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Eight Belles to Compete in Kentucky Derby
Eight Belles is entered in Friday's Oaks. (AP Images)
Rick Porter, owner of Eight Belles, made the decision to start his pride and joy in the Kentucky Derby after the Fantasy Stakes winner worked a rapid five furlongs over the Churchill Downs strip on Sunday.
Eight Belles is entered in Friday’s Oaks, keeping her options open, and will be a prohibitive favorite over her stable mate Proud Spell if she chooses to remain in the Oaks field. Former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones, who is no relation to trainer Larry Jones, owns Proud Spell and is considering the Preakness if his filly does well on Friday.
Only 38 fillies have competed in the Derby and their success has been minimal. Excellent Meeting and Three Ring are the most recent, finishing fifth and 19th respectively in 1999. Exceptional filly Serena's Song was a distant 16th in 1995, despite being favored at 3-1. She completed her career with 18 wins and retired as one of the great race mares of all time.
Only three fillies have won the Run for the Roses, starting with Regret in 1915. Regret was undefeated against her own sex and took the 1915 Horse of the Year title. It took 65 years before the feat was accomplished again when Genuine Risk, a flashy chestnut with a ton of ability got the job done in 1980.
This brings us to the last female Derby winner and perhaps the most impressive. Winning Colors, an enormous gray filly with dominating speed, led the 1988 Derby from gate to wire. Her win came as no surprise, coming off a 7 ½ length win over the boys in the Santa Anita Derby.
Like Winning Colors, who passed away earlier this year, Eight Belles has the physical stature to compete in the Derby and her record coming into the race is impressive. However, one of the few things veteran horsemen throughout the racing world always agree on is that the Kentucky Derby is racing’s most elusive prize - for a colt or filly.
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