Today is the Preakness Stakes, another thoroughbred horse race which highlights the sad reality that many of the horses participating in the event will most likely face the slaughterhouse when their racing days are over. Even winning the race provides no immunity from this horrible fate – look at Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner who was reportedly slaughtered in Japan for pet food a few years ago.

Approximately 15 percent of horses in America slaughtered each year are former racehorses. LumberJack Farm is one of hundreds of farms around the country that rescue and rehabilitate former racehorses that have been injured or are too old to race anymore. LumberJack works with the non-profit organization ReRun, which gives rehabilitated racehorses a second chance as jumping show horses, or alternately places them in new homes.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Mother’s Day is this Sunday (don’t forget!), so be sure to take a look at some of the great posts we’ve put together in celebration of moms everywhere! Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

Top 10 Mother’s Day E-Cards

Hillary Andrews Will Not Lick Bob Stokes’ Swizzle Stick

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 10 Green Gift Wrap Ideas For Mothers Day

Peak Oil Strip Tease

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Andy Kondrat:

Tornado Devestated Town Rebuilds As Green Model Community

Radiohead Attempts An Eco-Friendly World Tour

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Jon Popham:

Nepalese Art Photography: Rubin Museum of Art

America’s First Wind-Powered City

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Giulia Rozzi:

Women For Women International Celebrates Mothers Day

Even More on the Kentucky Derby

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Gina Telaroli:

Video Blog: The Week In Social Action

The War Now Tomorrow and Forever

Not to beat dead horse. Also not to make bad puns but Sunday I blogged that my favorite Derby horse Eight Belles had passed away and then I linked the story to a PETA article about the unfair treatment of horses. Now, I wrote that before PETA announced its plans to protest the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority today, arguing for major changes, including a ban on using the whip or racing horses younger than 3. Does this mean I am psychic? If so, too bad I didn’t use those psychic powers to bet on the winning horse. Anyhoo…

The trainer of euthanized filly Eight Belles adamantly defended the way jockey Gabriel Saez handled the Kentucky Derby runner-up.In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Larry Jones said Saez applied the whip only to prevent Eight Belles from crashing into the rail.“This filly in every race has tried to drift toward the rail,” Jones said. “It’s her comfort zone, and Gabriel knows this. This kid made every move the right move, and I hate it that they’re wanting to jump down his throat. He did not try to abuse that horse to make her run faster. He knew he was second best, that she wasn’t going to catch Big Brown.” [Associated Press]

Just how dangerous is horse racing to adorable horsies? Theres much debate on that issue, just check out this report from NBC sports.
Check out The Horse Protection League at http://www.horse-protection.org/ to and see how you can and help horses.

I am sorry to say that the Derby fillie I  wrote about yesterday died!

Eight Belles finished a strong second in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, but any celebration turned to grief and sorrow when the filly collapsed with two broken ankles and had to be euthanized.

Trainer Larry Jones was clearly emotional and fighting back tears as he spoke at his barn after the race at Churchill Downs. [USA Today]

Sadly many race horses live short lives. According to PETA, ”a New York Daily News reporter remarked, “The thoroughbred race horse is a genetic mistake. It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks” Yikes!

To learn more about the ethical treatment of animals and check out peta.org.

Even with horses there is a lack of females athletes, but today at the 134th Kentucky Derby, one female horse named Eight Belles will take on 19 boys Saturday.

Trainer Larry Jones officially entered the filly Eight Belles in the Derby on Wednesday, ending speculation that she might run in the Derby-eve Kentucky Oaks for fillies. “I’m willing to take a shot,” owner Rick Porter said. [The Ledger]

This will be Eight Belles first co-ed competition. Go girl power! 

For some female empowerment inspiration with no horsing around (yes I had to go there) and check out feminist.com.