Eight Belles
Sire	Unbridled's Song
Grandsire	Unbridled
Dam	Away
Damsire	Dixieland Band
Sex	Filly
Foaled	February 23, 2005
Country	United States
Colour	Gray
Breeder	Robert N. Unbridled's Song (foaled 1993 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Unbridled ( March 5 1987 - October 18, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred Racehorse. Dixieland Band (foaled 1980 in Maryland) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A filly is a young Female Horse too young to be called a mare. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Gray or grey is a coat color of Horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat Clay & Serengeti Stable
Owner	Fox Hill Farms
Trainer	J. Larry Jones
Record	10: 5-3-1
Earnings	$708,650
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
Honeybee Stakes (2008) Fantasy Stakes (2008)
Infobox last updated on: May 3, 2008. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Fantasy Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses raced at Oaklawn Park each year 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Eight Belles (February 23, 2005 – May 3, 2008) was a gray filly thoroughbred racehorse owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A filly is a young Female Horse too young to be called a mare. The Thoroughbred is a horse breed This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. She finished second to winner Big Brown in the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs, a race run by only thirty-nine fillies in the past^[1]. Big Brown (foaled April 10, 2005 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby The 2008 Kentucky Derby was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old thoroughbred horses held annually in Louisville Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May History The track is named for John and Henry Churchill who leased 80 acres (320000 m² of land to their nephew Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr A filly is a young Female Horse too young to be called a mare. Her collapse just after the Derby's conclusion resulted in immediate euthanasia. Put to sleep redirects here For its literal meaning see Sleep or Anaesthetic.

Earlier in the year, Eight Belles made history at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, by being the first filly in the history of the track to win the Martha Washington Stakes (February 17, 2008, by 13½ lengths, setting a stakes record for margin of victory), the Honeybee Stakes (March 16, 2008, beating unbeaten stakes winner Pure Clan), and the Fantasy Stakes (April 12, 2008, which she won in an exciting finish). History and information Oaklawn Park officially opened on February 24 1905 Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the US state of Arkansas, the County seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Fantasy Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses raced at Oaklawn Park each year Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[2]

Events after the 2008 Kentucky Derby

Eight Belles collapsed during her cool-down immediately after passing the winning post. ^[3] She suffered compound fractures of both front ankles and was euthanized on the spot because of the nature of her injuries. Put to sleep redirects here For its literal meaning see Sleep or Anaesthetic. ^[4]

Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian, stated that Eight Belles' trauma was too severe to even attempt to move her off the track. A veterinarian ( American English) or a Veterinary surgeon ( British English) often shortened to vet, is a Physician ^[5]

According to the The Louisville Courier-Journal, Bramlage said the filly had fractures of the cannon and sesamoid bones in both front legs. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA The equine forelimb is the front or thoracic limb of the Horse. That is the same type of break that was suffered by 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in one leg. Barbaro ( April 29 2003 – January 29 2007) was an American Thoroughbred that decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby ^[6]

Eight Belles is scheduled to be buried at Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Museum, and a race has been renamed in her honor, and will run on Derby Day 2009. The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. ^[7]

Eight Belles at Churchill Downs, May 1, 2008

Eight Belles morning work out at Churchill Downs, May 1, 2008 in preparation for the 134 Kentucky Derby

Remembering Eight Belles

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) asked jockeys riding at Pimlico Race Course during all races over the weekend of the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes (May 16th and 17th, 2008) to wear stickers on their boots or mud pants in honor of Eight Belles. The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks owners breeders trainers and affiliated horse racing associations charged with increasing In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession Physical attributes The track has a one-mile dirt oval and a seven Furlong turf oval The Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race 1-3/16 mile (1 The red and white stickers, made by the NTRA, had a bell, the number 8 and the word “Belles” on them. The Jockey's Guild wholeheartedly agreed. Jockey John Velazquez said: “It’s something to remind everybody of a great horse. John R Velazquez (born November 24, 1971 in Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a Jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. What happened was a really sad thing, and we’re sad. I think it (wearing the stickers) is a good thing to bring awareness to our game. We’ll do whatever is possible to minimize anything that happens like that. ”

Necropsy

Kentucky chief veterinarian Lafe Nichols performed a necropsy and tests at the University of Kentucky's Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center. An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination According to a review of the results by the Associated Press, compound fractures of both front legs at the fetlock joints were confirmed. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio They described lacerated skin on both legs, an absence of joint fluid in the damaged areas and congested lungs. The filly also experienced a bruised head and hemorrhaging in the left thyroid gland, which the report blamed on her fall after the initial injuries. ^[8]

Larry Jones, her trainer, commented that he believes the horse just tripped over her own feet. "She's bad about stumbling while pulling up. She doesn't pick her feet up very high. It's one reason she could run very fast and far. She had the perfect motion for being effective and efficient. However, those horses who do that have a tendency to want to stumble. " ^[9]

The Jockey Club has formed a panel to examine the issues, which include breeding practices, track surfaces and medication. The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of the North American Stud Book

Controversy

Veteran Washington Post sportswriter Sally Jenkins wrote that thoroughbred horses had become too strong with bones too lightweight: "She ran with the heart of a locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Sally Jenkins (born October 22, 1960) is an American sports columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post. " Blaming the breeders and investors, Jenkins claimed, "thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it. " ^[10]

PETA has called for the suspension of jockey Gabriel Saez and the prize money to be revoked if he is found at fault. Gabriel Saez (born February 1, 1988 in Port Darien, Panama) is a Panamanian Horse racing Jockey. ^[11]

Six generations back takes this horse to Native Dancer (foaled March 1950), along with all 20 of the horses in the race, and just about every horse racing in the United States today. Native Dancer ( March 27 1950 - November 16 1967) nicknamed the Gray Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Much opinion has been published in the press stating that there may be a connection between the fact of so much inbreeding stemming from Native Dancer, with the weak ankles seen in horses today, leading to Eight Belles' demise. ^[12][13] The Los Angeles Times went so far as to headline its opinion piece that today's horses are being "bred for death". The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed ^[14] The owner of Eight Belles made comments and suggested solutions in an article in the Wall Street Journal. ^[15]

Pedigree

Eight Belles' dam was Away, a descendant of Northern Dancer, and her sire was Unbridled's Song. Northern Dancer ( May 27, 1961 - November 16, 1990) was a Canadian -bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful Unbridled's Song (foaled 1993 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Unbridled's Song's dam is a daughter of Caro. Caro is the sire of Winning Colors, one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors ( February 14 1985 - February 17 2008) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred Mr. Prospector and Exclusive Native were both grandsons of Native Dancer who was also the sire of Raise a Native.

Notes

References

• http://www.bloodhorse.com/derby-contenders/pdf/Derby134PedigreeProfiles.pdf
• http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/bio_EightBelles.asp
• Eight Belles Pedigree at Thoroughbred Database
• Eight Belles AlexBrownRacing