A sad ending for Eight Belles
May 4, 2008 by Jarrod Horak
Filed under Horses, Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown
Eight Belles ran her heart out in a gritty place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, but in a complete freak incident, she broke both of her front ankles two furlongs after the finish and had to be put down.
Trainer Larry Jones won the Kentucky Oaks with Proud Spell on Friday, and for a fleeting moment it seemed like a dream weekend after landing the place in the Derby, but a jolt back to reality was shortly forthcoming.
She was not one of my top selections, but I have always had a soft spot for fillies taking on the males, because Genuine Risk in 1980 was my first Derby experience, and I have been hooked on thoroughbred racing ever since.
You never forget the tragedy in this wonderful game. I can still see the great Go For Wand going down in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Safety must always come first in the racing industry, and Churchill Downs is one of the best conventional dirt surfaces in the country. There is a place in horse racing for synthetic tracks and conventional dirt surfaces, and let’s hope that this tragic fluke does not get blown up into a safety or animal cruelty issue.
Image: Newscom
