Kentucky Derby: Eight Belles Is Euthanized

Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby yesterday, winning horse racing's marquee event that ended tragically with the death of Eight Belles.

As Big Brown was draped with roses, Eight Belles, the first filly to run the Derby in nine years, was euthanized after breaking both of her front ankles. It was the first time in Derby history that a horse died.

Said Dr. Larry Bramlege, the attending veterinarian: ''She was easing down, near an outrider by the seven-eighths pole, when he saw both ankles collapse. I was shocked to hear him call out. The left front opened the skin and was contaminated. The right had a broken sesamoid. She did not have a front leg to stand on even to get into the ambulance. There is absolutely nothing you can do.''