Triple Crown Win Would Have Been Tainted

By Allen Bacon
Editor
The Daily Bosco

June 7, 2008 should have been a great sports day.

For the first time in 30 years a horse should have won the triple crown. At 2-5 odds, Big Brown should have won the Belmont and go down in history as one of the greatest thouroughbreds of all time.

When I was in high school I witnessed three horses win the triple crown in the 1970's. I thought it was common practice. Little did I know after I saw Affirmed win the Belmont in 1978 I would probably never see another one.

Yes Saturday would have been a great sports day except I can not, and will not, get the image of Eight Belles out of my mind. The filly who was put down, without hesitation, right after Big Brown won the first race... the Kentucky Derby. The filly that was so close to beating Big Brown.

If Eight Belles was not hurt she may not have won at Belmont today because of the distance but I believe a healthy Eight Belles could have taken Big Brown and the rest of the field in Baltimore at the Preakness.

The big question which nobody has answered is why, in this day of modern equine medicine, was Eight Belles put down? She may not have been able to race again but she sure as hell should have been allowed to live.

And with everything in his favor today why did Big Brown not win the Belmont and become a triple crown winner? It wasn't even close. So much about horse racing which is unexplainable and just weird.