I watched yesterday's Kentucky Derby and had thought Big Brown had a good chance of winning, just because I recognized the jockey's name. I had hoped for Eight Belles to win, too... When she came in second, I thought that was terrific - then they went to the picture of her having fallen in the cool-down run. The news then was immediately bad - she had to be euthanized right on the track because she couldn't even be splinted to stand - she had broken both front ankles. Her jockey, Gabriel Saez, slid off and was unhurt, but Eight Belles' bones had come through the skin- broken completely. Dr. Larry Bramlage, on-call veterinarian, said the fracture in Eight Belles' left front ankle opened the skin, allowing contamination to set in. At least one of her sesamoid bones was broken, too. There still isn't any explanation given for what happened. I heard that the winning jockey gave the trainer the bad news in the tunnels. It was very sad and I didn't even watch the award ceremony. Of course, I had tried to make mint juleps again this year and was a bit wobbly by the time the race was over, too, but it was the 2nd place horse's death that made me turn it off and go downstairs.
By Michael Clevenger, The Courier-Journal
Big Brown, with Kent Desormeaux aboard,
strode to a convincing, 4 3/4-length win
in the 134th Kentucky Derby in just his
fourth lifetime start. The colt started
on the far outside in post No. 20.
At right was second-place finisher Eight Belles.
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