[kingattax]

..

Eight Belles is examined on the track after her second-place finish at the 134th Kentucky Derby. She was euthanized after breaking both front ankles. (AP photo / May 3, 2008)

the filly ran one hell of a race. how very very sad

[Sherman Logan]

Is there really some great increase in these incidents?

Horse racing has always been dangerous, both for horses and jockeys.

[metmom]

All for greed and money....

That makes it even worse.

[Pharmboy]

She had the heart of Ruffian...and THAT says a lot.

[do not press 2 for spanish]

What a sad end to a beautiful animal, IMO. Her troubles are over, now. RIP.

[Lizavetta]

Why can't a horse recover from broken legs/ankles?

They're too big? Too heavy? Too what?

[ClearCase_guy]

The WSJ had a great article on Native Dancer and his descendants. Genetic weakness in the legs — almost all thoroughbreds today come from the same stock and we’re now seeing what that means.

[acoulterfan]

I have been long been actively involved in rescuing ex-racing greyhounds and I sure hope they don’t use the same methods to the horses as they do to these magnificant dogs to get them to run their hearts out!!!!

[isthisnickcool]

Oddly written. As if the writer can channel the "mind" of a horse that apparently has human thoughts. Weird.

(insert theme song to the TV show Mr. Ed here)

[FoxInSocks]

Some journalists have been killed while working, Ms. Jenkins, so we should put an end to that, too.

We should probably end all professional, amateur, and youth sporting and athletic activities while we're at it, as people get injured by pushing themselves to new limits every year.

[Lurker]

Dear Sally,

The real tragedy is that several hundred pounds of perfectly good horse meat weren't sold after this horse met its maker.

L

[BIGLOOK]

Thoroughbreds have developed problem through the selective process of breeding. Owners want Secretariats and Affirmeds as much for the purse as the stud fees. What they often overlook is a John Henry.

[devere]

They can’t call it “improving the breed” any more, because the breed hit a peak, unlikely to be excelled in my lifetime, in 1973.
For any who don’t remember, this was the amazing scene at Belmont Park:

http://www.championsgallery.com/Secretariat%20The%20Photo.jpg

Losing a championship horse on the track is very sad, and also very expensive. I’m sure that when the veterinary medicine profession can come up with better early warnings to prevent such tragedies, they will do so. But the purpose of horse racing is not to abuse horses, but rather to glorify them.

[Eye On The Left]

Another twist in this story is that Eight Belles' trainer won the filly equivalent of the Derby, the "Kentucky Oats", yesterday (Friday) with another filly named Proud Spell. He also used to work the horse out himself as opposed to using a traditional exercise rider. And the guy is no lightweight. He has to weigh close to 200 lbs. I worked around a few racetracks as a teenager and never saw such a heavy person on a thoroughbred. I'm wondering if he and his unusual training methods had anything to do with the horse's injury. In any case, if he HAD won the Derby with Eight Belles, it would have been the first time ever that a single barn won both halves of these two major 3-yr old races in the same year.

[Impy]

Poor horsies. Why don’t their legs heal?

[KJC1]

I don't like horse races, this is why. This horse would be alive today if not for this stupidity. Now she is dead after sustaining a serious and unnecessary injury.

[RDTF]

what a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

[RDTF]

what a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

[Beatthedrum]

Another sad day, and another black eye for the sport of Kings. Though I can see the bias of the writer, her obvious disdain for the rich and famous who put winning above the welfare of the horses — I think she may be right about the breeding industry, the dominance of certain bloodlines and the resultant physiological changes passed from generation to generation.

The stat she quotes on percentage of horses breaking down, I would think the numbers were less back in the 60s and 70s when the thoroughbreds were not as top heavy and light in the legs. I think there is some credibility in the argument that the genetics of a such a restricted pool of bloodlines is creating horses less likely to weather the rigors of training and racing. It wasn't that long ago that thoroughbreds ran in a race every 15 days (60s).

One of the key elements she didn't mention was the sophistication of the drugs used today in racing. Many horses push themselves further than they otherwise would, but they don't feel the pain until the problem has developed to a critical point. Decades ago, a horse might pull up lame at the earliest sign of pain, where today they will run on until something really pops.

It's a great sport and these horses are incredible animals and overall, I have to agree with the writer of this article - the industry may be breeding itself to death.

[buck jarret]

Big deal. Millions of cows die every day. What’s so different about the death of a horse? To me, nothing.

[cherry]

this is just a question.....but do filly's get put down faster than the colts?....Barbaro had intensive therapy for many months before they gave up on him.....

maybe one broken ankle is a big risk but two is definately a death sentence....I don't know...