So heart wrenching… and just after she tried her heart out amongst the best colts. I bet she waited til the end to let them break, she wanted to try to win first…
[QUOTE=BabyGoose;3186637]
I fought with myself about watching this race today. But I watched. Now I am so sick. I am done. I can’t watch racing anymore. I quit going to live racing years ago and now I’m done completely. The coverage of Eight Belles and her trainer on ESPN earlier was so touching with him riding her and talking to her, telling her she was a sweetheart… I’m done.[/QUOTE]
His heart must be torn out of his chest. I can’t imagine. All I want to do is hold Nigel, my OTTB, if only I could. I hope I can keep doing my part and take care of him forever.
I too along with my husband was praying that nothing bad would happen and then when you thought all was ok BAM Poor Belle she was my favorite.
I can only imagine what the owners and trainers are going through.
One question is HOW DID SHE BREAK BOTH ANKLES? She ran so strong and showed no sign of weakness or pain even through the finish line.
Anyone have any idea how this happens?
RIP Belle
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.
So…after Rolex and this…what a crappy week to be an equine sports enthusiast. Man.
I was really hoping she’d win. Looks like as they were pulling up, she tripped, took a nose dive and had fractures in both fronts.
At least they were there to euth her immediately.
You know what I’d like to see? 5 YO racing. I wonder if they weren’t being worked so hard at 2 and 3 if there would be less of these stress injuries.
Does anyone know WHY they broke?
It didn’t look like she was weak from the view TV gave me. They’re not showing any replays. Maybe someone had a different view?
Heard the injuries were caused by falling - why did she collapse?
Poor thing, RIP Eight Belles. She was a fantastic filly.
Put me in with those who are done watching racing at such a young age. Not just for Eight Belles, but there have been so many tragic injuries and fatalities. It’s just not fair to the horses.
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.
I was listening to Jerry Bailey talk about it, he looked at her right before she crossed the finish line and said she didn’t seem in any distress at all. Obviously something happened after the race?
I’m just shaking. RIP to a great filly who ran her heart out today.
That’s it for me too. Watching with my dear 85 year old mother, a horsewoman all her life, and in a nursing home, I said before the race, please please, let there not be any deaths. Please.
We rejoiced Big B winning, only to see Kent come off at a spook and the spook was the filly down. NO more, no more. The end for me.
Seeing the aerial replay, you can see when both ankles went. One went, she tried to catch herself and the other went. After the race.
I think BB spooked when he turned around and had to walk past her lying on the track. They hadn’t come back to the walk, yet, when she fell.
Let’s do try to keep in mind that nobody else was hurt. If it had happened in the race or her jockey hadn’t already felt something going on, it could’ve been a lot worse. (not trying to be callous, just honest truth)
sa sad news
Dr. Bramlage said ishe broke both:sadsmile:front ankles andwas put down
Dammit.
Such a nice, special filly. She finished beautifully. 
I’m at a loss. I really am.
I can’t imagine how she broke BOTH front ankles!? Do you guys think she fell due to the broken ankles or broke them in the fall?? Maybe an aneuyerism (sp?) or heart issue that caused her to collapse?? I don’t get it, she looked like she finished fine, made it almost to the turn,… I just don’t get it… And all I can keep thinking is hearing Larry Jones talking to her as he was schooling her… This is soooooo awful…
~Darci~
I’m still listening to the ESPN radio…they are talking about how she just broke both ankles and didn’t have any legs to stand on…I’m crying. I can’t even imagine what that poor girl must have been going through.
Just a question…Jerry Bailey just said it occured almost a quarter of a mile after the race was over. what could have caused this?
[QUOTE=AHorseSomeDay;3186653]
I saw Eight Belles go down. How did she break her ankles? Was it at the end of the race or had she broken them during the race and continued running? Any ideas?
Is that why Big Brown’s jockey fell off because he spooked at the filly going down?
Poor Eight Belles. Rest in Peace. I was upset when I saw her go down. :([/QUOTE]
I think by what I saw it looked like it happened after the race and she just collapsed. They basically must have just snapped. They did say that they thought that was why Big Brown spooked and his jockey came off…the timing was right.
so heartbreaking.
You know…I said a prayer before the race started while they were all in the gate waiting for the doors to open. I asked God to watch over the horses and riders and get them across the wire safely. Weird how this happened AFTER the wire while they were galloping out. I should have asked for an extension…
My BF is at the race…I’m waiting to hear an update from him. He texted me when she went down, but just to tell me that he couldn’t tell who it was. I think I probably knew who and what it was before he did.
RIP, gorgeous girl. You really ran your heart out.
How many deaths do there have to be before something changes?
[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;3186662]
You know what I’d like to see? 5 YO racing. I wonder if they weren’t being worked so hard at 2 and 3 if there would be less of these stress injuries.[/QUOTE]
I’m with you. I truly believe that the damage done by riding them as yearlings contributes to these breakdowns later down the road. I would at least like to see 2 year old racing stopped.
RIP Eight Belles.
Did anyone else notice in the replays that she turned her head to her right several times? I wonder if something was bothering her at that point…
I was so happy she finished 2nd, was hoping for an upset at the next races…
Like others, watching the Derby has been a tradition my whole life…It is getting hard to want to watch anymore…
The trainer of Eight Bells, Larry Jones, won the Oaks yesterday with another of his great fillies. He thought this one could hold her own with the boys–and she did.
The price she paid…I would not be so superficial as to put a price on this kind of heart, courage and soul.
I am sure glad they put her to sleep right then and there, her pain must have been consuming.
But all I have to do is go to www.horsedeathwatch.com
anytime I start thinking this is an isolated instance.
RIP, great filly. I’m going to just know that you are safely over The Bridge, galloping forever on four strong legs that will carry you forever.
