Eight Belles Video – Pictures and video clips of Eight Belles fall after her Kentucky Derby second-place finish including the heartbreaking Eight Belles collapse video clip.
Watch the Eight Belles video clips below – the first is the valiant filly’s collapse, the second is all the entire NBC coverage of Eight Belles horrific injury, and the third is an Eight Belles tribute video.
“Eight Belles ran the race of her life — she went out as a champion,” her trainer Larry Jones told reporters, tears still in his eyes and his voice cracking two hours after the race. “This is the unfortunate side of racing you’re faced with every now and then. This is the bad part. Losing animals like this isn’t fun. It’s not supposed to happen. We’re heart-broke. We’re going to miss her, I know that.”
When veterinarians stationed on the backstretch arrived at Eight Belles, they immediately diagnosed a left front condylar fracture that had broke through the skin (becoming contaminated) and a right front ankle dislocation and condylar and sesamoid fractures.
Both of those are extremely serious injuries for a racehorse. Together, they meant she was doomed for a horse must be able to stand on three legs to survive.
Eight Belles Fall Video
“In my years, I’ve never seen this happen at the end of a race,” Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Churchill Downs veterinarian said. “There was absolutely nothing we could do. It would have been tough had it been just one leg. It happened on the same stride — she collapsed right in front of the outrider so there wasn’t a warning.”
Eight Belles Collapse Video – NBC Coverage
Her trainer Larry Jones went from elation to despair in just a few moments, hurrying to get to the valiant filly’s side after learning about her two broken ankles while making his way towards the winner’s circle.
“When I did see her, I knew it had to be done,” Jones said. “She had no way of being saved. … It’s a quarter-mile after the race. They don’t occur out there. It’s not supposed to end that way.”
Tribute Video Including Kentucky Derby
Eight Belles’ time was the fifth-best in Kentucky Derby history for a filly. Only three fillys have ever won the prestigious race.
This was Eight Belles’ first race against male competition and she gave it everything she had, unexpectedly thrilling the crowd by finishing a strong second.
Moments later, a few hundred yards down the track, the horrific injury to both front ankles ended her life.
And that’s the sad news shown on the Eight Belles video.
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May 10th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
My heart goes out to Larry Jones, Eight Belle’s owner, and her jockey. I blame none of them in any way for her tragic death and am so sorry some people do. She was a wonderful filly, and I cried when I saw what happened, too. The bond between Eight Belles and Larry was incedibly noticeable in the clips shown before the derby – that’s something special that can never be taken away no matter what. To Larry Jones, Rick Porter, and Eight Belle’s jockey :
I could not be sorrier for what happened, my heart truly is going out to you right now.
February 26th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
yes it was the most horrible but they didnt have 2 let her die they could have put her in a sling until she recoupperated it may have taken a while and money but she did NOT have to die like that. but yes im so sorry that she went out like that she was a true champion and deserves to be in the hall of fame she was one of the best fillies i was so stunned
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Eight Belles was an amazing filly. She ran with the big boys and for her life to just end like that was a tradegy. Yes, she could have been recoupperated and may have healed enough to walk again but she would always be in pain. Breaks like that never actually heal to the point where it dosent hurt anymore. She shouldn’t have been there. These horses should not me run at such a young age. They fully develop at 5 years old and to make them run as fast and as hard as they can destroys them. They’re babies still hence colts and fillies. My heart really goes out to the trainer and espically Eight Belles. The beautiful grey filly who made me feel like anything is possible. You are missed lovely girl.