Deadspin
The death of Eight Belles - the second place finisher in today's Kentucky Derby - makes it pretty difficult to get all that excited over Big Brown's dominating performance. The commentators love to speak of the beauty and humanity of these creatures, yet nobody seemed to mind celebrating before the filly's body could be removed from the track. Brian of Awful Announcing is one of many who profited off of the doomed horse's performance, and I bet they feel equally crappy inside. And I bet they'd feel a lot less crappy if they sent their winnings and betting slips to me, which is why I'm including my address at the end of this post. In real news, the Louisville Courier-Journal has the depressing details.
Eight Belles crossed the finish line second in the Kentucky Derby today and then jockey Gabriel Saez heard the worst sound possible - a pop.Saez said the filly did not take a bad step, but he heard the pop and tried to pull her up.
"I tried to get her to stop," he said. "I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn't stop."
Dr. Larry Bramlege the on-call veterinarian from the American Association of Equine Practitioners said the filly had a condylar fractures of both front legs. That is the same type of break that was suffered by 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in one leg. She was euthanized on the track.
Speaking to media this evening, trainer Larry Jones said, "There was no way to think about even trying to save her. She ran the race of her life."
And now I'm depressed again.
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Comments
Little known fact: Hillary Clinton also bet on Maggie Fitzgerald.
[en.wikipedia.org]
(this is a double post).
Who knew the internet was located in Georgetown?
I'd make a joke but I don't wanna beat a dead horse.
Tacky knick-knack makers are working frantically to make a poster of Barbaro and Eight Belles playing together in Heaven while Dale Earnhardt and a bald eagle look on against an American flag backdrop.
Hmmm, the lone female loses to "Big Brown"? There go Hillary's chances.
@JaysonAych: If you're really trying to sell these to the type of rednecks who would buy something like that you're gonna need to include Jesus in there.
@JaysonAych: Don't forget Pat Tillman.
@the-Bored: Aaaand the joke gets made yet again.
@She Blinded Me With Violence: I wouldn't mind making a joke, but I'm having a hard time gluing the pieces together.
@TattooedMess(iah): Damn, how unoriginal am I? Shows what I get for not reading comments on earlier posts.
Affirmed.
/had to be said
What has two legs and Eight Belles?
Place.
I just realized I don't have any glue.
@the-Bored: Don't worry, Jay Leno made a very similar joke last night.
So, to recap: Jay Leno > Deadspin commenters.
She died doing the very thing she loved most... chasing after boys.
Wow. Who put the go-juice in the Flyers' water?
All that Van Gundy halftime speech was missing was "LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!"
Turkoglu just went coast-to-coast on the Pistons.
@She Blinded Me With Violence: +1, Chris Farley's speech is the first thing that came to mind as I listened to SVG.
My old No Fear t-shirt was right, Second Place is the First Loser.
First one to 80 in the Pistons/Magic game, wins.
A run for roses,
but gloom and despair,
loom overhead
in the kentucky air
barbaro is gone
our prayers for him unanswered
eight bells ring
but the result leaves us scared
Eight Belles we hardly knew
Eight Belles that hardly grew
Eight Belles with a tear in their eye
Eight Belles join Barbaro in the sky.
Affirmed.
Here come the horse jokes again - the dam has broken.
Do you think, before races, that they tell horses "break a leg" for good luck?
Pity. She died a virgin.
@the-Bored: If so, she went way the hell overboard.
@UkraineNotWeak:
Untainted for Barbaro, just the way God intended. He will guide her towards spiritual love-making...
Just for the record, I must point out with heavy heart that Eight Belles is in fact the -second- Philly to collapse at the end.
/Mitch Williams
So has anyone found the Eight Belles tribute message board? I haven't had my daily dose of lunacy yet today.
@UkraineNotWeak: Upon realizing this, Buzz is really upset.
@TattooedMess(iah):
And Elvis...
@DucksOnPondScum: Wait - you forgot me
/Gene Mauch
trainer Larry Jones said, "There was no way to think about even trying to save her. She ran the race of her life."
It's the death every horse dreams of...
My grandparents were once part owners of a filly who had to be put down; she was named Happy Hannah.
I can only hope that Eight Belles will be equally delicious.
@longefellowes: In today's equine society, what Bissinger did to Eight Belles does not take away her virgin status.
What do I know. My horse finished 19th.
@Secret Identity:
Chipper Jones is batting over .400 *and* he trained the Debry runner-up? Geez Chip, you're allowed to take a break every once in a while.
Detroit is certainly not sleepwalking through this game... 64-49 with 4 to go on the 3rd.
Is Orlando intentionally keeping the ball away from Dwight Howard's hands? I would think that's the one matchup they'd want to exploit.
@Adonis: Heh. You said "taint".
@racistmascot_inc:
Big shock it ended up lame
@cowbell204:
If it were actually Chipper's horse, it would have been put down because of a hangnail.
@racistmascot_inc: Chipper Jones is batting over .400 banged half of Atlanta *and* he trained the Debry runner-up?
on the plus side she was denied from buzz's greedy clutches.
@Brazil Thrill - Hawks Aficionado: I think you're full of shit.
/fails to sit in a seat like an adult.
We've reached the end of the 3rd quarter in this semi-finals matchup
I don't know who this play-by-play announcer is for TNT, but he kind of sucks.
I still remember when Nancy Lieberman had to be euthanized after trying out for the Pacers.
Buzz likes the ponies.
What up peeps?
There's no way the Magic win this series. 1 game, maybe 2...but that's it.
40 Yr old Virgin on USA...now.
@MrRedDevil: Good point. He doesn't need a stepping stool for those.
@Chad Sexington: Butbloggingisharditsnoteasywearenottryingtobemean.
"I think if the horses knew what happens when they break a leg, there would be some mighty careful stepping coming down the home stretch."
"Eaaasy now, guys. You win, I'll place, he'll show. It's all the same oatbag."
/Seinfeld
@racistmascot_inc: to be fair, hoof hangnails are a bitch
Is Buzz Bissinger already hard at work penning the tome?
I would have stopped by sooner, but I had to feed my dog. The upside is that the price of his food dropped like a rock this evening...
@StevePerryPsychOut: subtle, very subtle