Horse dies after Kentucky Derby

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Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday but the cheers of the crowd were cut short when Eight Belles, who finished second, was euthanized on the track minutes after the race.

Second-place finisher Eight Belles was euthanized after collapsing with two broken front ankles after the Kentucky Derby Saturday.

Eight Belles is examined on the track. An equine ambulance came onto the track, but the filly could not be saved, said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby's on-call veterinarian.

Track personnel try to hold down Eight Belles as jockey Gabriel Saez walks past.

"When we passed the wire I stood up. She started galloping funny," jockey Saez said. "I tried to pull her up. That's when she went down."

Dr. Larry Bramlage, the Derby's on-call veterinarian, said Eigh Belles' injuries were too severe to even attempt to move her off the track. "She didn't have a front leg to stand on to be splinted and hauled off in the ambulance, so she was euthanized," Bramlage said.

Kent Desormeaux rides Big Brown to a victory in the 134th Kentucky Derby.

Desormeaux encourages Big Brown at Churchill Downs.

Big Brown (middle) takes the lead on the way to becoming the seventh unbeaten Derby winner. The last one was Barbaro in 2006.

Desormeaux kisses Big Brown after the victory. Big Brown covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.82 in front of the second-largest crowd in Derby history at 157,770.

Desormeaux and Big Brown cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory.

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Second-place finisher Eight Belles was euthanized after collapsing with two broken front ankles after the Kentucky Derby Saturday.

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