There will be a filly in the 134th Kentucky Derby. Twenty horses have qualified and officially entered for the race and filly Eight Belles is among them. Read her biography and see pictures and a video of her below.
When the Kentucky Derby runs on Saturday there will be a filly in the field. There has been a lot of debate over the past week or two about whether or not Eight Belles would compete against the colts in the Derby. She was finally officially entered into the Kentucky Derby on Wednesday ending the speculation. A filly hasn’t run in the Kentucky Derby since 1999 and only three have ever won the race. The last filly to win the Derby was Winning Colors in 1988.
The decision to enter Eight Belles in the Derby was not taken lightly by her owner and trainer. They have stated that the decision was made after considering her size and strength which make her more able to compete with the colts. They also said that in spite of the talented field of colts they felt that none of them looked to be unbeatable.
She will leave from the No. 5 post and is getting opening odds at 15-1.
Eight Belles Biography
Eight Belles is a three-year-old filly sired by multiple Grade-1 winning millionaire Unbridled’s Song. He was the hero of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Florida Derby and Wood Memorial S. Her pedigree is impressive. She hails from the line of the elite broodmare La Troienne who is the ancestress of numerous top-class performers. Her family tree is full of notable top-performers, multiple Grade 1s and millionaires.
Eight Belles has inherited speed from the speedy female sprinters in her line. She has also shown signs of inheriting sufficient stamina from her sire and broodmare sire to complete the 1 1/8-mile trip of the Kentucky Oaks.
Eight Belles is owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc. Her trainer is J. Larry Jones and her Jockey is Gabriel Saez.
According to her owner, she was named for a home in Port Clyde, Maine, where famed painter Andrew Wyeth lives in the summer residence built by his father.
UPDATE - 5/3/2008: Eight Belles fell to the ground in the first turn of the track after coming in Second Place in the Kentucky Derby. She ran a MAGNIFICENT RACE!
“When we passed the wire I stood up,” said Saez, a first-time Derby rider. “She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That’s when she went down.”
As she fell to the ground her jockey, Gabriel Saez, jumped off. An equine ambulance came to the track. It was determined that she had broken both front ankles. Sadly, the on-call veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage, reports that Eight Belles’ injuries were severe and she could not be saved. She was immediately euthanized while still on the track.
Photos of Eight Belles on the track after the race included below.
Eight Belles - Photos
Eight Belles - Video
Final photos of Eight Belles …..
Eight Belles - Photos After the Kentucky Derby
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Rest in Peace girl! You will never be forgotten.
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
This is heartbreaking!
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Dear Eight Belles, you held your own. You are a grand second place winner! Rest In Peace.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
She gave it her all…what a race! My heart is hurting. Eight Belles, you are my Kentucky Derby winner and will never be forgotten.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Eight Belles Went Down in the Kentucy Derby…
Eight Belles was the only filly to run in the Kentucky Derby today. She ran the race of her life. Read more and see photo of her below.
Eight Belles
Eight Belles ran with the big boys today and she did herself and all around her proud. She was the onl…
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Eight Belles…It is time to travel to the land of summer where you can run forever. Blessings of Love and Light
May 4th, 2008 at 3:51 am
May her soul, and everlasting love be with us.
She was a great filly, whose life was brought to an end so early in life. RIP, Eight Belles.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
This beautiful, little, being had the heart of a Goddess, and speed unrivaled of any other horse of my 60 years. Pound for pound,she took
them all on and she would have beaten Big Brown too if she hadn’t been run so much in the recent past. It’s a long race and she labored a bit in the last 100 meters. With a bit more rest, it would have been a different outcome.
Her legs had to hurt her before the race. They
just didn’t hurt when she was racing. When she stopped racing, the weight of her body placed on her ankles imploded the stress fractures.
She should be memorialized in sculpture at the track as a reminder to us of what these horses will do to win for us and themselves, and more importantly, to put measures and medical procedures in place where the chances of this happening again will be next to impossible. Only then will her life not be in vain. My heart just couldn’t take another one. She gave it ALL. I still shed a tear just thinking about it and how she broke loose from all those ‘big boys’ in the pack. “Look out! Eight Belles ‘cominatcha’!” in Heaven and our dreams forover.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Here’s a link to a wonderful tribute for Eight Belles. Rest in Peace, girl. You have found a place in my heart forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOOzoh1UD2k
May 17th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Big Brown is Preakness Winner…
Meet Big Brown, the magnificent horse who won the Preakness Stakes today and may well be on his way to a Triple Crown. Read his biography and see photos and a video of him below.
Big Brown
Big Brown left his competition in his dust at the 133rd runn…