She was right there with the boys…the whole time, untouched and in full gallop digging all the way! Eight Belles was the first filly to run in the Kentucky Derby in nine years. That alone was an accomplishment for the owner and trainer but didn’t appear to be enough for the young girl. She was obviously looking for more and as the most experienced horse at the Derby, she probably expected more. She didn’t just run the race — she ran THE race of her life — and her last race. She didn’t win; she placed behind Big Brown, the one who would dominate everyone, and in a 20-horse field filled with the finest ’stallions’ around, that’s something in and of itself.
It was a great run for the filly, until she crossed the finish line, and her jockey heard a sound.
As noted on the internet, some idiots are already making a big deal about the symbolism of this, trying to tie it to the presidential campaign and the fact that Hillary suggested people bet on the filly — Eight Belles — and she didn’t win.
The horse died on the track. If someone thinks that this is a joke worth pursuing, well, that’s between you, your soul, and God. Let go the desire to be cute about this.
Eight Belles – R.I.P. May 3, 2008
