Triumph and tragedy at the Kentucky Derby
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Bill Jempty | Saturday, May 3, 2008 |
The most exciting two minutes in all of sports was raced today.
Big Brown backed up his trainer’s boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday — a day marred by the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles.
The unbeaten Big Brown took charge when the 20-horse field turned for home. Under the urging of jockey Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory to become the seventh unbeaten Derby winner with his fourth consecutive win. The last one was Barbaro in 2006
Big Brown made it look easy today with a convincing victory. Now it has to be seen if the horse can win the Triple Crown. There hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Here’s the video of the 2008 Kentucky Derby.
After the race was over, one horse had to be put down.
The cheers for the winner’s decisive victory were cut short when Eight Belles, the runner-up, was euthanized on the track minutes after the race when she collapsed with two broken front ankles.
What a terrible thing to happen on horse racing’s biggest day of the year. Eight Belles collapsed on the back stretch after the race was over. What happened today brings back memories of Ruffian and her tragic end.
Some may say Eight Belles was raced too hard, but these are fragile animals as Barbaro reminded us just recently.
- Bernardini Wins Preakness; Barbaro Hurt
- Rachel Alexandra wins the Preakness Stakes
- Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown has hoof injury
- Preakness winner Bernardini out of Belmont
- Barbaro RIP
- Kentucky Derby Champ Barbaro on the Mend
- Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra won’t run in Belmont Stakes
- 3-year-old Rags to Riches wins the Belmont Stakes
- Last horse standing? Win Willy withdraws from the Kentucky Derby
- Canadian owned horse Shadow Play wins the Little Brown Jug
- Eight is Enough- Edmonton beats Chicago 8-4
- Lydia Ko wins New South Wales Open
- The Comeback I- Pittsburgh Penguins beat NY Islanders 5-0
- Seattle Mariners Outfielder Greg Halman stabbed to death at age 24
- Hee Young Park wins CME Titleholders Championship
- Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball Coach Kurt Budke dead at 50
- Costly mistake- Blackhawks waive Rostislav Olesz
- Manager Tony La Russa announces retirement
- Puck Drop- Florida Panthers start the 2011-12 NHL season
- 13-time PGA Tour winner Dave Hill dead at 74
I was there and saw the race. There was nothing wrong with Eight Belles she finished and was exhausted. Her heart gave out as she was not trained for this endurance and when pushed she gave her all and then collapsed.
Tell it like it is “animal cruelty”. Eight Bells did not enjoy this “run”. Only the people who bet and won could have enjoyed seeing this beautiful animal go down. What price Glory?
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