Eight Belles
Eight Belles | |
---|---|
Gray | |
Breeder | Robert N. Clay & Serengeti Stable |
Owner | Fox Hill Farms |
Trainer | J. Larry Jones |
Record | 10: 5-3-1 |
Earnings | $708,650 |
Major wins | |
Martha Washington Stakes (2008) Honeybee Stakes (2008) Fantasy Stakes (2008) | |
Honors | |
Grade II Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs (2009– ) | |
Last updated on 14 April 2021 |
Eight Belles (February 23, 2005 – May 3, 2008) was an American
Earlier in the year, Eight Belles became the first filly in
Kentucky Derby breakdown
Eight Belles broke down approximately a furlong (1/8 mile) after the wire, while being slowed after the race.[2] She suffered
Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian, stated that Eight Belles' trauma was too severe to even attempt to move her off the track.[4]
According to the Louisville
Eight Belles was buried and memorialized in the garden of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Museum on September 7, 2008. A race has been renamed in her honor, and was run on the Derby Day 2009 undercard as the Eight Belles Stakes.[6]
Remembering Eight Belles
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/EightBelles.jpg/220px-EightBelles.jpg)
The
Necropsy
Kentucky chief veterinarian Lafe Nichols performed a
Larry Jones, her trainer, commented that he believes the horse just tripped over her own feet. "She's bad about stumbling while pulling up. She doesn't pick her feet up very high. It's one reason she could run very fast and far. She had the perfect motion for being effective and efficient. However, those horses who do that have a tendency to want to stumble."[8]
Controversy
Veteran Washington Post sportswriter Sally Jenkins wrote that Thoroughbred horses had become too strong with bones too lightweight: "She ran with the heart of a locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles." Blaming the breeders and investors, Jenkins claimed, "Thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it."[9]
The animal rights group PETA called for the suspension of jockey Gabriel Saez and the prize money to be revoked were he to be found at fault.[10]
Six generations back takes Eight Belles, along with all 20 of the horses in the Derby and many horses racing in the United States today, to Native Dancer (foaled March 1950). Many public commentators have suggested a connection between extensive inbreeding in the intervening generations and the weak ankles seen in horses today, leading to Eight Belles' demise.[11][12] the Los Angeles Times went so far as to headline its opinion piece that today's horses are being "bred for death".[13] The owner of Eight Belles made comments and suggested solutions in an article in The Wall Street Journal.[14]
Many news outlets and articles blamed Eight Belles' trainer, Larry Jones, for her death. In response to an article in The New York Times suggesting the sport was becoming a form of animal cruelty, Jones said, "I disagree wholeheartedly. These horses, they run because they like to run. I mean, if you knew how many horses were injured in the field running and just playing with other horses, I'm gonna be honest with you, we've had more horses injured on the farm than we have on the racetrack—they do more injury to themselves. This sport is not that cruel, and everyone does the best they can to make sure it is a safe track and a safe condition."[15]
Pedigree
Eight Belles' dam was Away, a descendant of Northern Dancer, and her sire was Unbridled's Song. Unbridled's Song's dam is a daughter of Caro. Caro is the sire of Winning Colors, one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby.
Sire Unbridled's Song |
Unbridled | Fappiano | Mr. Prospector |
---|---|---|---|
Killaloe | |||
Gana Facil | Le Fabuleux | ||
Charedi | |||
Trolley Song | Caro | Fortino II | |
Chambord | |||
Lucky Spell | Lucky Mel | ||
Incantation | |||
Dam Away |
Dixieland Band | Northern Dancer | Nearctic |
Natalma | |||
Mississippi Mud | Delta Judge | ||
Sand Buggy | |||
Be a Prospector | Mr. Prospector | Raise a Native | |
Gold Digger | |||
Belonging | Exclusive Native | ||
Straight Deal |
Honors
Eight Belles was a finalist for the Eclipse Award's American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for 2008.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "Fillies in the Kentucky Derby". Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ NBC Sports video
- ^ Filly Eight Belles Breaks Both Front Legs, Euthanized After Kentucky Derby - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog
- ^ ESPN - Favorite Big Brown dusts field; runner-up Eight Belles euthanized - Horse Racing
- ^ "vet analysis of leg problems". Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ "Eight Belles Honored in Public Memorial | bloodhorse.com". Archived from the original on 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ YouTube: "Autopsy Reveals Filly Eight Belles Was Healthy" 15 May, 2008
- ^ ESPN: "Autopsy: Eight Belles had no pre-existing bone abnormalities" May 15, 2008
- ^ Jenkins, Sally (2008-05-04). "Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself to Death?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "PETA Wants Jockey Suspended". Associated Press. 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
- ^ Denver Post editorial dated 4 May, 2008
- ^ The Wall Street Journal article dated 5 May, 2008
- ^ *Los Angeles Times editorial dated 6 May, 2008
- ^ Weinbach, Jon (2008-05-06). "Better racing oversight sought". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
- ^ NBC's The Today Show. "NBC's The Today Show Discusses Eight Belles with Trainer." Online Video Clip. Youtube. NBC, 5 May 2008. Web. 15 Oct 2015.