Originally published May 3, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified May 4, 2008 at 12:32 AM

Unbeaten Big Brown comes through to win Kentucky Derby

Big Brown backed up his trainer's boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday — a day marred by...

PREV of NEXT

DARRON CUMMINGS / AP

Kent Desormeaux reacts after riding Big Brown to victory during the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday.

MORRY GASH / AP

Kent Desormeaux rides Big Brown past Gabriel Saez riding Eight Belles (5) to win the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

AL BEHRMAN / AP

Kent Desormeaux rides Big Brown to victory during the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 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 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.

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 ¾-length victory to become the seventh unbeaten Derby winner with his fourth consecutive win. The last one was Barbaro in 2006.

Eight Belles was attempting to become the fourth filly to win the Derby. However, as the horses galloped out around the first turn, the filly fell to the ground and jockey Gabriel Saez jumped off.

An equine ambulance came onto the track, but the filly could not be saved, said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby's on-call veterinarian.

"When we passed the wire I stood up. She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That's when she went down," a distraught Saez said.

More Other Sports headlines...

E-mail article Print view Share: Digg Newsvine

More Other Sports

Michael Phelps breaks 100-meter butterfly world record at U.S. nationals

Lance Armstrong stays a split second off Tour lead

NW Briefs: Hydros driver Jean Theoret: "I drowned" after boat flip

NEW - 09:14 PM
Mountains beckon riders in Tour de France

UPDATE - 07:52 PM
Sideline Chatter: Serena Williams doesn't believe in no-strings relationships

Advertising

Video

Gen. David Petraeus: Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Watch highlights of General David Petraeus discussing the Iraq and Afghanistan War at the Global Leadership Series sponsored by the World Affairs Council.