Here in the hills of The Commonwealth of Kentucky, land of beautiful horses and fast women, we're about to have ourselves a horse race. The 134th Kentucky Derby


And this is a link to the horse that I think will win, Colonel John, trained by an Irishman named Eoin Harty, who sports a Yankees cap on this page... http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/contenders/colonel-john

Colonel John has been running on that synthetic ground up tire California stuff for most of his life, but he ran on dirt Sunday, cranking out 5 furlongs in 57:80. That's a good time for you slab-heads. A really good time.

So wheel him, or box him, or do something. I think he'll be up there.


The Kentucky Derby is a bit of a strange race. First time these young horses have run this distance. It takes a good horse and a bit of fortune to win, can't win it on luck alone. Colonel John is a good horse.

save a horse, ride a cowboy

With all the success lately from Arkansas Derby winners like Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Curlin and Lawyer Ron, don't ignore Gayego who might pay a good price. He isn't bred for the distance but is a game horse if he can get near the lead early. I box Big Brown and Gayego and add Z Fortune at a big price in the trifecta.

I have not been following this years's hopefuls as closely as I normally do, but I plan on having a flutter on Adriano. Strictly a hunch bet.

$100 on the nose on Big Brown. I expect him though to be 4:5 by post time.

I am looking forward to this. My grandfather had a horse and it won the Kentucky Derby in 1960. The name of the horse was Venetian Way. I was not even born but it is a pretty interesting piece of my family history.

57:80 That's Smokin'....
An Irishmen with a NY hat on.....I'm with Frank!

Life's Grand,
Denny Walsh

Pyro will be completely overlooked after throwing in a dismal effort on that ground up tire stuff at Keeneland (that's not in California). A mediocre bunch this year, so go deep.

Going with these 2 Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati. Calvin B. going for the repeat and Mr Coa who i feel is the best jockey in the country.

I've seen almost every prep race and there simply is no standout in this race, contrary to the chirpings of Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow. I am hoping they don't make Colonel John the favorite, because that could take him down. He should be along in time with Adriano coming up along. The Derby is a spectacle, but typically not a wise betting investment.

Damn! Gayego drew the 19th post position. Big Brown is 20th, so I may have to do some rethinking.
If you like unlikely long shots, Eight Belles raced down here this winter and was terrific in filly races

20th.... not a lot of winners out there. At least not in the Derby.


Is 20th still in the Commonwealth, or is that in the edge of Indiana??

Eight is enough to ring the victory Belles....

.

Adiano gets spooked at the start taking out 15-20.
13 and 14 react as well although not touched.
Throw out 7,11 and 12.
Of the rest I would wheel Colonel John, Pyro and Tale of Ekati.
ps I am pulling for Adiano to run straight and win.

I'll avoid the chalk in the #20 post with only 3 lifetime starts..

Keying Recapturetheglory with Bob Black Jack and Smooth Air

Jim C. is the only one to unequivocally call it. Congrats.

I guess this is why they call it gambling rather than science.

RIP Eight Bells.

Absolutely.

I just read that the 2nd place horse broke both front ankles and had to be euthanized. God that's so sad. After Barbaro I don't think I could ever watch another horse race. After this one I'm not sure I can stomach that the sport exists.

Is there something different about tracks, horses, training, speeds, or whatever that is causing this? I don't think I've ever heard of this happening in major races in my life, and now twice in a few years a horse's legs just spontaneously combust during a race.

J

Yhmmm... Very disturbing' what really happened to Eight Bells..?

Right now I don't care that Big Brown won and may be a possible triple crown winner. Right now I don't care that I thought Gayego was too far out (19th) and boxed the favorite Big Brown and my race longshot Eight Belles. Right now I am very, very sad that a courageous filly is dead. It broke my heart to see the replay and see 8 Belles, beginning to fade, show her heart and make another charge and finish a strong second to the winner with 18 colts eating her dust. Right now my heart is broken that a courageous filly is dead. I would gladly swap the card I will buy at auction with my winnings, if she were still alive. She showed her grit and heart down here in Arkansas this spring, winning the Fantasy at Hot Springs in a gutty performance. Rest In Peace 8 Belles.
I am miserable

Truly sickening. And his happens much too often. I've been down on horse racing for many years because of the abuse these horses take. Totally unecessary death today.

Horse racing these days is not too far off from cock fighting in my opinion. Drug the horse...run horse too hard...horse breaks leg...kill horse.

Rinse and repeat.

I just dont understand why they must euthanize a horse due to a broken leg, ankle etc. The horse can heal up and live there life fully.I understand they cant race again. Just a total shame that the horse it now put down. That is were the shame is. People continue to still bet on it.

Bones are too fragile and thin; a splint cannot even be put on. Total insanity to do this to these beautiful animals.

Look how many of the top thoroughbreds are breaking down in big races, then imagine the plight of the claimers. These horses are drugged, beaten and raced to death, as they offer no value, either in winning big purses or in breeding.

Matthew:

Since these horses can no longer earn money in races, it's more profitable to euthanise and collect the insurance. Also, horses tend to panic when they come out of anesthesia and flail about, destroying the work done on them. Remember the wonderful, tragic filly, Ruffian?

It's also nearly impossible to keep a horse stationary. What they did for Barbaro was almost unprecedented. It's just a really dangerous sport.

I don't understand how this happened? I have seen in my life horses go down in the middle of a race but this is the first time I have seen one go down after a race is over. Jockey's fault? I wonder? Rob

Nearly 800 thoroughbreds die every year in North America from race related injuries. I'm not trying to equate a horse with a human, but don't you think if 800 NASCAR drivers died every year due to race related injuries they'd try to improve the safety of the sport?

Not every horse is a winner either and what do you suppose happens to those horses who aren't winners? It ain't pretty.

I live by Aqueduct racetrack. I went there on occasion. what is totally sickening are the people who curse and scream at a horse/jockey. If that horse was to fall down during race/or jockey falls off. these people are cursing and screaming to why it happened instead of. I hope they are ok. I am sure the people that are cursing probaly have a lousy 2$ bet on it.

It's It's not just the horses who aren't winners, Dan. Even champions are treated like garbage, in this slimey enterprise.

http://thoroughbred-racing.suite101.com/article.cfm/excellor_slaughtered_in_sweden

It's not cockfighting but it's certainly in the same realm. People who own horses are obviously of a much higher socio-economic class than the typical lowlife/borderline pedophile who participates in cockfighting so the two "sports" are not usually compared. But while horses are not bred to kill each other like in cockfighting, it has always bothered me to see horses whipped and driven to extreme stress solely to make them go faster. Utterly disgraceful.

Yes it is sickening, but if there was no horse racing, none of these animals would have ever been born. It's what they are bred to do and most of them love to race.

hmmmm...I guess if I had the choice of a life of abuse or not born at all I would choose not born at all.

"but if there was no horse racing, none of these animals would have ever been born. It's what they are bred to do and most of them love to race."

Breeding these animals to exploit them for our amusement is hardly a justification for their existence. Yes, they love to race and I'm sure they love being whipped, also.

Yeah, I don't think anyone enjoys being whipped by some 100 pound jerk on your back. Well, except maybe some of those guys who dress up their cocks for a fight.

"A study in the Equine Veterinary Journal found hemorrhaging in the lungs in 95% of horses checked during two post-race examinations. An article in the Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice Journal states that hemorrhaging in the lungs is "a condition affecting virtually all horses during intense exercise worldwide….there is no treatment that is considered a panacea, and the currently allowed treatments have not proven to be effective." Another study in the Equine Veterinary Journal noted that as long as a horse continues to undergo training and racing, the lungs cannot heal."

http://www.chai-online.org/racing.htm

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So even if they're bred for racing it's apparent their bodies weren't made for racing.

Can someone explain how a horse can finish a race "Kentucky Derby" with two front broken legs?

2nd place

How many more of these gruesome deaths have to result before America stops this crap?

At least with boxing, human beings are making the choice to beat each others' brains in.

Edited to add: Brad, the horse broke down as she was slowing down after the race I understand.

Horses will race on injured legs until they collapse. Again, I refer to the Ruffian tragedy, in which she literally had her hoof hanging by tendons soon after leaving the gate, yet could not be pulled up until near the end of the backstretch. Sometimes a jockey is just too stupid to pull an injured horse up, or even more sickening, if a horse breaks down near the wire, the jock will continue to push the horse to get a piece of the purse, knowing that likely, it's the last money the poor beast will ever earn.

Interesting.

Steve

I just read somewhere that Eight Belles ran in a horse race just yesterday? Is this true?

Jeez...you guys are tough. I wasn't trying to defend breeding horses to race, just offering a different point of view(a bad one I guess). For the record...I'm against it as well. I don't think it will be made illegal anytime soon though.

Bob,

Just trying to understand the thought process regrading euthanizing a horse. A tragedy indeed.

Cheaper to euthanize than the ensuing vet bills and rehabilitation. It's as simple as that.

problem is that the horses bear so much weight on their legs that they rarely heal correctly. I am a veterinarian who practices on small companion animals but I remember this well from vet school. Most horses that have fracture repair are rarely pain free after surgery is the reason why they are euthanized. Sad but true. If the decision to euthanize were strictly about money, most horses would be saved due to the money generated by breeding these animals.

Ken

I live in Louisville and am a huge horse racing fan. Just came back from the Derby and a pretty good day. $3500 trifecta split 8 ways and I hit a few other races. Everyone here in Louisville is saddened by death of Eight Belles. They had to put her down 7 minutes after the race due to her injuries. But this is the year we will get a Triple Crown winner. Finally! Big Brown is by far the best horse I have ever seen on a race track.

They had to put her down due to the type of injury. It was very very painful for her and this type of injury would take many years if at all to heal. It is not the same injury as Barboro suffered.

Jeff--whipping does not hurt the horses...just an fyi

"whipping does not hurt the horses...just an fyi"

You got that "from the horses mouth", I suppose? If it doesn't hurt them, why do they run harder after being whipped? What, then, are they reacting to?