| Every year horses and their trainers gear up for some | | | | won the Louisiana Derby. Eight Belles rounded out the |
| big races where there are large purses to be won. | | | | top four as the 13-1 fourth choice and was the only filly |
| Out of all of these horse races that go on every year, | | | | to race. |
| none are as big as the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky | | | | At the opening of the gate the horses broke out and |
| Derby is a Grade One 1 1/4 mile dirt track with one big | | | | vied for top position. Bob Black Jack (under jockey |
| turn. On May 3, 2008, horses competed for the 134th | | | | Richard Migliore) quickly raced to the front of the pack |
| time to try and bring home the $2 million purse that | | | | to set a quick pace. Right behind him was |
| was at stake. | | | | Recapturetheglory and Cowboy Cal. With these three |
| The Derby always takes place on the first Saturday in | | | | horses leading the way around the clubhouse, Kent |
| May, and is the first of the Triple Crown races. The | | | | Desormeaux aboard Big Brown continued to stay on |
| race took place at the Churchill Downs race track in | | | | the outside of the field. As the horses rounded the big |
| Louisville, Kentucky, and boasted an audience of | | | | turn, Bob Black Jack got tired and dropped out of the |
| 157,770. After a wet and miserable day on Friday, the | | | | pack. This provided the perfect opportunity for Big |
| weather was ideal for the start of the race. The track | | | | Brown to move into the lead. After about a mile, Big |
| was dry and temperatures reached around 70 | | | | Brown moved up next to Recapturetheglory and |
| degrees. With perfect conditions like this, it was sure to | | | | moved ahead of him. At that point, Eight Belles tried to |
| be a good race. | | | | weasel in-between the two horses but Big Brown had |
| At the beginning of the race the starting gate was full | | | | already started moving ahead of the pack. |
| with a selection of the world's best three year old | | | | Down the final stretch, Big Brown ended up pulling |
| colts, including a single filly. The 5-2 favorite coming into | | | | ahead by 2 1/2 lengths and won the race. Eight Belles |
| the race was Big Brown who had gained a lot of | | | | finished in second place but ended the race tragically. |
| recognition after his win in the Florida Derby. Having | | | | At the 7/8 pole she fell down and broke both of her |
| only won three prep races, Big Brown was looking to | | | | front ankles. Her jockey, Gabriel Saez, was thrown off |
| make history with a win at the Kentucky Derby. His | | | | of her but escaped any major injury. The horse was |
| competition was Colonel John as the 9-2 second | | | | quickly euthanized by the track vet but it was a sad |
| choice, who had just won the Santa Anita Derby and | | | | way to end the race. Coming in third place was 27-1 |
| was looking to make his very first start on a dirt track. | | | | Denis of Cork. |
| Coming in as the 6-1 third choice was Pyro, who had | | | | |