Triumph and tragedy at the Kentucky Derby (Wizbang Sports)

The most exciting two minutes in all of sports was raced today.

Big Brown backed up his trainer's boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday -- a day marred by the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles.
The unbeaten Big Brown took charge when the 20-horse field turned for home. Under the urging of jockey Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory to become the seventh unbeaten Derby winner with his fourth consecutive win. The last one was Barbaro in 2006

Big Brown made it look easy today with a convincing victory. Now it has to be seen if the horse can win the Triple Crown. There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Here's the video of the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

After the race was over, one horse had to be put down.

The cheers for the winner's decisive victory were cut short when Eight Belles, the runner-up, was euthanized on the track minutes after the race when she collapsed with two broken front ankles.

What a terrible thing to happen on horse racing's biggest day of the year. Eight Belles collapsed on the back stretch after the race was over. What happened today brings back memories of Ruffian and her tragic end.

Some may say Eight Belles was raced too hard, but these are fragile animals as Barbaro reminded us just recently.

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