Kentucky Derby

[jam26]

Sad conclusion to today's Kentucky Derby. Philly 'Eight Belles' finished in second place as an underdog (I put money on her to win at 20-1) and then went down after the finish line, having somehow broke both her front ankes. Very weird collapse....but they had to euthanize her on the spot.

Big Brown, the favourite, won the race.

[metallicat]

How do they euthanize horses on the track? Still with a gun, or do they use some sort of injection?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by jam26

Sad conclusion to today's Kentucky Derby. Philly 'Eight Belles' finished in second place as an underdog (I put money on her to win at 20-1) and then went down after the finish line, having somehow broke both her front ankes. Very weird collapse....but they had to euthanize her on the spot.

Big Brown, the favourite, won the race.

I don't understand how horse racing can still exist today and be considered a 'high class/high society" sport when every year a horse dies on the track.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I don't understand how horse racing can still exist today and be considered a 'high class/high society" sport when every year a horse dies on the track.

When they start to feel it's a brutal sport they just watch the stampede chuckwagons to make themselves feel better.

I guess for the most part the horses are well taken care of, but people must feel like they need to take a shower after being part of a spectical that's really only interesting because people can bet on the horses ... just so they can die.

[transplant99]

Ridiculous.



Horses break down all the time in many facets of their existance. Ive seen horses go down just loping along in a field...they are somewhat fragile creatures when it comes to their ankles/legs.

As for Eight Belles, I have NEVER heard of a horse breaking/displacing BOTH ankles at once and especially after just galloping out to wind down after a race.

I guess for the most part the horses are well taken care of, but people must feel like they need to take a shower after being part of a spectical that's really only interesting because people can bet on the horses ... just so they can die.

Ahh to be the judge and jury about something you have no idea about.

These animals WANT to run...they are BRED to run....they LOVE to run. It's a fast paced sport with very large athletes...so yes sometimes tragedy strikes. The horses are pampered and made part of families....so yeah I guess the natural outcome is to kust want to be able to bet on them..."just so they can die". Preposterous.

I don't understand how horse racing can still exist today and be considered a 'high class/high society" sport when every year a horse dies on the track.

how is today different than 50, 100, 1000 years ago?

Horses die every year ALL over the place....but because these ones are bred and wanting to run and humans can enjoy them for that fact....it's somehow worse?

I was involved in the sport from the periphery many years ago as a part-owner. i will be the first to admit there is a small minority of people in the sport that abuse these animals to varying degress...they usually end up getting caught and are out of the game one way or the other because of it.

It's still a very noble sport for the most part and those animals are as beloved by their owners/trainers/riders/groomers as any other household pet.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Ridiculous.



Horses break down all the time in many facets of their existance. Ive seen horses go down just loping along in a field...they are somewhat fragile creatures when it comes to their ankles/legs.

As for Eight Belles, I have NEVER heard of a horse breaking/displacing BOTH ankles at once and especially after just galloping out to wind down after a race.



Ahh to be the judge and jury about something you have no idea about.

These animals WANT to run...they are BRED to run....they LOVE to run. It's a fast paced sport with very large athletes...so yes sometimes tragedy strikes. The horses are pampered and made part of families....so yeah I guess the natural outcome is to kust want to be able to bet on them..."just so they can die". Preposterous.

Looks to me like Vicks dogs were bred to fight, and wanted to fight. It's a different scale of severety but I don't understand how human breeding and shaping of animal behavior can justify anything. So they were bred to run ... so what? I just think it's sickening that people can just shrug their shoulders and go ahh, tragedy strikes what are you going to do ... I mean, they were bred to run ... and people do need stuff to bet on right?!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by transplant99

how is today different than 50, 100, 1000 years ago?

Horses die every year ALL over the place....but because these ones are bred and wanting to run and humans can enjoy them for that fact....it's somehow worse?

I was involved in the sport from the periphery many years ago as a part-owner. i will be the first to admit there is a small minority of people in the sport that abuse these animals to varying degress...they usually end up getting caught and are out of the game one way or the other because of it.

It's still a very noble sport for the most part and those animals are as beloved by their owners/trainers/riders/groomers as any other household pet.

I agree that the sport itself isn't any different now then it was 100 years ago and won't change in the future and I know that the people in the business love their horses. It is the attitude of people that have changed. People value the life of humans and animals more these days and I'm just surprised that with a tragedy in the biggest race of the year every year, people today still accept it as a mainstream and noble sport.

Dogs died 10000 years ago too but look how outraged people were about dog-fighting last year.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Ridiculous.



how is today different than 50, 100, 1000 years ago?

Horses die every year ALL over the place....but because these ones are bred and wanting to run and humans can enjoy them for that fact....it's somehow worse?

I was involved in the sport from the periphery many years ago as a part-owner. i will be the first to admit there is a small minority of people in the sport that abuse these animals to varying degress...they usually end up getting caught and are out of the game one way or the other because of it.

It's still a very noble sport for the most part and those animals are as beloved by their owners/trainers/riders/groomers as any other household pet.

I'm not alltogether sure what 50 years ago has to do with anything. If things are ok because they were ok 50 years ago then the earth would still be widely viewed as flat.

I've been involved on the periphery of chuckwagon races and same thing some people treat their horses well some don't, I just think that the development of a sport that includes non willing participants that can die from time to time just isn't right.

And for every injury or death that the fans see, there are a number of them behind the stands that nobody hears about.

[transplant99]

Looks to me like Vicks dogs were bred to fight, and wanted to fight. It's a different scale of severety

ya think?

let me ask you this...what happens to thorobreds if they discontinue to breed them?

but I don't understand how human breeding and shaping of animal behavior can justify anything

What needs to be justified? Seriously....these horses are born to run...period. The breeding is only in the fact they try to breed the fastest they can...not make non race horses...racers.

So they were bred to run ... so what?

What else do you suggest they do then...and more importantly where do they do this and who oversees that they are taken care of?

I just think it's sickening that people can just shrug their shoulders and go ahh, tragedy strikes what are you going to do

Who is shrugging their shoulders? Tragedy does happen to animals all over the place all the time. What are you doing about it? I will tell you this when it comes to race horses...their trasiners are charged with conditioning them to the point where breaking down is LESS likely than likely.

I mean, they were bred to run

Glad you finally admit it.

and people do need stuff to bet on right?!

So it's the gambling issue you have a problem with? I guess that Chuckwagons are allright then...and equestrian is no problem ( i mean the horror of breeding jumpers to jump!) and the Clydesdales should never pull another wagon....and the lipinzzaner stallions shoud never perform another show...ditto the RCMP riders....and etc etc etc.

It is the attitude of people that have changed. People value the life of humans and animals more these days

I call complete and utter BS on this. Horses were about the MOST valuable thing on farms at the turn of last century before machinery replaced the need for them. You are telling me my 98 year old grandmother values life LESS than i do? Interesting take, but false from start to finish.

I'm just surprised that with a tragedy in the biggest race of the year every year

Though horse racing has had a number of high-profile breakdowns in recent years, the Kentucky Derby had not been plagued by serious accidents or injuries over the last few decades.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/sp...=1&oref=slogin

[transplant99]

I'm not alltogether sure what 50 years ago has to do with anything. If things are ok because they were ok 50 years ago then the earth would still be widely viewed as flat.

Ummm...I didnt bring it up...GS did. But you really believe people still thought the earth was flat 50 years ago??? Allrighty then.

I just think that the development of a sport that includes non willing participants that can die from time to time just isn't right.

Non-willing? You mean thoroughbreds are not willing to run? Hmmm...doesn't seem likely to me...since...you know, if they don't want to run.....they dont.

And for every injury or death that the fans see, there are a number of them behind the stands that nobody hears about.

Agreed...horses die all the time. Strangely it happens to every living thing.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

How do they euthanize horses on the track? Still with a gun, or do they use some sort of injection?

you're kidding right?

anyways, that was so sad yesterday. such a sad story. upsetting, but those animals love to run, and in this case it appears to be a freak accident. still, tough to stomach that kind of thing happening.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Looks to me like Vicks dogs were bred to fight, and wanted to fight. It's a different scale of severety but I don't understand how human breeding and shaping of animal behavior can justify anything. So they were bred to run ... so what? I just think it's sickening that people can just shrug their shoulders and go ahh, tragedy strikes what are you going to do ... I mean, they were bred to run ... and people do need stuff to bet on right?!

If you can't tell the difference between bred to kill and bred to run, then you're an idiot.

I applaud animal activists for their love of all animals, but your thick skulled stubborn soapbox approach to debating the topic drives me up the wall. Like anti-oil activists, but at least animal activists aren't hypocrits.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

If you can't tell the difference between bred to kill and bred to run, then you're an idiot.

I applaud animal activists for their love of all animals, but your thick skulled stubborn soapbox approach to debating the topic drives me up the wall. Like anti-oil activists, but at least animal activists aren't hypocrits.

really they are different??

You completely missed the point I was saying that being bred to do something doesn't make it ok.

Sorry that exploiting animals for gambling utility isn't ok to me.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I'm just surprised that with a tragedy in the biggest race of the year every year, people today still accept it as a mainstream and noble sport.

From what I understand this is actually the first fatality they've had at the Kentucky Derby EVER.

When you say that there is tragedy EVERY year, I assume you're basing this on Eight Belles this year, and Barabaro last year.
Well that's super, but Barabaro was hurt at the Preakness, not the Kentucky Derby, so your EVERY YEAR theory, only holds water if you use one year out of over 130.

1 year != Every year

Maybe you should look into it before you start making rediculous statements that are based on false information that only spans about 2% of the lifespan of an event.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

really they are different??

You completely missed the point I was saying that being bred to do something doesn't make it ok.

Sorry that exploiting animals for gambling utility isn't ok to me.

Yes they are different. Unless you lump bred to be cute pets, bred to plow fields so people could eat, bred to survive in nature (helping endangered species) into the same boat, then yes they are different. If you do, well then there's no point in debating the point with you.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Yes they are different. Unless you lump bred to be cute pets, bred to plow fields so people could eat, bred to survive in nature (helping endangered species) into the same boat, then yes they are different. If you do, well then there's no point in debating the point with you.

I was sarcastic, I know they are different, but clearly you don't understand the point I was making, and I'm not about to walk you through it at half a mile an hour ... but thank you for your very insightful drive by, you had a very insightful point of view that is worth deep consideration.

[GirlySports]

Bump!

There is a review that would make the NHL proud.

The 7 horse looked really sad, I wonder if he knows hes in trouble.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

First disqualification of a winner in history.

[bigtmac19]

Wasn’t that crazy? Wow

65-1 odds for the winner. Nice payout!

[transplant99]

It was the right decision for sure, but man what a kick to the collective junk for that group. Owner/trainer/jockey/walkers etc....be at the pinnacle of your profession, only to have it yanked away.

Inquiries happen every day in the sport, but way more often than not there is no change. This time there was and should have been.

The payouts were comically large

Country House: $132.40 (Win), $56.60 (Place), $24.60 (Show)

Code of Honor: $15.20 (Place), $9.80 (Show)

Tacitus: $5.60 (Show)

The $2 exacta dished out a whopping $3,009.60, the $1 trifecta produced $11,475.30, and the $1 superfecta topped them all with an astounding $51,400.10.