I thought it was nice that someone had started a candle group.
Unfortunately, some people don't seem to realize there's an
appropriate time and place for everything - there are multiple posts
by some individuals giving vent to their political views on horse
racing.

Jeanne Hedge

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http://www.jhedge.com

(see the WARNING ABOUT THE PHOTO GALLERY below)

The thing of it is, you didn't even know it happened. The horses
crossed the finish line, and the TV cameras began shooting the usual
"look at the owner and the trainer and the rest of the gang celebrate"
thing in the grandstand.

It was almost an afterthought - oh, look, there's a horse down on the
backstretch. She'd gone around the turn and was practically in the
backstretch when she went down. The tv didn't dwell on it, they'd go
off and talk about something else, then come back briefly with a
longshot of, at first a horse laying on its side, and then the
ambulances and tarps that had been hung up. Then go away again and
talk about Big Brown and the celebration. I don't think they dwelt on
it because they didn't have anything to report at first, and then when
they did report it there just wasn't anything else to say. So they
went back to the party - which is what, I'm sure, Churchill Downs and
Yum Brands (this year's corporate sponsor) wanted.

The story in the Louisville paper I linked to in the original message
explains it better. I don't remember if it was there or somewhere
else, but it's being made clear that this had nothing to do with
racing with colts because she wasn't bumped ('it could have happened
in a race with shetland ponies' was one quote, I believe). Someone
else said it could have happened when she was out running around in a
field somewhere.

WARNING ABOUT THE PHOTO GALLERY -
I didn't realize this because I didn't see that there was an Eight
Belles photo gallery when I posted the link to the Louisville paper.
It is 25 images long, photos 2-6 and 14 are not for the squeamish. (25
is "iffy" - it is of the screen being put up on the back stretch)

With those exceptions, the photos are of Eight Belles and various
people associated with her, workouts (a couple absolutely gorgeous
photos in there), making faces at the camera while being bathed, being
led to the paddock before the race.   Photo 23 is gorgeous - her in
the post parade. Photos 8-9 are of, as mentioned in the article, NBC
reporter Donna Brothers giving jockey Gabriel Saez a ride back to the
paddock afterward. They both look absolutely sick.

Photos 2-6 and 14 are the ones I'm really warning you about. I guess
they're there for "completeness" but I don't see what benefit they
serve.  Photos 2-5 and 14 is Eight Belles on the ground while they
were attending to her. Photo 6 is her breaking down.

Jeanne Hedge

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http://www.jhedge.com

It's probably nothing to do with training or trying to win.
Thoroughbred racehorses are bred for speed and to be fast they need to
be light as possible and spontaneous fractures of the ankle or
fractures with minimal trauma are not unknown because their bones are
lighter and thinner than other breeds

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

That part of their makeup has nothing to do with their training.  It's the
Thoroughbred instinct to run, refined by generations of selective breeding
of horses who are fearless and highly competitive.
When running a race, a  race horse gets a tremendous adrenaline rush which
can effectively mask the pain from injuries, until it's too late.  And yes,
it's terribly, terribly sad.