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Everybody in Horse racing looks forward to this day. All of the Horsemen ( and included in this description of Horsemen, a Woman means Horsemen as well) & the fans of the sport.

I didn't go to the track to watch this race, my boyfriend went with my bets. I stayed home to watch it in the comfort of our living room. I liked Eight Belles from the the time I heard she was being entered in the race. Entered in both the Oaks & Derby, Scratched from the Oaks to run with the boys. She ran in the most Prestigious Race in horse racing history. THE KENTUCKY DERBY. AND SHE RAN HER HEART OUT. As I sat watching the race unfold, I knew that Big Brown had done what he needed to do at the start of this race. He didn't bolt out trying to clear the entire field, had he the race would of ended for him right there. Kent Desormeaux ran a perfect race, BUT?????????????????????????????? So did Gabriel Saez . Eight Belles was in the race from the start, being rated perfectly. At the top of the stretch when Big Brown made his move, so did Eight Belles. In reality I wanted her to kick his a**. I mean a Filly that can not only run with the boys but beat them? Hell yes. I was literally screaming in my living room, GO BABY, GO. Catch him! Big Brown opened up like the big horse he is, but Eight Belles ran the race of her life. And second in the Derby? And only beaten by 5 lengths. She beat Dennis of Cork by 5 lengths as well. At the end of the race I leaped from the couch yelling SHE RAN HER HEART OUT, SHE RAN HER HEART OUT, SHE RAN HER HEART OUT. Called my boyfriend who couldn't really hear me from all the people at the track. But I tried to yell over the phone, WHO CAME IN SECOND BABY? Who came in second. Didn't I tell you that Filly would be there, she ran her heart out. He couldn't really hear so we ended the call.

Still smiling from ear to ear with tears welled up in my eyes, the unbelievable happened. The Announcer came out and said there a problem with Eight Belles, she appears to have sustained an injury. Then the camera went to her laying on the track. I Screamed NO, NO, NO. It can't be. She just ran her heart out, it can't end up like this. The tears of Joy I had, suddenly turned to saddening crying. Just kept saying NO, she ran her heart out. NO, SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS.

I looked at her lying there, and my first thought was she had a Heart Attack. Now I was wailing. I couldn't imagine such a race being run with this horse with all this heart, then having it end in her death. I just kept saying NO, please God, No. Moments later the Vet was interviewed and said she simultaneously broke both front ankles galloping out. I couldn't believe it. I watched the replay of the race, she was perfect. I watched both front legs and there was nothing wrong. She finished in one piece a Grand Champion. How in the world could she had broke not only one ankle, AFTER THE RACE. BUT TWO? Just galloping out after the race. BUT SHE DID, and was put down immediately.

Just seconds earlier she did the inevitable. Out of a Field of 19 Colts, she had beaten 18 of them. I just cried and stayed crying for an entire hour. This poor horse never got a chance to enjoy what she had just done.

There are people that will weigh in that horse racing is a abusive sport. But they are wrong. Horses were born to run. Some to the point of disappointment if they can't. I'll never forget while working for Bonnie Sutherland at DRC, she owned and trained a horse named Lost Weekend. That year we were in annex 8 or 9. Weekend had the first stall by the door. From that point the track could be seen. In the afternoon while racing is going on, the horses NOT entered to run that day relax. Weekend WATCHED, as races ran. As if to say HEY, I want to be out there. One day when she was entered, she went to post. Got out on the track only for the jock to return her to the paddock, saying she's not right. Personally that particular day, I don't think she was WANTED in the race. She was sore NO WHERE. The only one that wasn't right was that Jock & Vet for scratching her. But I'll never forget the look in this horses eyes when they ran that race without her. She watched the other horses running the race, and if could of spoken to us would of said Hey, WHAT ABOUT ME? You could actually see the disappointment in this horses Eyes. Like she had been cheated out of a race. HORSES WERE BORN TO RUN.

The horse racing industry has many different kinds of people. People that would do without for their horses, like Bonnie Sutherland & others. Then there's people that consider it to be just that. THE HORSE RACING GAME. No big deal about them personally. One horse is just like the rest. Thank God they make up the FEW. I was in this game because I loved the horse's. I genuinely loved Animals. Most Owners and trainers love them too. All of them individually have their own personalities. They feel identically what we do. Love, Joy, Fear, Pain, Sadness, Disappointment. When people starve, abuse, hurt them. THEY FEEL. Depression & Pain. When people are feeding them, watering them, giving them clean stalls, playing with them & treating them good. THEY FEEL. They Feel Joy & Happiness. When they are in pain, you can SEE IT IN THEIR EYES. When they feel Good, you can SEE IT IN THEIR EYES.

Today one race out of hundreds that will have ran today, was run. It was the Race that the Horse Racing Industry looks forward to this time every year.

It was THE KENTUCKY DERBY. A Powerhouse showed what he had, his name. BIG BROWN. He showed his Bloodline with Pride. He won from the 20th post, and did it with Fine Fashion. Then there was a Filly named Eight Belles who also showed her bloodline, that bloodline I happen to love. Dixieland Band Breeding. And she showed an even BIGGER HEART. The Girls aren't suppose to be able to match the Boys Stamina. SHE DID.

SHE BEAT 18 of them. She couldn't catch the Best of the day. But she was only 5 lengths away certainly with-in reach. I looked for the complete head on view of the race. At this point of posting, I haven't been able to find it. I'm sure I will in the upcoming hours. The only video I did find didn't tell me much. It looked so damn innocent. It was unimaginable. A totally freak accident. An accident that would break many hearts today. The loss of her Life, the most important part. For the Owners of this filly I can only imagine what they feel, the Trainer as well. But the one I feel for the most, is the one person who nobody ever mentions. The one who spends the most time with their horses assigned to them, from the very early A.M. to the Late afternoons. THE GROOM. This person cleans their stalls, does up their legs, picks & packs their feet, feeds 3 times a day, picks stall again in the P.M.. Comes back to the track during hot summer nights and waters them off. Takes care of every single need that the Horse requires. Yet they get no mention at all.

In reality, if not for the GROOMS that rub these horses. Most wouldn't be able to run at all. It would be nice once and awhile for someone to give them credit. The impact of this race today, and the outcome for Eight Belles won't even be reached until Tomorrow Morning. They know already A tragedy has happened. They went back to the Barn and someone was missing. But it won't be until tomorrow that the FULL IMPACT is realized. For the Owners & Trainer. For the GROOM IT WILL BE THAT EMPTY STALL, Where Eight Belles stood. I wouldn't want to be any of them. Because if a Groom here in the Metro/Detroit area whose been completely out of this Game for a total of 8 years, can sit here crying as she writes this Blog about a horse in reality she never saw in person or got to know.

I CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT THE GROOM WHO DID, WILL FEEL LIKE.

And the feeling will be Emptiness.

Eight Belles should still be here, but she's not. She didn't deserve this ending. And really none of us knows why. The race of her lifetime was over. And she finished 2nd in the Kentucky Derby in Grand Style. A freak accident took her. God knows why, I certainly do not, and never will. I want to understand WHY, but I wont. AND IT HURTS. So I'll end this blog like the one yesterday when another horse broke down, Cherlokee. I'd like to believe that they're together somewhere, running happy and free.

"God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses."

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=
207187&cl=7666850&ch=207399&src=sports

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/24445258#
24200235 CLICK ON EIGHT BELLES TRAGEDY.

http://www.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?T
RK=CD&CTY=USA&DATE=20080503&RN=10

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24445049/

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/triplecrown0
8/news/story?id=3380100