that will never be forgotten…A winner Eight Belles was…and will never be forgotten…
Eight Belles was a very loving, kind, and a beautiful horse…This is a tradegdy that will never be forgotten…A winner Eight Belles was…and will never be forgotten…
Eight Belles Lover
I feel that people who think a horse should not run, is a person who needs to stop eatting. Horses love to run and they enjoy it. However, I feel race horses are to young, hit to much and forgotten to soon. They are cut to far back when shoed. Why???? The crops need to be taken from the jockeys, the drugs need to stop and every horse needs to be examined before and after a race. I mean we are dealing with people with millions of dollars. Suits me just fine that the saddles are small and jockeys starve themselves to death. Lets clean this sport up for Eight Belles sake and poor Barbaro and all the others. Keep the same Jockeys and the same horses, anyone who has any horse sense knows that a horse that likes the rider does better anyways. Also a few more tears from the Jocckey riding her would have been nice.
On the “progress” front, Alex Waldrup, the CEO of the NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Associatoin) has an open letter to fans looking for suggestions on how to change the game.
I’ve contacted him with my thoughts. I’d encourage anyone else that wants to make something positive come out of this tragedy to do the same.
http://www.ntra.com/blog.aspx?blogid=15
Kevin, I would comment and say poor, poor Eight Belles, but I’m too angry that her death was the fault of the racing industry. Hopefully, however, her death will not be in vain.
Great comment Kristy. I wasn’t even going to mention the special commode for the jockeys to vomit. It’s a fact and I’ve seen it – no I wasn’t in the men’s bathroom at Churchill Downs – but it’s there. I think of Randy Romero and his mangled organs and I’m happy to hear he is still alive and doing well.
I’ve also gone with four friends over the years to stop slaughter trailers and pay for horses and watch the year of rehab it takes to bring a race horse off drugs and fix their feet. Now THAT is a heart wrenching experience and if you don’t have to be there to support a friend or rescue a horse yourself from a truck, then don’t do it. It costs a ton of money to take on such a project, but that is what people do that don’t care about money. Horse racing has little to do with any thing other than money.
I’ve had six horses my entire life and each have gone on and retired fully sound to acres of grass to eat and run on. I still make sure their feet are shod and taken care of. I now have a baby that just turned five. I didn’t get on his back until he was four. I gave him a great big hug today and watched him run his little heart out. I’m so happy he is not on a race track and look forward to the next several years we have together. It takes a true horse lover to understand the real tragedy here.
I understand what you are saying, isabellablue – but grinding the axe here on this obscure blog won’t solve anything.
I get that you hate horse racing- that comes off loud and clear. I only ask that you understand that there are people who love horses that also love horse racing, as impossible as that may be to fathom for you.
We share several passions – namely the better treatment of horses – which is why I’ve allowed you to go off on your rants here – but enough, okay? I’m not sure what the goal you are trying to accomplish here is. I’m not the industry – this blog is not the industry – and further it is not your personal soap box. If you have that much of an axe to grind against the entire sport than this is probably not the best place for you, I”m sad to say.
That being said, I’d strongly encourage you to harness that passion and start blogging about it if your goal is to increase awareness, promote activism, spread the word, etc. You can get your own free blog here at wordpress – trust me, takes about 10 minutes to set up and can then fire away all you want. Heck, I’d probably stop over regularly and read you.
So, I’ll call on you to show some class here and rather than thumb your nose at everyone else and smugly suggest that only you are a true horse lover, that if you cannot respect the few rules I have in place here (and indeed the only “rules” I’ve ever had to apply here.) that you kindly move along. I don’t think they are too much to ask.
I think we are all missing the big picture here. Race horses love to race, to win is great. The word of the day should be Moral, love and respect which I believe the owners of Eight Belles and Barbaro did. It’s like people who are againts running dogs to hunt. These dogs are bred to do this and they love it, I owned huning dogs and people were alaways pleased to see that they had names and that I was more than glad to pick them up at 200 am and that they were fat and in good health. I treated them great, however I have never given a drug to make them go faster or starve them to be lighter, thats just bull. BORN TO RUN is what a horse is made of and then some are not. We need to make all the right choices for these animals and not our purses. I bet 5.00 on Eight Belles to win or place, now I have 16.00 I don’t want. Why???? Because I would have rather seen her come in last and go home and graze but racing is what she done. Lets promote better shoes and safer tracks, if we have to, better owners. Stop the over breeding and these god awful slaughter houses, they end up in. These folks have enough money to have 5 different people take care of the horse, they can also afford to feed them for 25 more years. I mean after all didn’t the horse put the millions in the pockets. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE!!!!!!!!
I’ve been reading a lot of comments about the tragedy of Eight Belles and I really have to say something. I have owned horses my entire life and I love these animals with a passion. I also love to watch the Triple Crown each year. In 1973 I was 21 and watched Big Red (Secretariat) win the Triple Crown and he was MAGNIFICENT! You were in the presense of greatness, a legend. This is why people love horse racing-even the hard core betters are awestruck if they are fortunate to witness a horse such as Secretariat. He was the greatest race horse of all time because he had heart and he loved to race-yes love. He loved to run and it SHOWED! In the Derby he broke the track record for each 1/4 mile he ran-that means the next 1/4 mile he ran he beat his previous record which means he got faster with each 1/4 mile the entire race! Two weeks later in the Preakness Secretariat went from last to first on the clubhouse turn, never relinquished the lead and beat Sham (his rival during his racing career) by 2½ lengths. Clockers timed him in a Pimlico-record 1:53 2/5 for the 1 3/16 miles, but because of an apparently malfunctioning clock, the official time was recorded as 1:54 2/5, two-fifths of a second off the track record set by Canonero II in the 1971 Preakness. The most amazing race was yet to come, the Belmont: Only four horses challenged Secretariat in the Belmont, even though the previous seven horses to have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness withered in the 1½-mile race, unable to match Citation’s 1948 Triple Crown. “Big Red” changed all that on June 9, 1973. Secretariat and Sham broke together and stayed that way into the first turn. They were by themselves on the backstretch when Secretariat made the biggest move ever seen in a Triple Crown race. The following is Chick Anderson calling that part of the race: “Secretariat is alone. He is moving like a tremendous machine!” He’s going to be the Triple Crown winner. Unbelievable! An amazing performance. He’s 25 lengths in front!” It still gives me chills when I read that. Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by an unheard of 31 lengths and he did it in 2:24 minutes breaking Gallant Man’s 16 year record by 2 3/5 seconds the equivalent of 13 lengths! The most impressive was the 31-length gap. It was so big, even the widest angle of the CBS camera covering the stretch run could barely show Secretariat in the same shot as the next-nearest horse, Twice A Prince. As Charles Hatton wrote in The Daily Racing Form, “His only point of reference is himself.” When Secretariat died in 1989 it was discovered his heart was twice the size of a normal horse. He LOVED to run and he had HEART. The people that were fortunate enough to see this great athelete win the Triple Crown, or Seattle Slew in 1976, or Affirmed in 1978, know how it feels to be in the presence of greatness!
I have a question, that needs answering, to everyone that is against horse racing because it is “cruel”: Where is your outrage when yearly there are tens of thousands of beautiful, healthy, some pregnant, (some just babies), horses being shipped in deplorable means of transportation, some don’t even survive the trip, to the slaughter houses in Canada & Mexico frightened beyond belief, then killed in the most brutal, horrible, & inhumane way possible-for human consumption. Where is your outrage for these poor horses? Although tragic, Eight Belles was treated quickly, with dignity, and humanely. Place your outrage where it is needed with horses that truely suffer horrible fates!
[...] the way there’s been some serious moments. Who could forget the tension and disgust when Eight Belles broke down after the Kentucky Derby? It’s a moment that literraly spun the entire sport on it’s [...]