[Spook]

I was sitting at the bar in front of the TV eating some conchiglie with roma tomatoes and asiago cheese, having a glass of Moretti and caught the race. At first I thought Col John was gonna win it, but Big Brown came out in a huge burst and pulled out in front by probably 7 or 8 lengths. He was favored to win it and for good reason....that horse is a monster. Eight Belles pulled in second, but just as she crossed the finish line she was running funny and collapsed with both of her front ankles broken. Back only a decade or two ago, they would have put the horse down as soon as the horse ambulance came to pick it up and back in the 70's they'd put the horse down right on the track. The vet made a statement as they were hauling it into the ambulance/trailer that she was dead, so I assume that he either meant she would be put down because she is as good as dead or they put her down on the track. It was pretty sad. I remember Barbaro going down just after she left the starting gate at the Preakness with a broken hind wheel two years ago. Helluva big investment to lose. If Eight Belles had only broken or minorly fractured a larger bone, then the horse could have been healed enough for breeding.

On an interesting note though, Big Brown was only 1 and 1/5 second shy of beating Secretariat's record.