You bet.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown was overshadowed by second-place prize colt Eight Belles when the horse’s front ankles broke while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. He was euthanized right then and there.

The death of Eight Belles raised many concerns about the horse racing industry that includes track safety, whether fillies should be allowed to run against colts and whether horses are bred too much for speed and not for soundness.

A prominent animal rights group got involved too, criticizing Eight Belles’ jockey for whipping the horse. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a statement Sunday calling for the suspension of Eight Belles jockey Gabriel Saez. The group also asked for the ‘’revocation of the second place prize.'’

Gabriel Saez was riding in his first Kentucky Derby when Eight Belles broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter-mile past the finish line.

While Big Brown’s bid to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years will certainly gain momentum in the next couple of weeks when the 2008 Triple Crown series resumes at the Pimlico race course, Eight Belles and the sight of fans crying in the stands should remain a focal point.

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was still celebrating, along with thousands of happy bettors, as Big Brown and the 19 other horses in last Saturday’s race galloped out around the first turn at Churchill Downs. It took a few minutes to sink in, but anyone watching those horses soon realized that one of them had fallen to the track.

In just a few minutes, the joy of the Derby and the promise of a new Triple Crown season were upended when Eight Belles was euthanized by injection on the track.

‘’This horse showed you his heart and Eight Belles showed you her life for our enjoyment today. I’m deeply sympathetic to that team for their loss,'’ winning Big Brown jockey Kent Desormeaux said.

The breakdown brought back memories of the 2006 Preakness, when Barbaro shattered his right rear leg just after the start with more than 100,000 people gasping at the site of the undefeated colt in distress as he was led into an equine ambulance. Barbaro was euthanized eight months later after developing laminitis as a result of the injuries.

Eight Belles’ trainer Larry Jones disputed any suggestion that his filly had no business taking on the boys.

‘’It wasn’t that, it wasn’t the distance, it wasn’t a big bumping match for her, she never got touched. Eight Belles passed all those questions with flying colors. The race was over, all we had to do was pull up, come back and be happy. It just didn’t happen.'’

Hmm… I wonder what the 2008 Preakness Stakes will be like?

Can 2008 Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown win the 2008 Preakness Stakes? Bodog Sportsbook has the odds.

Will there be a Triple Crown winner in U.S. thoroughbred racing in 2008?

Yes - Triple Crown winner in 2008 2.20

No Triple Crown winner in 2008 1.62

Want more odds? Visit Bodog for more horse race betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Eight Belles Big Brown