Eight Belles Will Be Buried at Churchill Downs Museum

A month after her death in the wake of a stunningly-gallant second-place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, Eight Belles is finally going to be laid to rest. The three-year-old filly was humanely destroyed after shattering both front fetlocks while being pulled up after the race.

Eight Belles will be buried beneath a tree to be planted in her honor outside the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs.

A press release from the track included more details and reactions:

"Churchill Downs and the entire Kentucky Derby family were devastated by the fatal injury to Eight Belles, and the shock of her tragic loss continues to resonate through our Company and our industry as a whole,” said Churchill Downs Incorporated Executive Vice President Steve Sexton. “Since her death, we have been exploring ways to pay tribute to her memory while supporting positive changes that will improve the health, safety and overall welfare of all racehorses.

"We are proud to announce these initiatives today in honor of the courage and brilliance that Eight Belles displayed in the Kentucky Derby, and we are committed to continued efforts on her behalf and on behalf of all of our equine athletes.”

The Churchill Downs Foundation and the filly's owner, Rick Porter, will each contribute $25,000 to the Eight Belles Memorial Fund, established by Thoroughbred Charities of America, for continued research into racehorse injuries and toward the retraining of retired Thoroughbreds for secondary careers.

Churchill Downs also announced that it is renaming the $150,000-added La Troienne in honor of Eight Belles. The Grade III stakes race for 3-year-old fillies will continue to be run on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard in 2009. The racetrack also plans to conduct an “eight bells” ceremony on Kentucky Derby Day in 2009 in the filly’s memory, with details to be announced at a later date.

“The past month has been a time of indescribable highs and crushing lows for me and my family,” said Porter. “We watched Eight Belles run the race of her life in the Kentucky Derby, and that should have been our proudest moment as well as hers. Instead, it all changed in an instant. We’re still grieving and struggling to accept her loss, but even in the midst of our sorrow, we are determined to see something positive come from her death. We are thankful for the support of Churchill Downs throughout this process and are glad to assist in funding the memorial efforts on behalf of our beloved filly. We’re very grateful for the short time we had her in our lives.”

The Kentucky Derby Museum will inter Eight Belles’ remains at the base of a tree to be planted in the filly’s honor. The memorial, located within the Museum’s courtyard near the gravesites of four Kentucky Derby winners, will include a bronze plaque dedicating the tree to Eight Belles’ memory.

“The amazing performance by Eight Belles in Kentucky Derby 134 won’t soon be forgotten, and we are privileged to honor her efforts and her sacrifice,” said Lynn Ashton, executive director of the Kentucky Derby Museum. “We hope our memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to this great filly, and remind every visitor who walks through our doors of her very special courage.”

Barbaro: Rest in Peace at Scene of Triumph, Not Tragedy

Churchill Downs has been selected as the final resting place for 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, who was euthanized one year ago after a lengthy battle with laminitis. The announcement was made Tuesday by Barbaro’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, at a Churchill Downs news conference.

Barbaro’s remains were cremated following his death on Jan. 29, 2007, and his ashes will be interred outside of Gate 1 at Churchill Downs, in a large elevated space enclosed by bricks that is currently used as a garden. The site, which will be open to the public, will include a larger-than-life-sized bronze statue of the Kentucky Derby 132 winner that will be commissioned by the Jacksons and loaned to Churchill Downs as part of Barbaro’s official memorial site.

“Gretchen and I are pleased to be collaborating with Churchill Downs in this wonderful project,” said Roy Jackson. “In the year that has just preceded, we have spent much time thinking about Barbaro’s memorial and where it would be best placed. Churchill Downs became the obvious site for us. It was here that he ran his best race. It was here where we spent our most memorable day as horse owners and breeders. It was here where his racing fans could visit daily, and it was here at Churchill Downs where he was cordially invited to rest. We look forward to working with Steve Sexton and his team.”

In the coming weeks, Churchill Downs will install a bronze marker in the garden outside Gate 1 to designate the area where Barbaro’s ashes and bronze statue will be located.

The Jacksons are currently considering a select group of artists for the project and plan to make a final decision on the artist and statue design in the next few months. The Jacksons and Churchill Downs anticipate the statue’s completion and the formal unveiling and dedication of the Barbaro memorial site sometime in 2009.

To date, Barbaro will become the only horse buried on the grounds of Churchill Downs. The adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum has the remains of four Kentucky Derby winners interred on its property -- Sunny’s Halo (1983), Carry Back (1961), Swaps (1955), and Broker’s Tip (1933).

Following today’s news conference, the Jacksons participated in an autograph signing session at the Kentucky Derby Museum, which was open to the public.