Do you think Eight Belles jockey knew that she had broken legs, but continued to race her in the Derby?

Question

Eight Belles, who came in second in the Kentucky Derby, collapsed and had to be euthanized immediately following the race . There seems to be an awful lot of leg fractures on these race horses. An investigation should be conducted to find out why.

I also question if the jockey who rode Eight Belles knew she was injured, but kept her in the race anyway. It is hard to believe that her ankles suddenly broke right after the race ended. Had to happen during the race. Even Barbaro's jockey had common sense and compassion to pull him out of the race because he knew there was a fractured leg.

Do you feel the jockey should be questioned and this matter investigated? If the jockey is found guilty of deliberately keeping an injured animal in the race, should he be prosecuted and serve jail time??

Would be interested to find out what you think about this.

Thak you.

Answer 1

There ABSOLUTELY needs to be an investigation into the cause of Eight Belles' injuries!!!!!!!! This sport is plagued by questionable practices, undermining & shady individuals and there is WAY too much money on the line to be gained when your horse wins. Not to mention the millions of dollars spent to purchase, train and maintain a winning horse. And when that horse doesn't win, it usually meets an untimely death or horrific treatment after the losing race. How can you NOT question 2 broken ankles of a horse that has trained for an entire year & suffers those broken ankles after it has run the entire length of the track?

Answer 2

a race horse can run on an injured leg for a short time before the horse realizes it has a problem, i dont think the jockey is to blame! as it would be hard to hear any bone cracking with thousands of fans screaming and cheering.

im led to believe the incident happened after the winning post when the horse was pulling up perhaps it stumbled or lost its footing causing the injury.

Answer 3

Yes I belive they should be tried. Have you seen the videos of it? that jocky was way to big to be riding a horse like that! Also I wanted to say that there is stuff going on in the business. I watched a show about all the drugs being given to the horses to make them faster. she could have collapsed because of numerouse things but I belive it would have been exaustion and possibly a significant amount of drugs. I can't belive what this world is coming to. druging animals so they can be sold or do better at their sport. its just sick and sad. I'm not against racing but I think something needs to be done about it.

Answer 4

This has got to be the most ignorant question yet about the race. Possibly the dumbest question I have ever seen on YA.

The jockey is going to sacrifice a $5,000,000 horse to come in SECOND? He would not do that to win.

I realize that I have fallen for you attempt to get people angry, sorry I am not angry the way you want me to be.

Answer 5

There is no way possible a horse can run with two broken ankles, especially when the one ankle had a compound fracture (bone thru skin) If the truth be told that's a long race track, over a mile for a horse to run in 2 minutes. Her bones couldn`t take the pounding and probably just snapped, she may have been run beyond her means because filly`s seldom run in major races. I`m sure the jockey was as shocked as everyone else when she went down.

Answer 6

the jockey had to know something was wrong either before or during the race!!  I think he and/or the trainer/owner should be charged with animal abuse!!  I literally started crying when I saw what happened!!

Answer 7

It's a fair question, but assumes too much, probably through unfamiliarity with horses and racing.

Some of the answers so far are obviously from the usual  zealots from the (as usual) uninformed "animal rights" machine.  If you run an even SLIGHTLY injured horse in the Derby, they wouldn't finish. Period.  No owner or trainer, or the track vet, would permit it anyhow.

It would also be stupid, considering that a horse's offspring, even if they just ENTERED the Derby, are worth far more than the purse in that race.  It would be insane from even a financial point of view.  Eight Belles' foals would have been worth millions.

Running an injured horse is virtually guaranteed to lose the race, if not kill the horse and risk the jockey's life, too.  What sense would that make?

From the tape, her injury obviously came almost immediately after the finish line, and Saez tried to pull her up. Like a lot of horses that just love to run, she wasn't ready to stop yet, and that's almost certainly when the one really serious injury -- the compound fracture that broke the skin -- occurred.  Saez did his best and should be commended.  No one could have done more, and by all reports was emotionally torn up by this, holding her as she was euthanized.  He'd already made his money & place in history -- he could have just walked away smiling.

People who mistreat or abuse horses are pariahs in the horse community.  Those few that were prosecuted for killing horses for insurance a few years ago virtually disappeared afterwards, knowing it isn't even safe for them to be seen near horses.  Or cross the street in front of any of us who own horses.

The delicate orthopedics that make Thoroughbreds so fast (originally to get them away from wolves and big cat predators) have a trade-off in strength, and injuries like this can happen in a field, just from a mis-step over uneven ground.  Happens all the time, and is a tragedy known all too well by those of us who have, and love, horses.

This was not jockey error, or trainer error, nor track vet error.  All did their job, and did it well.

Answer 8

Unfortunately it happens.

It was no ones fault.  The jockey is in no way to blame, if you watch that race, there is no way the filly's ankles were broken and she ran to win, if her ankles broke during the race, she would have gone down.  

Regardless, if the jockey did know, good luck trying to stop a 1200 pound pack animal from running.  The horse was doing what her instincts told her, and that is to run.  There is NO WAY really that he could have stopped her.  Have you ever been on a horse, if the horse wants to run, it will, if the horse wants to stop, it will.

Injury and tragedy happens it all sports, should we ban anyone and anything from competing?

Answer 9

I'm sorry but that is almost funny. Her ankle were NOT broken before. She wouldn't have been able to stand, might as well run on two broken ankles. She fell, the fall broke her ankles. Also, it would not be the jockeys fault. The jockey's simpley do what they are told to do. An investigation is not needed because we all know why. These horses are babies. You (no offense but I can tell) don't know much about horses. A horses isn't fully mature until age 3 or 4, and these horses are in races at age1.5. They are being bred so they can run fast but there bones just can't handle it. It isn't ayones fault and definitely not he jockeys. Barbaro's jockey didn't pull him out o fthe race, they had to stop because he was hurt. I'm sorry to be so harsh, but this is true.

The jockey is innocent.

The horse was fine when she went in the starting gate.

After the finish lie, the horse fell.

The fall broke both ankles.

She was then Humanely Euthanized.

I hope I helped!

Answer 10

I studied one picture of her toward the end of the race, her right hoof is being held in a strange position. not normal for a horse, it hangs in an unusual way.  i believe her right ankle was broken first, she ran the race on 3 legs.  when she slowed down at the end of the race her weight came down on hard on her left leg, thus breaking her left ankle.  she ran on 3 legs, that is what i believe happened.

Answer 11

I know nothing about horse racing, but I'm inclined to agree with you.  Seeing as she was in second place, the jockey probably knew, but didn't care, that she was hurt and was probably trying to catch up and win.  Horse racing is inhumane and cruel, a spectacle for rich a**holes and a money making endevour for the owners, trainers and jockeys who supposedly care about these animals.

Answer 12

(sigh)  A race horse dies (humanely and quickly, may I add) while we have soldiers getting killed overseas (slowly and painfuly sometimes)  And the big brewhahah is about a sufering animal?  Well the right thing was done, she was put out of her misery after running a gallant race.  But even if you believe in god or not, One thing still is the truth. Once your ticket gets punched.... Your ticket gets punched. No if ands or buts about it.  We all die, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.  But it is the end.  So suck it up and think of your own mortality, and (if you're that sort) how your death might be caused by someone else's stupidity (the odds are about 50/50). Nothing is safe, nothing ever will be.  Deal with it.

Answer 13

her ankles broke b/c she didnt have the strength to support herself. she didnt have the strength to support herself b/c a selfish jockey who had never ridden in the Kentucky derby  whipped her beyond the breaking point in an effort to win a race he was never going to win. what a tragedy. what a shame. This is not barbaro - this horse was abused by the jockey. i thought so as i was watching the race and i think so now. and this is the first time i have ever agreed with PETA btw. This jockey should be repremanded for his actions. just watch the stretch run and u will know what i mean.

Answer 14

Yes, I do believe the Jockey did know the horse was injured during the race.  A racing horse carries 80% of its weight on the front legs. I have been riding horses for YEARS. It is impossible for a rider not to know a horse has fractured BOTH sesmoid bones. Any good rider knows when their horse is hurting, even slightly, you can feel it when the horse moves. That jockey KNEW the horse was "off" during the race, but he chose not to pull the horse up. I STRONGLY believe the Jockey should be suspended from racing another animal.  This injury did not just "happen" right after the race, it was happening during the race and the Jockey knew it and kept going anyway!  Very Very Sad.

Answer 15

they will find no foul play...it will be checked out in detail...a race horse weighs over 1200 pounds and you can put your thumb and fore finger around their ankle...very fragile situation! this jocky did pull her up 75 yards past the finish line!

Answer 16

if both of the horses legs were broken, the horse wouldnt have been able to stand and even run throughout the entire race.  the jockey of barbaro realized the horse was hurt because it could put any pressure on the rear leg that was broken (it obviously feels different when the horse is running on 3 legs).  no horse can possibly run that fast with two broken legs...it doesnt make sense.

Answer 17

OH MY GOD! That is insane! I feel like crying. There needs to be a STOP put to this cruel sport. People just sit with their money and their stupid fluffy hats with bouncing sh*t coming out of the top and dont realize what the horses are being put through! I didnt make it to the television in time but when i found out this morning i was heartbroken. Its so sad how people put young horses in like that for MONEY. Its really depressing. I would be so mordified if my favorite horse on this planet was put into a big shindig like that and had to be put down for breaking to ankles.

I'll pray for Eight Bells.

Answer 18

I agree it seems strange to put a horse thru this rigorous activity and not investigate what actually was her condition. Her ankles must have been weak. Would the jockey know this or the trainers? They have constant involvement with the animal. It wouldn't be a surprise if she had weak ankles but raced since this is a hefty purse race.

Answer 19

You're question--Do I think Eight Belles jockey knew that she had broken legs, but continued to race her in the Derby?

My answer--No

Explanation--You try to run 1.25 miles on 2 broken ankles.  It doesn't matter how much you try to shoot up, you're not going to cover up the pain.  Get over it, she raced one h**l of a race, her jockey tried to pull her up to slow her down, and her legs couldn't take it.  Bones snapped, vets showed up, she was in pain, they did their job, they took care of her.

I don't think there are any more fractures than normal, it's just they get publicized a little more when a Kentucky Derby winner goes down trying for the triple crown, and then 2 years later the runner up goes down immediately after the race.  Yes, it's a shame that it happened.

I think it's ridiculous to even think that this was a cruel plot by her owner, trainer, and/or jockey to have the filly run.

Answer 20

She was sound before the race. As some of the other posters have said, there is NO way that she could have run that kind of a race (or even stood up) with 2 broken ankles.

I watched her trainer gallop her out during Derby week. When he asked to to come out of the gallop, she didn't pay attention. He had to patiently ask her again and again. I think that the jockey's youth and inexperience worked against him aboard Eight Belles. He asked her to go way beyond what was needed in the stretch, then probably in frustration, asked her to pull up short. Which could have caused her to twist her feet. She obviously didn't switch to a slower gait easily if her trainer couldn't even get her to do it during a morning run.

Answer 21

Absolutely, the jockey knew... they do this professionally.  He rode the horse to its death.  Sad and disgusting.

Answer 22

It's a matter of physics. The jockey fussed with her head for most of the race (cranking left, cranking right). By not allowing her to stretch her head forward, essentially impeding her 1000lbs of forward motion (by too much rein), he created a situation where her ankles had to repeatedly endure the impact of all that momentum. Eventually, it took its toll...

Jockey error here.

Answer 23

If Eight Belles had broken ankles there is no way she would have been able to run 1 1/4  miles. Even if it happened during the race she would have been down

They will investiage regardless.