The Derby was marked with joy and sadness yesterday–almost simultaneously. As the celebration for Big Brown’s victory began, fans noticed that filly Eight Belles (finished second) had pulled a Dan Jansen and fallen to the track.
When the veterinary staff came to the scene, they realized how gruesome her injuries were.
From YAHOO SPORTS:
She had broken both front ankles and could not be saved…Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby’s on-call veterinarian, said the filly’s injuries were too severe to even attempt to move her off the track.
“She didn’t have a front leg to stand on to be splinted and hauled off in the ambulance, so she was euthanized,” Bramlage said.
Trainer Larry Jones paid tribute to his fallen filly saying, “She ran the race of her life.”
Eight Belles was the first female horse to run in the Derby since 1999, and obviously the injury brings back memories of Barbaro from two years ago. But since this filly was put down right away, there’s no chance of a You’re Gonna Make It! campaign for Eight Belles, though that may not stop some of the maniacs that need any excuse to write a letter to a horse.
4:58 pm on May 4th, 2008
Yuck. I’m not some sort of an environmentalist hippy, but I get sicker and sicker every time I see horse racing. They breed these horses to be fast at the expense of their basic structure. They are prone to breaking their legs, then it is lights out.
Can you imagine Peyton Manning getting sacked, then the doctor sprinting onto the field and putting him out of his misery? It just seems weird that they kill the participant because he is in pain. I know I know.. it is different, but it still just makes me sick.
5:59 pm on May 5th, 2008
I see a Joe Theismann joke somewhere in BamBam’s post.
6:38 pm on May 5th, 2008
I actually thought of that, but then I thought that many people would have been all for euthanizing Joe Theismann. That wouldn’t have been the best example for illustrating my point.