Is the sport of thoroughbred racing really in a crisis? Sportswriter Sally Jenkins, along with other people, thinks so. Jenkins, who was present during the euthanization of Eight Belles in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, blames the people behind the current trend of horse racing: the promoters, the horse trainers and owners, the corporate sponsors, and even the fans themselves for supporting a grand event of speed, grace, and beauty that has now been altered into a “win or die trying” race.

Eight Belles, who finished second in the said race, broke her ankles while strutting to cool herself down. A broken ankle means death for a thoroughbred, whose breed is built for speed and not durability. She was euthanized on the spot. The moment her ankles cracked, she was useless and had to be rid of quickly.

And greed was a part of it. Greed drove the trainers to push Eight Belles beyond the extreme; the same greed that egged the jockey to spur Eight Belles a little bit faster than the others; the same greed that made the fans cheer for her to win; the same greed that inspired the breeders to build a very fast horse. Money. It was all about the money.

As Jenkins puts it, Eight Belles was a locomotive that ran on champagne glasses. Greed made sure she was all that.

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