Big Brown (left), Eight Belles (right)While listening to my ipod, jogging at the gym on Saturday, I noticed that the Kentucky Derby was on ESPN. Filled with memories of watching these exciting horse races as a kid, I thought about how much my Dad enjoyed watching them, so I quickly switched my earbuds to the sound jack for the TV. I think what initially caught my attention was the amount of "air time" Michael Jordan was getting for being there, among all the other celebrities. (Air Time. Jordan. Haha, intended pun!)
There was so much pre-race coverage that I was able to get home, stretch, and take a shower before the actual race took place. Not only that, Hylan got home just minutes before the race and had enough time to pick his favorite. He wanted "the only chick in the race" to win, Eight Belles. I liked Pyro just because of the name, although I liked Smooth Air's story, and had to cheer for the only filly of course!
Well, the favorite horse, Big Brown, ran a flawless race and won by a considerable margin. Hylan and I were both extremely excited that Eight Belles lead the pack for a little bit and eventually finished second! You go girl!
All that joy turned to concern when they announced Eight Belles had collapsed. "Not to worry," most of the announcers said, "it's probably heart-related and she'll probably be fine." And then only minutes later, our concern turned to all-out shock! Eight Belles collapsed because she had compound fractures in both front ankles and had to be euthanized. :(
Hylan and I couldn't believe it. I was genuinely sad, even though I had only known about the horse for a few minutes. I wanted Eight Belles to be the Danica Patrick of horse racing, who recently became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. I love it when female athletes excel in sports, especially when competing against men.
I know she was just a horse, but a filly placed second in the Kentucky Derby and then lost her life, so I felt like blogging about it.
1 comment:
That is sad. :(
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