LEXINGTON, Ky. -- About 20 animal-rights protesters waved signs outside the offices of the state's horse racing regulators Tuesday in response to the death of filly Eight Belles after the Kentucky Derby. Nearly as many people showed up to defend the sport from their attacks.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has argued jockey Gabriel Saez should have noticed the filly was injured during her second-place run and pulled her up rather than applied the whip. Saez says there was no indication anything was wrong, and racing stewards found no wrongdoing.
The filly broke both ankles while galloping about a quarter-mile past the finish line and was euthanized on the track.
"Unfortunately, money and speed is all that matters to these people, and Eight Belles is the most famous recent example in a string of broken and dead animals," PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt said.
While the PETA protesters held signs outside the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority that read, "Stop Racing Horses to the Grave" and "Race Horses: Bent and Broken," supporters of the industry countered with posters saying "I Support the Sport" and "Gabriel Saez is not a murderer."
Carlos Ramos of Lexington, holding one of the signs backing Saez, said he was being made a scapegoat.
"Why him?" Ramos said. "He's a a very young, talented jockey. I just don't think it's fair, when they don't even know what they're talking about."
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