2008 Eclipse Award Champion

Three-Year-Old Filly

Eight Belles was a brave and brilliant filly whose short life is remembered both for her talent and for the tragedy that ended it. She was foaled in 2005 and trained by Larry Jones for owner Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms. Her sire was Unbridled's Song, and her dam was Away, a daughter of Dixieland Band. She was a tall and striking gray filly who could run with the colts, and she did just that in some of the biggest races of her time.

Eight Belles had a strong three year old campaign in early 2008. She won the Martha Washington Stakes, the Honeybee Stakes, and the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, all in dominant style. Her connections decided to skip the Kentucky Oaks and run her against the boys in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. Ridden by jockey Gabriel Saez, she put in a huge effort at Churchill Downs. She came running through the stretch and finished second behind Big Brown, beating 18 colts to be runner up in America's most famous race.

Then came the moment that broke the hearts of racing fans everywhere. Just past the finish line, Eight Belles suffered compound fractures of both front ankles. She was humanely euthanized on the track. Her death sparked a national conversation about the safety of racing and led to many changes in how the sport thinks about surfaces, breeding for soundness, and the welfare of its athletes.

At the end of 2008, Eight Belles was honored with the Eclipse Award for Champion Three Year Old Filly. She remains one of only a few fillies to ever finish second in the Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles is buried in the infield at Churchill Downs, near other racing legends. Her story is a bittersweet one, full of courage and class, and she will always be remembered as a filly who gave her absolute best on the biggest stage.

Sources:

• Eight Belles - Wikipedia

• Bloodhorse - Eight Belles

• Churchill Downs Memorial

This is a sensitive topic and the loss of Eight Belles is still felt by many in the racing community. If you're affected by stories like this, that's completely understandable.

Sire: Unbridled's Song

Grandsire: Unbridled

Dam: Away

Damsire: Dixieland Band

Sex: Filly

Foaled: 2005

Country: United States

Colour: Grey

Breeder: Robert N. Clay & Serengeti Stable

Owner: Fox Hill Farms

Trainer: Larry Jones

Jockey: Gabriel Saez

Record: 10 Starts: 5 - 3 - 1

Earnings: $708,650

Major races: Martha Washington Stakes, the Honeybee Stakes, and the Fantasy Stakes