by Frank Angst

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling on supporters to join them for a demonstration outside the offices of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority on Tuesday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

The animal rights group is asking supporters to gather near the Kentucky Authority offices at noon on Tuesday to demand changes to the sport following the catastrophic breakdown of Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Eight Belles on May 3. The KHRA regulates horse racing in Kentucky, not nationally.

Also, PETA has sent a letter to the Kentucky Authority requesting jockey Gabriel Saez be suspended following the fatal injury to Eight Belles, who had to be euthanized after breaking both ankles. Eight Belles was injured about a quarter-mile after the Derby finish while galloping out. In the letter, PETA suggests that Saez should have known the filly was injured before the race’s end and pulled her up sooner.

Kentucky Authority Executive Director Lisa Underwood said stewards have reviewed the race several times and found no fault with Saez. As part of standard practice in Kentucky, a necropsy will be performed on Eight Belles.

It is standard to gallop out after a race to allow horses to decelerate gradually. Well into the gallop out, a video replay shows a sudden breakdown in which Saez is thrown from the filly. Saez, a 20-year-old jockey riding in his first Derby, said Eight Belles did not show any signs of injury until after the race’s completion.

"I remain heartbroken over Eight Belles, and I want to let her many fans know that she never gave me the slightest indication before or during the race that there was anything bothering her,” Saez said in a statement on Monday. “All I could sense under me was how eager she was to race. I was so proud of her performance, and of the opportunity to ride her in my first Kentucky Derby, all of which adds to my sadness."

Trainer Larry Jones is not sure what caused the injury either, noting that Eight Belles showed no signs of injury until well after the race.

“She’s got her ears up and was not in any kind of distress galloping out around the turn,” Jones said. “I don’t know what happened and when. Just all of the sudden, it just went.”

PETA also is encouraging visitors to its web site to e-mail the Kentucky Authority to request rules changes such as not allowing horses to race until after their third birthday, eliminating all dirt surfaces, limiting the number of races horses are allowed to start each season, and ending the use of the whip during races.

In a release, the racing authority said it is committed to safety. The racing authority requires a track veterinarian review all horses on race day, has enacted race day medication rules, and is participating in the compilation of an injury database.

“The KHRA will remain vigilant in seeking ways to protect all of the athletes involved in horse racing,” the release said.

Frank Angst is a senior staff writer of Thoroughbred Times