Gothamist: Big Brown Wins Tragic Kentucky Derby

chill79

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:51:46 -0500

RIP Eight Belles.:( You were too young to race.They should of waited until you were 4 or 5. You looked so proud before the race.And it was so nice watching you come in a strong second (You and Big Brown ran very strong),and so horrible to find out your tragedy after the race. I hope you had a good short life. Beautiful Horsey:)

mfib

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:34:29 -0500

it's easy to pick on the amish on the internet. Just sayin'.

robingee

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:10:43 -0500

Horse Racing, dog racing, circuses, bullfighting (although not in America) - maybe someday we will evolve past this stuff. Hopefully.

Jen S

Mon, 05 May 2008 07:40:08 -0500

A horse's chances of recovering from a broken leg are terrible. They get crazy infections and end up being in a harness for months. That's what happened to Barbaro; it's technically seen as humane to euthanize.

marchendrix

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:12:26 -0500

In Ky, we don't mess around. If you're not first place, you're last place.

sonyactivision

Sun, 04 May 2008 19:26:44 -0500

It's called Churchill Downs because they're always putting them down. It's tradition, like buying a new car every Fall.

jaja007

Sun, 04 May 2008 18:51:50 -0500

Mint juleps are crazy delicious and bitches get topless at the infield celebrations.

Karen

Sun, 04 May 2008 12:08:52 -0500

Part of the problem, is that horses are raced far too young. They don't stop growing, til the age of 4 or 5, so asking them to run flat out for over a mile, is risking still soft bones. Add to that, the intensive training in still developing tendons, ligaments, and muscles, and racehorses are accidents waiting to happen. If you've ever seen wild horses for any length of time, you know that these are sociable animals who love to play-and a large part of that play is racing each other, and actually playing tag. Pastured horses will do this too. I don't think that competitiveness is something bred into them, I think its natural, perhaps a defense mechanism, as in the wild, they are prey animals. Those who can run fastest, could very well be the surviviors of a herd when a mountain lion or wolf pack comes around. Anyway, it seems to me, that horses should not be raced, until they are vet certified to be fully grown. Of course, I can hear the owners yelling that for 4 years, a horse will be doing nothing but eating, sleeping, playing with the other horsies, maybe doing some obediance training. Horses aren't cheap to keep, but then, the Whitneys of this world could manage. I wonder why there aren't more crashes like this. I wonder if jockeys can actually get life and accident insurance....

Fritzdecat

Sun, 04 May 2008 11:53:14 -0500

Horses breaking legs at the track is gaining sympathy from hand wringing animal lovers...OK Why don't same people make a fuss over the fuckin Amish who drive retired racehorses daily over asphalt roads when the dumb bastards should be walking or takin the bus... Horse racing is really sick when you realize they make the poor bastards race in the winter months.

Lilitu

Sun, 04 May 2008 10:49:21 -0500

My mother went to a race once, many years ago. One of the horses broke a leg and they wound up putting up a curtain and shooting it. She said it kept trying to get back up until they shot it. She hasn't been to see one since, and won't watch it on television. I can't stand it, either.

babyhitler

Sun, 04 May 2008 10:28:00 -0500

I'm telling you "THIS HORSE IS MY SLAVE" is still the best name for a horse cause it's true.

zodak

Sun, 04 May 2008 10:25:34 -0500

"After a veterinarian examined her, Eight Belles was euthanized in front of the crowd of 157,000 spectators" OMG, seriously?? how can people can continue to go to this crap every year. that's outrageous. if people who don't gamble stop supporting it, it might stop. what a bunch of losers.

mihow

Sun, 04 May 2008 09:57:14 -0500

::reads MFer's comment:: ::makes note not to check back::

mihow

Sun, 04 May 2008 09:52:25 -0500

I'm complaining. I think this is a terrible event/sport what have you. I find it deplorable that we use animals for amusement. But what can we possibly do to stop it? There's so much money and machismo wrapped up in this, it's impossible to put an end to it. That poor horse probably knew nothing but complete terror and pain in the final moments of its life. Like I said, this is sickening. Humans are the worst type of animal. Shame on us all.

MFer

Sun, 04 May 2008 09:49:18 -0500

They do. But who's got any credibility to talk about it. PeTA kills hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs a year. Dog breeders make congenitally defective animals. And people who love cats too much are crazy nutcase spinsters. And still I cry for the carrots. You vegetarians are a mean and evil bunch. Stop feeding the rabbit. Shit, I'm going off topic.

thefacts

Sun, 04 May 2008 09:39:40 -0500

Why do animal lovers and the likes never complain about this cruel sport?