NORFOLK, Va., May 5 (UPI) -- Animal rights activists are calling for the suspension of the jockey whose horse had to be put down after breaking its front ankles at the Kentucky Derby" title="Topic: Kentucky Derby" class="tpstyle">Kentucky Derby.

Gabriel Saez, 20, was riding Eight Belles at Saturday's event in Louisville when the horse broke both her front ankles just after finishing the race in second place. The horse was euthanized on the track.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Virginia, claims the horse was injured before finishing the race but the jockey, who was participating in his first Kentucky Derby, forced Eight Belles to continue running. The organization is calling for Saez to be suspended while an investigation is carried out.