Not again! Eight Belles - the only filly - is down on the track.

[Faygo Kid]

Oh no. Not again; Ruffian, Barbaro - this doesn't look good.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. I just wrote on the other thread. I'm done. Can't do this anymore. I tried after Barbaro...

:cry:

[Skittles]

126. the Ruffian/Foolish Pleasure matchrace was the first - and only- race for me

never watched horse racing again
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_(horse)

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Sad, sad.

two broken front ankles, euthanized.

[kwenu]

3. She's gone. They've euthanized her. She broke both front ankles. So Sad.

[Bozita]

4. Euthanized. That's it for horse racing for me.

No fucking more.

[malaise]

105. Way too sad n/t

[Faygo Kid]

5. She's gone. Euthanized after breaking both front ankles.

This never used to happen. Now it always happens. Too many horses, not enough track.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

[Ilsa]

11. Meanwhile, others are posing for the cameras: "Look at my new perky boobs,"

and look at my kid's expensive suit, and I'm wearing the best hat (I happen to like hats).

Poor Eight Belles. Painfully hurt and then euthanized. This is so wrong.

[Faygo Kid]

17. Yeah, the winners look like Bush Pioneers, all right.

I'm just too upset to comment further.

And Big Brown was stupendous. But I can't do it anymore, either. I will calm down before I say more.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

42. Do you mean with woman that after hugging her husband had to pick up the bodice of her strapless

dress? I shut it off after I heard about the poor baby.

[leftyladyfrommo]

13. Oh, shit. I don't watch horse races any more.

I was talking to a friend of mine just before the race. Said I couldn't stand to watch for fer the horses will fall.

She said it is such a rare thing that it won't happen again.

Haven't talked to her about it yet. God, I hate to have been so right.

[Up2Late]

22. What I heard is it has to do with too much inbreeding. They say 80% of these horses come from...

...the same stallion from 1968.

[greatauntoftriplets]

43. I heard that too, yesterday, on NPR.

They are all descendants of Northern Dancer.

[Retrograde]

46. there's a good article in Friday's Wall Street Journal

Read it here. This particular bloodline - about 3/4 of racing thoroughbreds - is prone to ankle and foot problems.

[Unbowed]

57. It's also that they race babies.

Most horse owners don't break their horses until after they are two, and Thoroughbreds are racing at that age.

Don't get me wrong, I love horse racing. It would be better if they banned racing two-year olds. These babies don't always hold up under the strain of racing.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

60. Many years ago I went up to Saratoga Race Track here in NY and many 2 year olds get their start

there. It's their first time away from their homes and what they are familiar with. There was a stable nearby my hotel, and I can still remember hearing the babies crying out in the night. It was haunting.

[Unbowed]

79. It must have been terrifying for them.

Thoroughbreds are very high strung. They are instinctual creatures and are easily traumatized. They operate on "high" alert and are very emotional. It's what makes them such good runners. They have heart. But they need lots of care. New places and things have to be done carefully and gently.

It's funny, with all the breeding to make these horses larger and faster, they have also retained the wild gene. There is a strange similarity between a Thoroughbred and a wild-born mustang in temperament.
Maybe that's part of the appeal. They have bred the crap out of these critters and they still retain their magical spirit. If anything, all the breeding has honed their spirit as much as their speed.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

85. Yes, they are magical. Your post just made me recall this song

Run For The Roses - Dan Fogelberg


Born in the valley
And raised in the trees
Of Western Kentucky
On wobbly knees
With mama beside you
To help you along
You'll soon be a growing up strong.
All the long, lazy mornings
In pastures of green
The sun on your withers
The wind in your mane
Could never prepare you
For what lies ahead
The run for the roses so red --
And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --
From sire to sire
It's born in the blood
The fire of a mare
And the strength of a stud
It's breeding and it's training
And it's something unknown
That drives you and carries
You home.
And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --

I wish Eight Belles had sat this one out......

Have to go.....

[Unbowed]

111. That song always gets to me.

I've never got through it without wet eyes. And it takes on special significance after watching that race. Such a tragedy. I too wish she sat it out.

Such a shame. RIP Eight Belles.

:cry:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

114. That's why I had to get off the computer after I posted it. I was

and even thinking about it now, a wreck. Poor little girl....


:hug:

[rock]

6. And Big Brown won

An omen?

[Faygo Kid]

10. No, a tragedy.

That's all it is. One that keeps happening in too many races.

This NEVER happened in my memory, now it happens all the time.

Damn.

[Holly_Hobby]

7. Exploitation of animals for profit needs to stop n/t

[StarryNite]

64. Yes it does!

It just makes me sick. That poor horse just doing what was asked of her. It's fucking not fair. I swore off of watching after the Barbaro tragedy and I'm so glad I didn't see it happen again today. She would have been the one I would have cheered on. :cry: I really didn't expect to see this thread when I came on to see what was going on. I knew it was only a matter of time until it played out once again but I didn't think it would be this soon. I won't be watching the news tonight.

Bless the beasts and the children.

[Up2Late]

8. Two Broken front ankles after 2nd place finish.

Already euthanized. How sad.:cry:

[Horse with no Name]

9. I am in tears

:cry:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. Me too and I can't stop.

[Ilsa]

18. I think I'm going to vomit. Seriously, I've been

munching on walnuts, and was thinking about getting dinner on for everyone, but now I can't eat. Second place ad now dead. This is so wrong.

[Suich]

19. She finished 2nd.

When did she break her ankles? Have they said?

[Up2Late]

30. It's almost impossible to say, it could have happened during the race, or after...

...or she could have has small stress fractures that just held until now. I'm sure they'll look at the tapes, but I don't think the back stretch is well covered by cameras.

This is just tragic. Again.:cry:

[Unbowed]

48. She flew out of the pack with an incredible burst of speed. She was going to catch Big Brown.

Then she just slowed up a bit and he lengthened his lead. My guess is that she was injured in that burst of speed. Her tiny legs just didn't hold up.

The crime is that they start these horses too young. Racing puts an incredible strain on their feet and legs. NO horse should race as a two-year old. They are still babies and still growing. But to be ready for the Derby, horses have to race as 2-year olds. Horses can grow until they're four. Even though Thoroughbreds mature earlier, the stress they are under is incredible.

Even the winner, Big Brown has bad feet. He's not raced very frequently because he has cracks in his hooves.

[trumad]

88. She wasn't close to catching Big Brown....

[demodonkey]

115. She WAS gaining on him for a few strides... a valiant effort. nt

[trumad]

117. No she wasn't

I know how you want to make this into a fairytale ending--- but Big Brown was romping and no horse was gaining on him.

[demodonkey]

121. I'm SO glad that YOU know what I am thinking.

Must be nice to know everything.

I just watched the stretch run again to be sure and YES SHE WAS gaining on Big Brown for about 4 to 6 strides shortly after they got into the homestretch and the two of them began pulling away from the pack. Then he pulled away from her.

And FYI, there no fairy tale when the princess ends up lying in the dirt with a lethal injection. It was a valiant effort that ended in tragedy. That's all I said, and I stand by my words.

[trumad]

123. "Then he pulled away from her"

uh---she gained and passed slowing horses as BB was pulling away from them and her.....

[lse7581011]

12. Fucking Ridiculous!

The poor baby! Exploited for the entertainment of rich people! This has got to stop!

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. And the elite will party on like all is well in paradise.

Sick.

[Raven]

16. I hate to say this but...isn't there a big message in this for all of us?

Everything is putrified by business, even these beautiful horses. It is all money. Really, enough is enough.

[Faygo Kid]

20. You are right.

And I started a couple threads here on the Derby, because I remember Secretariat and before that Northern Dancer and this shit never EVER happened, and now it happens all the time.

Excuse me here, but fuck rich people and their stupid hats.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. Is it possible that they're doing something to the tracks so they can have faster races?

Kind of like baseball players getting injured on Astroturf?

[newmajority]

38. I didn't watch, but was the track muddy?

I heard it had been raining most of the day over there. One would think that it's harder for horses to run on a muddy track than a dry one.

How does a horse fall hard enough to break two legs? Poor thing :(

[Vanje]

49. The fall dosnt break the bones.

The impact of running hard causes fractures.
The fall happens after the bones shatter.

[BigDaddy44]

39. No

The record is held by Secretariat, and was set in 1973. Its dirt.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

53. Thanks for your response.

[Journeyman]

44. No. The winner in 1931 had a faster time than the 2007 winner. . .

and that 1931 winner would have won maybe 21 of the last 30 races. And 8 of the next 30 horses to win the Derby after 1931 would have beaten the 2007 champ.

http://horseracing.about.com/od/history/l/blderbywin2.htm

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

52. Thanks for the reply.

[Journeyman]

67. I was inspired to look this up because of an article I read a few years ago. . .

Can't remember where or when I read it, so I can't give a link, but the article examined why human race times continue to get faster but the times for horses don't. As I remember, the author said it had a lot to do with heart -- a race horse may have the heart to win a race, and will do all it can to win, but it doesn't have the ability to fathom abstract concepts such as time, so it doesn't strive to break records, only to win the race. There was also the concept that a horse doesn't run for itself but does so more at the urging of the rider, and so it necessarily lacks some of the personal motivation that enables humans to strive for ever greater perfection. Finally, horses have been bred for speed and other attributes for centuries, and so have attained a plateau of development, while the science of competitive sports -- the training for strength and speed -- and our understanding of nutrition and the role it can play in development, is a relatively recent phenomenon.

I think the comments by LWolf further down this thread (#40) are probably very accurate for explaining why so many of these magnificent animals are geting injured each year.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3240364&mesg_id=3240457

[Unbowed]

73. Horse racing isn't always about money. Sometimes it's about love.

Some owners love their horses as much as they love any other member of their family. There are abuses, as there are in anything, but horse racing itself isn't evil. And it's not always about money. Sometimes it's love of the sport, and the top race horses are successful because they love to run. You simply can't make a horse run like that. It's in them to run or it's not. The heart and courage they show in a race is breathtaking.

If you want to talk about real exploitation of these magnificent animals, let's talk about the KILLERS (slaughterers).

Sometimes horses that are no longer able to race or not winning enough races end up being sold for slaughter. The cruelty in this process is too horrible to describe here. It is the stuff of nightmares. Pets find their way to slaughter too. It's not just race horses. Riding horses are expensive to feed and people are hurting in this economy. So the horses have to go. Many of them end up in the slaughterhouse after a lifetime of serving, loving and being loved by humans.

This is also happening to our wild horses. And very few people seem to care.

And then there is the yearly crop of Premarin foals who are slaughtered at age 4 months because they are the unwanted byproduct of a process to make a drug. Who fights for these little ones?

Horses are exploited for greed every day. People ignore it unless they happen to see something like what happened today.

[Bozita]

21. Came in second, won $$$ for her owners, and gets euthanized.

What's wrong with this picture?

[BigDaddy44]

23. I highly doubt her owners are celebrating

[lse7581011]

24. Everything!

this is tragic!

[bear425]

25. That's it for me. I will never watch horse racing again.

edit: I'm so sad right now and I can't stop crying for Eight Belles.

[femrap]

61. After Barbaro, I couldn't

take it. Have not gone to or watched a horse race since. That broke my heart. NEVER AGAIN. And today on the evening news, I heard the filly was euthanized.

FUCK THE SPORT OF KINGS...AND FUCK THE KINGS, TOO!

I lived in Blue Grass Country in KY...what beautiful animals. I hate to see them hurt.

[Ilsa]

26. NBC is trying to ignore it. They keep shutting off the replay of the finish

right after Big Brown wins so Eight Belles' accident isn't shown. The announcer said second and then injured. I think maybe he didn't have the heart to say she had been put down.

[lse7581011]

27. Don't Spoil the Profits!

sick! absolutely sick! this whole thing should be banned!

[Faygo Kid]

31. "Winners" up next. Let's see what the Rich Guy and his Stupid Hat wife have to say.

The winners had better be subdued and humble; coming up next.

Sorry, I'God damn them all.

[Bozita]

34. "What a great day for the State of Kentucky." - one of the suits

Disgusting!

[Faygo Kid]

47. I'm gonna buy a share of Yum! products just so I can let that asshole have it.

What a jerkoff. Where were his "handlers?" The crowd was subdued, you would have thought this "bright" overpaid CEO would have gotten a clue.

But they live in such a bubble they are clueless. What an embarrassment to share a planet with that waste of human flesh.

[MuseRider]

37. I turned it off.

It is just too much.

[femrap]

65. When Barbaro was injured, they

kept showing him in such pain with his poor leg swinging. I wrote them one pissed email about that. They must have gotten lots of mail about that. I was just frantic...I could imagine a youngster watching that...esp. one that loved horses. I cried and cried....and have not watched a race again. And I used to go to Keeneland in Lexington, KY all the time. Not now.

Was she euthanized on the track? Usually they pull around the horse so the people can't see. Oh I just can't bear it.

I'm so sad.

[Ilsa]

77. Yes, she was trying to get up, but they could see her legs

flailing, I guess.

I've emailed NBC Sports, asking them to speak up about the cruelty to these animals and help work for changing the sport. I'll probably get an auto-response.

[malaise]

106. Just like they shut out the victims of the Iraq invasion and

occupation.
Truth must not be seen - let the money roll in.

[Joe the Revelator]

28. There needs be a moratorium on horse racing.

Thats a reactionary position to take, but this is absurd. If they can't get through the triple crown without killing off horses, then the sport needs to figure out whats wrong before its allowed to go on.

[TheWebHead]

32. I was just watching Go For Wand

in the 1990 Breeders Distaff on youtube... it's a tough thing to see.

[MuseRider]

33. This is just wrong.

I always watch and I don't know why. I think the sport can be barbaric. I always cry and I don't know why. I suspect it is because of my profound love for horses and their great, giving souls. This is too much, this is wrong.

I think I will go up to my barn now and love on my pasture ornament horses. I pulled out of showing because of crap like this and I have never been sorry.

What a great spirit, now gone. She ran a great race and for what? Money. I suppose anymore that is what we all do.

[dogindia]

54. I believe it is time to end killing of any kind. For any reason. Except for grave injury

Not just in horse racing but in any system where we have control. That makes humans truly caring not perpetrators. Death is just a vail to pure positive being. It is not that Eight Belles is suffering. She is now pure positive energy. It is for us who know that this humaness could be far greater. Slaughter just kills ourselves.

I must say I am truly angry.

[CTyankee]

86. Your post moved me so much. I am so sorry for your grief and glad that you are comforting

your pasture horses and taking comfort from them.

This is a sad moment. All I can say is that Eight Belles died doing what she seemed to want to do. If it was in her spirit, it was undeniable to us.

[stellanoir]

35. When I saw her down I thought

that a horse won't stay down unless it has compromised limbs.

They euthanized her within seconds.

How totally tragic.

[BigDaddy44]

36. This ceremony is sickening

Everyone is laughing and congratulating each other. Its disgusting.

[saigon68]

130. Especially that Clueless Mother Fucker from YUM BRANDS

[LWolf]

40. She beat all the boys but one.

I'll take this opportunity to call, again, for reforming horse racing.

No training or racing until they are three. Move it out one more year: give them another year to develop before putting that kind of stress on their frames.

Regulate breeding within the breed, calling for inspections to insure that all sires and dams have adequate bone for their size. Breeding for a single characteristic weakens the breed.

Do away with performance enhancing medications, so that horses have to be sound enough to race without Lasix. That also improves the breed, as then the most successful will be those physically capable of success without drugs.

I just came in from meeting with the vet to do spring vaccinations on my horses. My 19 yo mare, in superb physical condition, is the daughter of a TB who broke a cannon bone on the track as a 2yo in training. A family member rescued him and provided him a long, comfortable life, rarely breeding him as he was "too light." He was only bred to mares with plenty of bone for their sizes.

My thoughts are with 8 belles today, paying the ultimate price for courage and determination. :cry:

[MuseRider]

45. I am with you all the way on this.

I was sickened when I learned that they were starting cutting horses when they were barely 2. As soon as they can be ridden they start the pressure on their joints with roll backs etc. I stopped at that point, I was never any good at it anyway.

I have a 30+ year old (the vet thinks he is actually around 40) who is pampered as much as I possibly can pamper him, it is probably his last year with me. The winter was hard on him even though it was mild and I kept him warm and toasty. They do not live to be that old when you stress them like these TB's are stressed these days. This was a wonderful trail horse who broke many trails around here for others to ride on. No drugs, still living and happy and around 40 years old. Big difference there isn't there?

[LWolf]

56. It's a huge difference.

I, too, was shocked when I realized that they were starting cutting and reining prospects so young. In some ways that's harder even than racing, with all of the stops, turns, etc..

My current riding horse is that 19yo mare's last foal; she's 7 this year. I did lots of ground work with her all along, but didn't put a rider on her until 3 months past her 3rd birthday. Her REAL birthday.

That old mare is due to foal in about 3 weeks. Her 3rd, and last. When I told the vet she was 19, he was shocked. His comment: "You'd never know. She's in the physical shape of a horse in her prime."

I wouldn't have waited so long for the last foal, but I was picky about the stud. The mare is 1/2 tb, and still "hot." I was looking for disposition, bone, and a smaller size, since both her previous foals ended up a lot bigger than she is. I finally chose a small foundation QH; bone, disposition, and size just right.

All I do anymore is trail ride. I want sound, sound-minded, sure-footed horses that will last a lifetime. I don't mind giving them time to grow and develop before asking them to work.

That 19 yo mare, though, is quick, athletic, hot, and LOVED to run. I don't love to run, lol. There was one sandy wash, with good footing and a clear view, that I used to let her gallop out. Let her. Never ask her. She asked me, and loved nothing better than when I said yes. I often think she would have made a good barrel racer for someone who wanted to compete. Her QH grandmother was a money winning barrel racer way back in the late 50s.

She wasn't ridden until the age of 5. 14 years later, she's still going strong.

[MuseRider]

100. I wish we lived close

you sound like someone I would really enjoy being around. We could ride all around, there are so many places here to ride if I would only find the time.

I have foundation quarter horses, nothing quite like the solidness both in body and mind of a good foundation stock QH. Good choice for a mix, I hope it works well for you. I too chose studs carefully until I stopped breeding. I could not part with the babies and now I have 7 horses, way too many. I have seen too many people injecting before they head in to run a routine or do their cutting. I have also seen them beating the hell out of their horses when they do not perform well. It was enough to turn me away only after I turned them in. I loved cutting and I loved the rough and tough cowboy sports but they have evolved into things I don't recognize anymore. I think I found God in the back of a herd of cows while pushing them through the Flint Hills lol.

I have never had a problem with breaking a horse late (not me, I am too old for that but a very carefully chosen trainer). If you do the work before hand they do just fine. My last baby never bucked or ran off once, in fact she never wants to run but she would gladly sit in your lap if you would let her.

They do love to run. I do believe that these horses that are racers are really happy doing it but I don't like the way many of them are treated, especially the early using of them. You are correct, she was probably having the time of her life doing this, some of them just live to run.

This really was a tragic loss, I will never watch again. After this and Barbaro, I am done.

[LWolf]

103. Well, I'm a long way away,

but I was born in the midwest (KC), so I'm familiar with it. That's where you are, right?

Interestingly, the woman who owns the stud I bred to just sold all her brood mares last year. She's breeding the stud to outside mares, but doesn't want to raise any more babies. Why? She has a hard time letting any of them go. ;)

My old mare's last foal is my current riding horse. She'd still sit in my lap if I let her; she used to nap with her head in my lap as a foal. I don't, though. She's 15'2, and WAY too big. I'm hoping for a smaller horse this time around; the older I get, the taller 15'2 seems when it's time to climb aboard.

Meanwhile, I have a friend a few miles down the road that has a retired TB stud; he broke a sesamoid during a race as a 4yo, and was rescued by a family member who later passed him on to her. He's old and sterile now, but still living well. Thoroughbreds are not exactly thrifty eaters. I often wonder what happens to all the horses who are NOT successful on the track.

The only reason there is any TB blood in the family line is the tendency to rescue broken down race horses. I'm trying to dilute that concentration by going back to good foundation quarter horses.

I don't think the racing industry can be stopped, but I wish we could make it more humane.

I'll think of you next time I'm out wandering the trails.

:hi:

[Ilsa]

59. I like your ideas. You know they won't do away with the sport.

It needs to be regulated the way you have suggested, IMO. Not that I know anything about horses or racing, but what you say seems to make sense. As valuable as these horses are to their owners, humanity is lacking.

[LWolf]

62. Thanks.

For those of us whose horses are more than an investment, humane treatment of the athletes is a priority.

My horses are not an investment; they are part of the family. The 3rd and 4th generation of horses I grew up with, bred by my family since 1945, are out in the barn.

[femrap]

74. They are magnificent animals....

No more watching or going to the track after Barbaro. Whenever I went to the track, I prayed before every race that everyone completed the race healthy.

I didn't even look at the names of horses or the odds for the Derby today....I can't take it anymore.

I wish I had a barn and a horse to spoil with love and carrots.

[LWolf]

87. It's worth the financial sacrifices I've made

to have them here. Cleaning the barn, grooming the horses, wandering the ridges...it's all therapy, and I can't imagine living any other way.

[femrap]

99. I love animals....

the older I get, the more I love animals and the less I like most humans. I love the smell of stables. I love to feel the nose of a horse....so soft.

I hope to someday get some land and get off the grid...then take care of some animals...or maybe they'll take care of me.

[LWolf]

102. We take care of each other,

and I like it that way. I wish you a rich realization of those dreams.

[Ilsa]

81. That's lovely. I haven't ridden in a long time, like 1989 or so.

I use to go see a friend in high school and we'd take her horses out for some exercise. I wasn't what I'd call a horse person, but I like them and appreciate their beauty and power.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

82. A wonderful thoughtful post LWolf. From your fingers to god/goddess' eyes.

[Lorien]

90. Totally. I had no idea how bad it's become. When I was last really paying

attention it was the late '70s. My parents knew the owners of Secretariat and he was living a far better life than 90% of the humans on this planet. I know that they never would have given him drugs. They were careful about which mares he was bred to, and I don't think that he was racing professionally until the age of three, though I could be wrong. He retired while he was still a pretty young stallion. The republicanization of America seems to have changed everything so that "anything goes for profit" is widely accepted. :grr:

[ChazII]

41. A sad day

for all who love horses.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

50. Latest report from AP

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080503/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_kentucky_derby_eight_belles_3

The field of 20 horses was galloping out around the first turn at Churchill Downs when Eight Belles suddenly went down on both front legs and jockey Gabriel Saez slid off.

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

An equine ambulance reached her on the track and put down the filly.

"There was no possible way to save her," on-call veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage said. "She broke both front ankles. That's a bad injury."

[Catchawave]

51. Tragic to see her down, when the ambulances

circled her (to hide her from the crowd and cameras), I knew it was bad. I saw that happen once, and will never go back to another race track.

Exploiting these animals for profit is getting more obscene. At least the professional sports people "choose" their sports and their enhancements.

RIP Eight Belles :cry:

[Individualist]

55. It's past time to put a stop to this

Too many horses have had to be put down because of injuries sustained while racing.

[dogindia]

58. I am angry. angry. angry. angry angry angry angry

[rocktivity]

63. .

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
rocknation

[Ilsa]

66. Before the race, one of the horses threw his jockey off. I think it was

RecaptureTheGlory that threw his jockey.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

68. Yes, it was.

[StarryNite]

69. These are lucky horses.

Wild and free. Poor Eight Belles. :cry:

[Ilsa]

71. That reminds me of the last scene of Hidalgo. nt

[Ilsa]

70. A link to see pic of her alive and video of what happened:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24445049/

The NBC Sports website has a link with what I suspect is the last picture of her alive. There is also a video link on the right that shows the fall. Horrible.

I think I'm going to email NBC Sports that this is an atrocious sport, and I won't be watching The Preakness or Belmont or any other horse race until it changes to a kinder sport for the animals.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

75. I just posted. There are pics at Yahoo news, and she tried to get up and they made her lay down.

I cannot watch horse racing again. I vowed after Barbaro no more, but didn't keep that vow. This just broke a part of my heart. The sport has to change.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

72. I'm trying to find out what exactly happened & at Yahoo news they have pics. She tried to get up

after she went down!

:cry:

[bklyncowgirl]

76. Two broken front legs--the vets did what they had to do.

When they destroy an animal worth millions on the track, you know it has to be bad.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

84. I saw the race, I saw her come in second. The next thing I knew she was down on the track. I heard

that she had 2 broken ankles and I know the poor baby had to be put to sleep. I was trying to find out how happened.

[bklyncowgirl]

91. The poor thing's ankles couldn't take the strain--that's the modern Thoroughbred

I love Thoroughbreds but what's been done to the breed in recent years is a damn shame.

Here's a few reasons.

The use of drugs in training and racing. Back in the day if a horse got lame you had to stop on it and give it a rest. Now you can just give it a shot of bute and on it goes. Mind you, bute's a perfectly useful drug, that can relieve pain in an injured animal, but if you use it indiscriminately, you can be masking a real injury. Add to that the use of steriods and you have a real mess on your hands.

The progress of veterinary science. It sounds cruel but, sadly, there are many manifestly unsound horses that suffer injuries that in the old days when the only cure for a broken leg was a bullet, would have permanently removed them from the gene pool, that are saved for stud. They pass on the weakness to their offspring. As a horse lover I was rooting for Barbaro to recover and live out his natural life but I also hoped that he would never be able to breed and pass his weak legs onto his offspring. In a sport in which what matters is precociousness and speed, soundness is not a huge priority.

When I bought my own (non-racing) Thoroughbred, I was pleased to hear that while his mother was thoroughly useless as a race horse and never ran fast enough to get hurt, his father had raced successfully from age 2-8--and set two track records in the process. No hidden defects there.

What's sad about this case is that the trainer is a guy who has a good reputation, rather like Michael Matz, the trainer of Barbaro. He may very well have done everything right but the horse was not strong enough to take the strain. Unfortunately, I don't know what can be done about it. Breeders will do what it's in their best interests to do--breed for speed--pump 'em up with steroids--and sell them for big bucks.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

113. Thank you for your very thoughtful response.

From everything I've read on this thread and on a few others, it seems that there are many breeders that don't appear to different from puppy mills and it is deeply disturbing. I have loved horses as long as I can remember. Both of my parents loved betting on horse races, so it was always wonderful for me to go to the track with them. Aqueduct and Belmont was virtual heaven for me. My ex-husband also loves going to the track. And for all the times I went as a kid and until my early 30s, and such severe injuries were luckily few and far between. I understand your point about the meds and brought to mind the movie, North Dallas Forty, about football.

Earlier in this thread I asked a question about the actual track and discovered that its just dirt. Weird though, someone also said that they saw sand and debris flying when the horses were racing down the track. I didn't notice that. Although it rained all night there and I heard part of the day, the track was not muddy but appeared firm. It still makes me wonder if they put a layer of dirt on top of the mud.

When Barbaro broke down and I saw his foot dangling, I said I was done with the sport and promised I'd never watch again. Then yesterday, after seeing a thread on DU about the race, I decided to turn it on and it was for the last time. I'm done unless they do something drastically to protect the horses. Many excellent suggestions on this thread. Later training, physical requirements. There can be pitfalls with the physical requirements. What would happen to the colts and fillies that don't meet them? I shiver at the thought of what irresponsible breeders would do with them.

BTW...do you ride near Mill Basin?

[bklyncowgirl]

120. I grew up during the last great age of racing.

Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Forego, Affirmed, damn those were race horses. I still can't watch Secretariat's triple crown races without saying wow.

All of these horses raced at age two and were none the worse for the wear. They also raced on dirt tracks. Once again catastrophic breakdowns in high profile races were rare. Yes horses suffered from soft tissue injuries like human atheletes and occaisionally a horse would clip heels with another horse and go down but a horse breaking both legs while pulling up was unheard of.

I've always thought that the worst thing the racing authorities ever did was legalize bute and lasix. If a horse is so lame that it needs bute it should not be running in a freaking horse race. Steriods, should be banned, period. Any trainer whose horse tests positive should lose his license. This is not brain surgery.

I've always loved watching the races but this year may be my last. Big Brown may win the Triple Crown or he may break down--he's an accident waiting happen but he may be the most awsesomely talented horse since, well, Barbaro. If he wins the crown he'll now doubt be whisked off to the breeding shed to pass along his crappy feet to generations of unfortunate horses.

They aren't breeding faster horses, Secretariat's Triple Crown records still stand over 30 years later. What they are breeding are horses that look great at the yearling sales and run well as two year olds but are fragile and delicate as rare china. I saw a Thoroughbred the other day whose ankles touched the ground when he trotted. The owner was bragging on how well bred he was. Yeah right. Mind you there are plenty of good horsemen breeding sound Thoroughbreds. My daughter's going to start galloping a filly this fall for a friend of hers that's a beauty, raised on hay and oats and plenty of outdoor time. Wouldn't it be great if she did well? Imagine a filly owned and trained by a black guy who lives in a trailer on a farm ridden by a little girl with green hair who's hell on wheels on a horse winning the triple crown--well we can all dream.

By the way, I don't ride near Mill Basin. I grew up in Bay Ridge and rode and worked at the old Clove Lake Stables in Staten Island--just a short bus ride across the bridge. I moved to New Jersey some years ago and keep a horse at a farm not too far from my home. I use the nom du net Bklyncowgirl to remind myself of where I came and that even a working class kid from Brooklyn can learn how to ride a horse if she really wants to.

[CottonBear]

129. You DON'T want to look at the pics. I saw one. Her legs were totally broken and bent the wrong way

:(

[Ilsa]

78. I wonder if the celebration have skipped a beat if a jockey had been

injured and euthanized. These people are partying like they've invented immortality.

[MasonJar]

80. I am heartbroken; she proved her worth by coming in second and then

broke her front two ankles in the gallop after the race. Three year olds are too young to be in these grueling battles. Their legs are not yet strong enough. What a sad day for racing!!!

[StarryNite]

83. Sad day for Eight Belles.

Every time something like this happens they say it's a sad day for racing but yet they don't do a thing to change it. "They" don't give a shit about the horses. It's all about greed.

[trumad]

89. A thread full of the most ignorant fuckers on DU.

Every time something like this their ignorance comes full frontal.

[Faygo Kid]

92. I think you mean a different thread.

There's nothing but sympathy on this one.

I have seen the others.

[lse7581011]

93. And May Something Like This

not happen to a loved one of yours! }(

[TZ]

94. Yep.

Not like horses don't hurt themselves and die in the wild. Mustangs suffer some horrific traumas too (see fighting)

[lse7581011]

95. But!

At least it's not for profit!

[TZ]

97. There are an awful lot of people in it for the love of the sport

and not for profit. It's a lock most of the horse racing is teh evul have never actually been around horse racing outside of MAYBE going to a track. I know people who treat their horses like pets and love them dearly. Some are in it for the money yes..but its a hard business to make a lot of money in except for a few.

[lse7581011]

98. I Don't Think This Is a Sport!

abusing animals just doesn't turn me on!

[TZ]

101. okay

So you better ban all terrier dogs! They hone their hunting abilities by barking at rats and other vermin!
Horses run. They are pack animals. I've met people--they aren't abusing their animals for the most part.
Maybe you ought to actually learn about it before you criticize. I also know about wild horses..and trust me..they have a much worse life than any racehorse does.

[Faygo Kid]

96. Of course. I donate. But we are and should be human; this touches a chord.

If you think that's awful, or deserving of the title "most ignorant fuckers on DU," then I can't say much else.

Except this: Sometimes it takes seeing the reality of a tragedy to appreciate the abstraction you rightly speak of. I don't think that makes me or the other posters here "ignorant fuckers." But if you have it all figured out, congratulations.

[StarryNite]

104. So I guess that makes all forms of abuse

justifiable. After all, it's not like humans and other animals don't hurt themselves and die anyway. People suffer some horrific traumas fighting too so it doesn't matter if we abuse each other. :eyes:

:sarcasm:

[spoony]

110. The sad thing is, you probably truly don't get the difference

between natural deaths and those that are caused by the avarice and egos of businessmen.

[femrap]

125. You need to get a few ribs removed....

then you'll have something to do with your mouth and the world will be greatly relieved NOT to have hear from an asshole like you.

Go hang out with your repugnant friends....hateful, evil buddies just like you.

[Stinky The Clown]

107. I'm glad I didn't watch the race

The fun of the Triple Crown went down with Ruffian.

[AnnieBW]

108. Poor thing

She was a beautiful girl, and ran a heck of a race. They didn't show what happened to cause it, though. ;(

[Up2Late]

109. I just watched the "Iso-cam on Big Brown" of the race, looks like she's hurt after the final turn!

Unfortunately, the video at the "Tragic ending for filly Eight Belles" isn't working, probably too many people trying to watch it at the same time, but if you check out the video just above that one (after the window pops up) you can watch the race from the camera that is following "Big Brown," it's labeled "Iso-cam on Big Brown."

Then, watch as they make the final turn, just after they make the turn for home, "Eight Bells" head twists back and toward the right (like she's trying to tell her rider that she's hurt) and at that point her gate starts to look odd. It looks to me like she starts to run on only three 1/2 legs, but then the rider goes to the whip and she starts to put on her finish run on three 1/2 legs.

That's probably why she broke both legs.

Here's the link to the story and video: <http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24445049>

This was her riders first Kentucky Derby, I bet a more experienced rider would have pulled her up sooner.

[jmowreader]

112. I've got a non-horse-race-fan type question here...

Could the Breeders' Cup have anything to do with the problems we've seen in the last few years of Triple Crown racing?

From what they tell me, you make more money in the Breeders' Cup Challenge series than you do in the Triple Crown, and there are more races hence more exposure to your horse--an important thing, I would imagine, if the intent is to stand the horse at stud after his racing career is over. Ergo, the Breeders' Cup has become more important to the racing community than the Triple Crown.

I also know that in the years since the inception of the Breeders' Cup, no horse has won the Triple Crown.

So what I guess I'm asking is, are the horses they run in the Triple Crown worse than they used to be? Maybe the reason we didn't used to have all these problems in the Triple Crown (as was noted upthread) and have lots of them now, is the horses that wouldn't have the problems are in a different series.

[LWolf]

116. I don't think it has anything to do with the breeder's cup.

It does have to do with selective breeding. Breeding selectively for speed weakens the breed overall. Allowing horses to use Lasix to run allows weaker specimens in the gene pool. The modern racing Thoroughbred has a lighter frame, which does not withstand the punishment as well.

There are other factors as well. We race them too young. We race them over hard surfaces.

Don't be fooled. Racing has always been lethal to horses. I was at the track with my grandfather when I was 4 years old; he loved the races and owned a couple of horses at one point. I remember the crowds, the cheers, and then my grandfather trying to explain to me why they were killing one of the horses who had fallen during a race.

The senior mare in my barn today is the daughter of a horse that broke a leg as a 3 yo in training in 1971. He was too light, and training too young. He was going to be "put down" for financial reasons. He had a broken cannon bone. A family member rescued him. I still have a copy of his papers, which say, "Sold under condition never to race." As if he could have raced after an injury like that. He did live to be 24. He was euthanized when he became arthritic and couldn't move comfortably; a little younger than a full life span, but then, his other 3 legs had 21 years of extra stress.

The same family member rescued another horse in 1990, a 4 yo who broke a sesamoid bone on the track.

Broken bones and euthanized race horses are a common occurrence.

[CottonBear]

128. No. I'm a horse owner and I love Thoroughbreds. My mare's dam is a TB and I've ridden many of them

including off the track horses. They are incredible animals.

The problem is that the horse owners want to make back their investment ASAP. They don't want to wait until the horse is full grown and the bones and joints are completely developed. There is no reason other than this that they are raced so early in life.

My horse is an Oldenburg ( a German warm blood breed) whose dam is a TB. My mare just turned 5 and this summer I will start her under saddle. She will still grow and fill out for another one to two years. The Germans don;t show these horses until they are 6 to 8 years old.

I hope she will live to be 25 or 30 or more. We have many happy and hopefully healthy years ahead of us!

That said, any horse can fatally injure itself at any time. I had a TB gelding that fatally colicked and sustained a ruptured colon, I saw a young Holsteiner mare jump a metal gate and break her upper front leg clean in half, and we had a TB stallion slip and fall in the rain and injure his back so that over the course of a few weeks he got worse and worse, would get down and finally could not get up. They all had to be euthanized.

Horses are a paradox: they are incredibly powerful, fast and strong yet they are so fragile and easily injured, especially their legs and feet. Their digestive system is very sensitive and they are prone to colic and other digestive ailments. One must be very careful about what and hopw much (or little) that they eat and, of course, proper hydratiuon is key. Whoever coined the phrase "healhy as a horse" didn't own a horse.

[The Stranger]

118. I stopped being a horse racing fan after Barbaro and what I learned about the sport.

I can't watch the video of Eight Belles getting killed. I can't do it.

[Bozita]

119. A female groom posted this note at the Detroit News website...

I found it touching.

http://info.detnews.com/redesign/forums/sports/lettersindex.cfm?forum=sports&relatedURL=AID=/20080503/SPORTS07/805030416

Sun. 05/4/08 02:36 AM

THE FILLY THAT RAN HER HEART OUT

Everybody in Horse racing looks forward to this day. All of the Horsemen ( and included in this description of Horsemen, a Woman means Horsemen as well) & the fans of the sport.

I didn't go to the track to watch this race, my boyfriend went with my bets. I stayed home to watch it in the comfort of our living room. I liked Eight Belles from the the time I heard she was being entered in the race. Entered in both the Oaks & Derby, Scratched from the Oaks to run with the boys. She ran in the most Prestigious Race in horse racing history. THE KENTUCKY DERBY. AND SHE RAN HER HEART OUT. As I sat watching the race unfold, I knew that Big Brown had done what he needed to do at the start of this race. He didn't bolt out trying to clear the entire field, had he the race would of ended for him right there. Kent Desormeaux ran a perfect race, BUT?????????????????????????????? So did Gabriel Saez . Eight Belles was in the race from the start, being rated perfectly. At the top of the stretch when Big Brown made his move, so did Eight Belles. In reality I wanted her to kick his a**. I mean a Filly that can not only run with the boys but beat them? Hell yes. I was literally screaming in my living room, GO BABY, GO. Catch him! Big Brown opened up like the big horse he is, but Eight Belles ran the race of her life. And second in the Derby? And only beaten by 5 lengths. She beat Dennis of Cork by 5 lengths as well. At the end of the race I leaped from the couch yelling SHE RAN HER HEART OUT, SHE RAN HER HEART OUT, SHE RAN HER HEART OUT. Called my boyfriend who couldn't really hear me from all the people at the track. But I tried to yell over the phone, WHO CAME IN SECOND BABY? Who came in second. Didn't I tell you that Filly would be there, she ran her heart out. He couldn't really hear so we ended the call.

Still smiling from ear to ear with tears welled up in my eyes, the unbelievable happened. The Announcer came out and said there a problem with Eight Belles, she appears to have sustained an injury. Then the camera went to her laying on the track. I Screamed NO, NO, NO. It can't be. She just ran her heart out, it can't end up like this. The tears of Joy I had, suddenly turned to saddening crying. Just kept saying NO, she ran her heart out. NO, SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS.

I looked at her lying there, and my first thought was she had a Heart Attack. Now I was wailing. I couldn't imagine such a race being run with this horse with all this heart, then having it end in her death. I just kept saying NO, please God, No. Moments later the Vet was interviewed and said she simultaneously broke both front ankles galloping out. I couldn't believe it. I watched the replay of the race, she was perfect. I watched both front legs and there was nothing wrong. She finished in one piece a Grand Champion. How in the world could she had broke not only one ankle, AFTER THE RACE. BUT TWO? Just galloping out after the race. BUT SHE DID, and was put down immediately.

Just seconds earlier she did the inevitable. Out of a Field of 19 Colts, she had beaten 18 of them. I just cried and stayed crying for an entire hour. This poor horse never got a chance to enjoy what she had just done.

There are people that will weigh in that horse racing is a abusive sport. But they are wrong. Horses were born to run. Some to the point of disappointment if they can't. I'll never forget while working for Bonnie Sutherland at DRC, she owned and trained a horse named Lost Weekend. That year we were in annex 3 or 4. Weekend had the first stall by the door. From that point the track could be seen. In the afternoon while racing is going on, the horses NOT entered to run that day relax. Weekend WATCHED, as races ran. As if to say HEY, I want to be out there. One day when she was entered, she went to post. Got out on the track only for the jock to return her to the paddock, saying she's not right. Personally that particular day, I don't think she was WANTED in the race. She was sore NO WHERE. The only one that wasn't right was that Jock & Vet for scratching her. But I'll never forget the look in this horses eyes when they ran that race without her. She watched the other horses running the race, and if could of spoken to us would of said Hey, WHAT ABOUT ME? You could actually see the disappointment in this horses Eyes. Like she had been cheated out of a race. HORSES WERE BORN TO RUN.

The horse racing industry has many different kinds of people. People that would do without for their horses, like Bonnie Sutherland & others. Then there's people that consider it to be just that. THE HORSE RACING GAME. No big deal about them personally. One horse is just like the rest. Thank God they make up the FEW. I was in this game because I loved the horse's. I genuinely loved Animals. Most Owners and trainers love them too. All of them individually have their own personalities. They feel identically what we do. Love, Joy, Fear, Pain, Sadness, Disappointment. When people starve, abuse, hurt them. THEY FEEL. Depression & Pain. When people are feeding them, watering them, giving them clean stalls, playing with them & treating them good. THEY FEEL. They Feel Joy & Happiness. When they are in pain, you can SEE IT IN THEIR EYES. When they feel Good, you can SEE IT IN THEIR EYES.

Today one race out of hundreds that will have ran today, was run. It was the Race that the Horse Racing Industry looks forward to this time every year.

It was THE KENTUCKY DERBY. A Powerhouse showed what he had, his name. BIG BROWN. He showed his Bloodline with Pride. He won from the 20th post, and did it with Fine Fashion. Then there was a Filly named Eight Belles who also showed her bloodline, that bloodline I happen to love. Dixieland Band Breeding. And she showed an even BIGGER HEART. The Girls aren't suppose to be able to match the Boys Stamina. SHE DID.

SHE BEAT 18 of them. She couldn't catch the Best of the day. But she was only 5 lengths away certainly with-in reach. I looked for the complete head on view of the race. At this point of posting, I haven't been able to find it. I'm sure I will in the upcoming hours. The only video I did find didn't tell me much. It looked so damn innocent. It was unimaginable. A totally freak accident. An accident that would break many hearts today. The loss of her Life, the most important part. For the Owners of this filly I can only imagine what they feel, the Trainer as well. But the one I feel for the most, is the one person who nobody ever mentions. The one who spends the most time with their horses assigned to them, from the very early A.M. to the Late afternoons. THE GROOM. This person cleans their stalls, does up their legs, picks & packs their feet, feeds 3 times a day, picks stall again in the P.M.. Comes back to the track during hot summer nights and waters them off. Takes care of every single need that the Horse requires. Yet they get no mention at all.

In reality, if not for the GROOMS that rub these horses. Most wouldn't be able to run at all. It would be nice once and awhile for someone to give them credit. The impact of this race today, and the outcome for Eight Belles won't even be reached until Tomorrow Morning. They know already A tragedy has happened. They went back to the Barn and someone was missing. But it won't be until tomorrow that the FULL IMPACT is realized. For the Owners & Trainer. For the GROOM IT WILL BE THAT EMPTY STALL, Where Eight Belles stood. I wouldn't want to be any of them. Because if a Groom here in the Metro/Detroit area whose been completely out of this Game for a total of 8 years, can sit here crying as she writes this Blog about a horse in reality she never saw in person or got to know.

I CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT THE GROOM WHO DID, WILL FEEL LIKE.

And the feeling will be Emptiness.

Eight Belles should still be here, but she's not. She didn't deserve this ending. And really none of us knows why. The race of her lifetime was over. And she finished 2nd in the Kentucky Derby in Grand Style. A freak accident took her. God knows why, I certainly do not, and never will. I want to understand WHY, but I wont. AND IT HURTS. Friday during the running of the Alysheba stakes, another horse broke down, Cherlokee. I'd like to believe that they're together somewhere, running happy and free.

"God forbid there should be a heaven where there are no horses".

Linda Valerio, Detroit, MI

[alphafemale]

127. The horses do love to run, and this is beautifully written but 3 is still WAY too young.

Poor baby.

[piesRsquare]

122. I just learned...

...that the horse Big Brown was named after UPS (United Parcel Service, Inc).

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a4CO3YUQIgus&refer=home

I think that's weird.

(Yeah, yeah, I'm being judgmental, I know. But I really do think it's weird!)

[StarryNite]

124. It's all about greed.

They're already trying to make money off of next year's Kentucky Derby. I just came across this ad;

2009 Kentucky Derby - May 2, 2009
Louisville, Kentucky

Buy Kentucky Derby Packages and Kentucky Derby Tickets - before this event sells out.

Kentucky Derby Tour Package options can include lodging in the Louisville area, Derby and Oaks tickets, plus VIP options including exclusive parties and Derby Dinners. Be a part of the legendary race and create a racing memory of a lifetime!

http://www.sportstraveler.net/custom/kentuckyderby.html