Eight Belles' Trainer Defends Jockey's Conduct

Wishes 'talented, mild-mannered' horse was back in the barn

(NEWSER) - Eight Belles' owner is still shocked and saddened by the death of his filly, put down at the end of the Kentucky Derby—but believes she belonged in the race, reports the Palm Beach Post. Rick Porter switched from celebrating his horse's thrilling second-place finish to mourning her death within minutes. "It's the bottom of the barrel," he said yesterday. "It's just a horrible feeling." More»

Comma To The Top is the people's champion

(NEWSER) - Looking for a rooting interest at Sunday’s Kentucky Derby? Well, you should be cheering for Comma To The Top, argues Edward McClelland of Slate , for one simple reason: "He can’t produce sperm." Which means he’ll be able to race for another three years. “If early favorite Dialed In wins, he’ll retire at the end of the summer, and follow in the hoofprints of 2010 winner Super Saver, who is currently servicing mares for $20,000 a spasm.” More»

The way we treat thoroughbreds is a disgrace, says Marlene Fanta Shyer

(NEWSER) - You might imagine that the horses who run in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby live lives of "pampered luxury." But you’d be wrong, writes Marlene Fanta Shyer in the Christian Science Monitor . “The truth is often closer to years of abuse and a brutal end at a foreign slaughterhouse.” The vast majority of these horses are given Phenylbutazone, or “bute,” to help them run while injured, which can cause kidney damage, internal hemorrhaging, and other problems. More»

(NEWSER) - Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge has been scratched because of an ankle injury, reports Newsday. The 3-year-old colt—the morning line had him at 3-1 odds to win today's race—showed soreness in his left front ankle after an early workout, said trainer Jeff Mullins. "We could tell he wasn't 100 percent." The new favorites: Dunkirk and Pioneer of the Nile at 4-1, followed by Friesan Fire at 5-1, notes the Online Gambling Paper. More»

(NEWSER) - A year after second-place finisher Eight Belles had to be euthanized following the Kentucky Derby, safety has improved—but the inherent dangers of horse racing remain immutable, MSNBC reports. The industry has altered the rules regarding steroids, whips, and horseshoes, "but the bottom line is, not a lot of change," said a congressman critical of the sport's decentralized structure. More»