God Bless Eight Bells

[FrmGrl]

Tears again at yet another triple crown race as I watched Eight Bells run her heart out for a second place win at the the Kentucky Derby only to break both front ankles and be put down on the track immediately after. So sad...I was hoping she would give the boys a run for the money...and she did. When will they finally let go of the dirt and get synthetic. Screw the record books we need to save their lives.

 

[jetmonkey]

I thought CHD did go to synthetic. Glad I didn't watch.

 

[Four*Leaf*Farm]

Tears again at yet another triple crown race as I watched Eight Bells run her heart out for a second place win at the the Kentucky Derby only to break both front ankles and be put down on the track immediately after. So sad...I was hoping she would give the boys a run for the money...and she did. When will they finally let go of the dirt and get synthetic. Screw the record books we need to save their lives.

I hear you.. It happens more often than people know.

 

[IntegritysDream]

Tears again at yet another triple crown race as I watched Eight Bells run her heart out for a second place win at the the Kentucky Derby only to break both front ankles and be put down on the track immediately after. So sad...I was hoping she would give the boys a run for the money...and she did. When will they finally let go of the dirt and get synthetic. Screw the record books we need to save their lives.

poor girl! I almost cried! She was absoultly gorgeous and ran amazingly.

 

[Cowgirl]

 

[TCF42]

Probably an ignorant question, but what's the problem of dirt vs. synthetic?

 

[FrmGrl]

Probably an ignorant question, but what's the problem of dirt vs. synthetic?

Well, they have proven a synthetic track is safer for horses. They have less horses break down on those tracks. Dirt tracks are what races like the Kentucky Derby and all other past races are always run on. There is a speed factor between the two and the movement to go to all synthetic is being buffered by those who believe it will alter raceing and therefore would have to start the record books all over again. Those pushing for synthetic are fighting those who believe in the long stading tradition of dirt. Personally if new records are set and old ones put to rest who cares, if it can save the lives of these great creatures who put their hearts and souls into every race they run. JMO.

 

[jetmonkey]

Well, they have proven a synthetic track is safer for horses. They have less horses break down on those tracks. Dirt tracks are what races like the Kentucky Derby and all other past races are always run on. There is a speed factor between the two and the movement to go to all synthetic is being buffered by those who believe it will alter raceing and therefore would have to start the record books all over again. Those pushing for synthetic are fighting those who believe in the long stading tradition of dirt. Personally if new records are set and old ones put to rest who cares, if it can save the lives of these great creatures who put their hearts and souls into every race they run. JMO.

Maybe they could set a record for horses not being destroyed at the track

 

[Loper]

Tears again at yet another triple crown race as I watched Eight Bells run her heart out for a second place win at the the Kentucky Derby only to break both front ankles and be put down on the track immediately after. So sad...I was hoping she would give the boys a run for the money...and she did. When will they finally let go of the dirt and get synthetic. Screw the record books we need to save their lives.

awww
I didn't see it, now I'm glad I didn't!

 

[devinej]

glad i didn't see that. her will to win was stronger than her body. wow.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—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 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.

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.

Eight Belles was attempting to become the fourth filly to win the Derby. However, as the horses galloped out around the first turn, the filly fell to the ground and jockey Gabriel Saez jumped off.

An equine ambulance came onto the track, but the filly could not be saved, said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby’s on-call veterinarian.

“When we passed the wire I stood up. She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That’s when she went down,” a distraught Saez said.

 

[Christy]

her will to win was stronger than her body. wow.

Do you really think that is the case or do you think the damn horse was just pushed beyond her limits, which is a bit sadistic and cruel?

 

[devinej]

of course she was pushed beyond her limits. i think all of the racehorses are. anything that has to work that hard before its bones are anywhere near done growing...but i also think that she must have had a will in order to go that far beyond the limits.

 

[GallopNTec]

Eight Belles

There is a very thought provoking article in todays ( 5/4/08)Washington Post Sports section. "Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself To Death?"

Agree with you Devine 100%! They are just babies doing the only thing they've known.

Changing the track surface is ( in my very humble opinion) a temporary solution to a real problem.
Maybe race them at 5?
There's gonna be a seminar/forum by David O'Connor looking into changes in eventing because of horse and rider injury- maybe the racing peeps should go

 

[Lilypad]

There is a very thought provoking article in todays ( 5/4/08)Washington Post Sports section. "Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself To Death?"

Agree with you Devine 100%! They are just babies doing the only thing they've known.

Changing the track surface is ( in my very humble opinion) a temporary solution to a real problem.
Maybe race them at 5?
There's gonna be a seminar/forum by David O'Connor looking into changes in eventing because of horse and rider injury- maybe the racing peeps should go

I read that article too-
"The sport of kings", yeah right!

 

[fredsaid2]

Changing the track surface is ( in my very humble opinion) a temporary solution to a real problem.
Maybe race them at 5?
There's gonna be a seminar/forum by David O'Connor looking into changes in eventing because of horse and rider injury- maybe the racing peeps should go

I agree w/ you on waiting longer to begin racing. The eventing issues are different all together. The eventing world is investigating solutions right now, the racing world will likely continue on as they are.

 

[devinej]

yeah...two very different issues. i too think the eventers and david o'connor will work hard on theirs. its been a rough year for them even just this far into the season.

but as for the track horses, its so much more about money and winning. they can't spend the money to raise a horse till its 5 only to find out then that it isn't a racer. Time is money.

but they aren't the only ones who work their so young either - the futurities in the QH world. course they don't work theirs as hard as racing but its still so young.

 

[Sadielady]

Poor filly!! I saw still frames over and over on the news. It was horrible. She was a big mare...17 hands!

 

[Cowgirl]

yeah...two very different issues. i too think the eventers and david o'connor will work hard on theirs. its been a rough year for them even just this far into the season.

but as for the track horses, its so much more about money and winning. they can't spend the money to raise a horse till its 5 only to find out then that it isn't a racer. Time is money.

but they aren't the only ones who work their so young either - the futurities in the QH world. course they don't work theirs as hard as racing but its still so young.

Did you read Fugly's blog too?

 

[devinej]

nope i haven't been on fugly in a long time haha, did they say the same thing??

 

[Cowgirl]

nope i haven't been on fugly in a long time haha, did they say the same thing??

She was talking about how crappy it is of people to ride young horses.