Eight Belles

[Underdog]

Thank you

I have been following this post…and thank god someone else saw what we did.

“Did anyone notice her change her stride when she started down the stretch? You can very clearly see a change when you watch the length of her stride, it goes from long and smooth to short and choppy, which makes me and my fellow equine friends think that maybe she had hurt herself starting down the stretch. Just a thought!”

My husband and I actually gasped, from the camera angle we saw in the initial crowd where they converged after the gate.
We saw a horse almost go down, and GASPED. A grey.

That filly ran on pure adrenaline…it happen early IMO.
She would have won IMO.
Just another observation.

We both saw something very early on.

[RedMare01]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/05/03/bc.us.rac.kentuckyderby.belles.ap/index.html?eref=T1

A very good article.

Caitlin

[system]

wow… its so sad:cry:

[LearnToFly]

All I could think of when I heard she went down was the clip they ran earlier of her and her trainer: “Larry to Eight Belles, you can pull up whenever you feel like it!” and how he was riding her around with a big grin on his face like a kid on his first pony. I feel so sick for him right now.

[QUOTE=Tucked_Away;3186926]
I didn’t like her action behind in the walking ring. But I don’t typically have a great eye for soundness…I figured I was seeing things.

A buddy of mine linked this video of her workout last week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RHB46v5s7k

Should a horse moving this way have been asked to race?[/QUOTE]

I don’t see what you’re talking about in the video… I thought maybe she didn’t look right during the warm-up, but I don’t ever think very many look sound in their hind end. I DID see the bobble in that last furlong, wonder if that’s when she started breaking down?

Semi-OT, but if we’re going to improve the safety of the horses in races like this, the first thing we can do is make the field smaller… Gees, 20 horses breaking from the gate at the same time at a racing gallop is enough to put your heart in your throat!!

[Kenike]

speaking on how the outrider handled BB at the end, if you watch the replay of the race (on the WAVE link) you can see as soon as he has control of the horse that both he and the jockey immediately turn around to see what’s going on with Eight Belles. Then as they turn to trot back, outrider, jockey, and BB are all locked on the filly watching what’s going on. You can see BB’s eyes get huge and he wants to run away from the filly…I’m imagining that he spooked when she trying to get up again.

It was kind of harsh how he handled the horse, but I still think he was thinking simply in terms of stopping the horse and making sure no more accidents happened.

[Policy_of_Truth]

You were so beautiful and so fast. I was so excited to see you run. I was ecstatic to see you come in second! I had no idea you would leave us so quickly. You were obviously very loved. I’m so sorry and so sad that this happened to you.

[Plumcreek]

In a recent edition of The Bloodhorse concentrating on synthetic surfaces, the concensus I came away with was that there has been a decrease in bone injuries, but an increase in muscle injuries, as most of the different synthetic surfaces are deeper to the base than dirt surfaces.

[Kenike]

I still hold to my opinion that she was drifting left and the jockey was trying to correct her at the point everyone is saying she shortened up. She did the same thing and the exercise rider had to do the same thing in that video posted of her Apr 27 workout. Once she was again straight and no longer drifting in the race she flattened out and looked good.

Theories, only…

[jumper11]

Seriously?

[QUOTE=JeanM;3186664]
I seem to be on the same wavelength as others here.

I was torn about tuning into the Derby.

I should’ve listened to the side of me that said DON’T DO IT.

Shades of Ruffian.

I was so rooting for that filly and I was so thrilled to see her almost succeeding.

Then to have that shot of her lying out flat.

ROT IN HADES, greedy owners and trainers.

Just reinforces my feeling that 2 and 3 year old horses are BABIES. They have NO business being pushed like this.

Rolex coverage was advertised as being on tomorrow. I think I will plan on mucking manure instead, as a much more worthy use of my time. Eventing has taken a turn down the road of racing – it’s all about the buck, not about the horse.[/QUOTE]
The dramatics aren’t necessary. The horse wouldn’t have ever been born if this weren’t her job. It sucks that she broke down, it’s really terrible but why condemn her owners, I’m sure they feel crappy enough as it is.

[hundredacres]

I didn’t watch it - for the first time in probably 15-20 years. I just came home from a night at Chuck E. Cheese with the kiddo and read this story. Ugh.

I am so burned out on the breakdowns. I can’t enjoy it anymore. It just feels wrong lately - and I LOVE horse racing. It’s just not so fun or exciting to watch anymore.

[florida_foxhunter]

I am absolutely sick to my stomach! Poor filly!

[fish]

[QUOTE=hundredacres;3187285]
I didn’t watch it - for the first time in probably 15-20 years. I just came home from a night at Chuck E. Cheese with the kiddo and read this story. Ugh.

I am so burned out on the breakdowns. I can’t enjoy it anymore. It just feels wrong lately - and I LOVE horse racing. It’s just not so fun or exciting to watch anymore.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. I love college basketball (Duke fan), and think the players and the game are gorgeous, but I don’t think I could continue watching if I started seeing my favorite athletes die on the court.

[J_Turner]

I love this picture I found of her with her trainer riding her. She looks so nice to ride in the trot picture. She almost looks like she’s in a hunter hack class or a little beginning dressage frame.

http://www2.nysun.com/pics/150_large.jpg

[DeeThbd]

[QUOTE=GreekDressageQueen;3186661]
Did she break the ankles and then fall down or did she break the ankles because she fell down? Anyone see what actually happened? She seemed fine up until the end so it seems strange that both ankles would go at the same time after the race.

RIP. Very sad.[/QUOTE]

Am only partway through this sad thread…from what I’ve known, when a horse breaks both fronts, sometimes one break happens first, and the added stress on the opposite fore causes a break on the other.
Rest you gentle, sleep you sound, sweet momma.
Dee

[tarynls]

Thankfully she was attended to and euthanized within 1-2 minutes of her injury.

Both Dr. Bramladge (sp?) and the outriders were there ASAP. Thankfully she was euthanized within 1-2 minutes of her injury. Dr. Bramladge said he’d never seen anything like this before…

Both fetlocks were broken. One dislocated, one had a compound fracture with bone coming through the skin.

Makes me sick. Will not watch another Derby…shades of too many broken down horses.

Charasmatic come to anyone’s mind? God Bless Chris Antley for pulling him up ASAP.

God speed young filly; may you gallop freely over the Rainbow Bridge.

[3DogNight]

I feel absolutely terrible for the owner, trainer, jockey, and all those associated with this brave filly. I’m sure that none of them envisioned this day ending the way it did. I could very easily see myself saying “I won’t watch racing again” or “I won’t watch eventing again”, but how hypocritical would that be, knowing that my 17 yr. old OTTB mare is getting ready to go to her first show of the year next weekend and that anything could happen? Heck, it could happen in turnout tomorrow. I also know that she loves her job, and that she’s happiest when she sees that fence in front of her, even if it’s only 2’6" these days.

I’m saddened that this filly’s life ended far too early, but I truly believe that if these horses didn’t love what they did, they wouldn’t be performing at such high levels. I can only hope that those coming down hard on the industry realize that these owners and trainers DO care for their horses, and maybe show a little respect for those that lost a treasured friend today.

RIP Eight Belles.

[2016_RoyalCrown_KTug]

A filly ran with the big boys, and was so close, only to have this happen…

Godspeed sweetie. Gallop free forever with Secretariat, Barbaro and all the rest!

Thinking and praying for you Eight belles,

Gillian

[2016_RoyalCrown_KTug]

[QUOTE=3DogNight;3187370]
I feel absolutely terrible for the owner, trainer, jockey, and all those associated with this brave filly. I’m sure that none of them envisioned this day ending the way it did. I could very easily see myself saying “I won’t watch racing again” or “I won’t watch eventing again”, but how hypocritical would that be, knowing that my 17 yr. old OTTB mare is getting ready to go to her first show of the year next weekend and that anything could happen? Heck, it could happen in turnout tomorrow. I also know that she loves her job, and that she’s happiest when she sees that fence in front of her, even if it’s only 2’6" these days.

I’m saddened that this filly’s life ended far too early, but I truly believe that if these horses didn’t love what they did, they wouldn’t be performing at such high levels. I can only hope that those coming down hard on the industry realize that these owners and trainers DO care for their horses, and maybe show a little respect for those that lost a treasured friend today.

RIP Eight Belles.[/QUOTE]

…And you just said that perfectly…

[DickHertz]

I can’t seem to find the NBC replay anywhere, but there was a horse either in the back or near the back of the field who was taking some rough bad steps turning into the stretch and the jockey was pounding on him with the whip. I was like ‘jackoff, you’re 30 lenghts out of it and your horse is not travelling sound, why are you hitting the horse’.

[Mirakel]

[QUOTE=poltroon;3187104]
Most horses that I’ve ever ridden love to gallop. You can feel them grinning after a good one.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with this. I don’t know a TON about racing, but I did gallop youngins for a while.

I’ll never forget taking a specific baby out to the track for the first time. We were being ponied by a very old, very retired racehorse. We set out at a brisk walk, they broke to a quiet trot for a bit, and all of a sudden took off. The ponying horse had been used to pony a lot of the babies and had never pulled anything like this before. Somehow, though, the one I was on knew exactly what to do. The other rider attempted to pull hers up, but neither of them were having it. The flat out raced for a bit, I pulled up eventually with a face full of mud.

Anyway, I’m completely heartbroken about Eight Belles. I feel like I’ve lost a dear friend.