Owner Haunted by Derby Filly's 'Horrible' Death

Eight Belles, Barbaro indicative of huge hearts, too-fragile bodies

(NEWSER) - NBC cut away from Eight Belles’ devastating breakdown and euthanasia at Churchill Downs yesterday, but we need to take a good hard look at the very real cost of the sport of kings, writes Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post. Eight Belles is a primetime example of the average two horses per day that suffer career-ending injuries on the track—the result of years of breeding for speed, without the requisite sturdiness. 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»

(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»

Filly slammed by runaway at Churchhill Downs dies from shock

(NEWSER) - A colt who went bonkers during a workout at Churchill Downs threw his jockey then slammed into a filly who had to be put down because of her injuries, reports Horse and Hound. Several hopefuls for the upcoming Kentucky Derby were on the track, but none was injured. "The horse was just barreling down the track and nobody had time to scatter," said a trainer. "It was just horrible." More»

His ashes lie below memorial

(NEWSER) - A bronze statue of the late Barbaro charging mid-air toward his 2006 Kentucky Derby victory has been completed in advance of next week's 135th Derby, the Courier-Journal reports. Buried below the sculpture are the ashes of the beloved colt, who was euthanized two years ago after struggling to recover from a leg that all but shattered in the Preakness. His supporters flocked to Churchill Downs yesterday to witness the statue's unveiling. More»