From SF Gate:

Larry Stumes, Special to The Chronicle

When Barbaro sustained what turned out to be a fatal injury to his right hind leg early in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, two weeks after he had won the Kentucky Derby, the nation's collective heart went out to him and followed him in the eight months veterinarians spent trying to save his life.

The sport of thoroughbred racing might not get off so easy following the 2008 Kentucky Derby, which ended Saturday in the death of the filly Eight Belles minutes after she finished second to rousing winner Big Brown.

The tragedy has propelled People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) into action and has trainers, breeders, owners and track officials re-examining their sport.

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