Random Barbaro Info

 Barbaro

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Barbaro (middle) walking to the track at the Fair Hill Training Center a week after winning the Kentucky Derby.

Barbaro (born April 29, 2003) is an American thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2006 Kentucky Derby and was expected by many to win the Triple Crown. However, while running as a heavy favorite in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, 2006, he suffered an injury shortly after the start of the race, as he fractured three bones in and around the ankle of his right hind leg. On May 21, 2006 he underwent surgery at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania for his leg injuries.

Shortly before the operation, the surgeon, Dr. Dean Richardson, called the injuries "life threatening" and also said "You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track."^[1]

Barbaro broke his leg in three places; a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint was dislocated. The surgical team successfully inserted metal implants to hold the fractures together and enable Barbaro to place weight on the injured leg as it heals.

Concern for the horse as an "individual" is strong among his connections and many racing fans, yet the monetary aspect of the situation cannot be ignored: if Barbaro recovers, the injury should not prevent him from breeding, and his value as a stud will probably be very high, provided the injury itself is not traced to a heritable predisposition.^[2] Owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson have all the possibilities covered with insurance policies on both Barbaro's life and on his stallion potential, but the horse's earnings at stud are likely to be significantly higher than the payout of either policy. ^[3]

2006 Kentucky Derby

Undefeated going into the race, Barbaro was sent off as the second choice of the betting public, at odds of 6:1, in a full field of 20 horses. Barbaro charged ahead during the last turn and straightaway of the race to win by 6 ½ lengths; Barbaro's lead in the final furlong expanded even as jockey Edgar Prado did not ask for his top speed. This margin of victory at the Kentucky Derby was the largest since 1946, when Triple Crown winner Assault took the Run for the Roses by eight lengths. Barbaro's win made him only the sixth undefeated horse to win the Kentucky Derby.^[4] During the gallop-out after the wire, Barbaro's lead extended to 20 lengths, which is rare during post-race gallop-outs. The manner of his Derby victory led to speculation that Barbaro might be a "superhorse," the likes of which had not been seen since the 1970s.

2006 Preakness Stakes and injury

The red arrow points to Barbaro's wildly flaring right hind ankle seconds after the injury occurred.

Barbaro's Preakness Stakes began with a false start when he crashed through the starting gate prematurely. He was led back around the gates, quickly examined by a state veterinarian and reloaded into his gate. As the race began in earnest, Barbaro had a good start and was briefly in a better position than at the same point in the Kentucky Derby. Approximately 130 meters into the race, seemingly untouched by any other horse and under no unusual strain, his right hind leg suddenly failed to support his weight. Veteran jockey Edgar Prado immediately pulled him up, brought him to a gentle stop and dismounted. Prado leaned his shoulder into the horse's breast to act as a fourth leg until track attendants arrived.

Barbaro favoring his right hind leg

Weeks after the race, Lou Raffetto, the president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Jockey Club, asserted that an analysis of race films and still photos revealed that contact between Barbaro and opposing horse Brother Derek may have touched off the "bad step" leading to Barbaro's injury. "It happens just before the sixteenth pole," he said. "Barbaro drifts out just as Brother Derek is closing the margin. Brother Derek extends his right front and it appears to hit Barbaro's right hind. Barbaro's head comes up." Raffeto summed up, "It's not 100 percent conclusive. But it looks like it was an unfortunate accident. It was nobody's fault."^[5]

X-rays taken shortly afterward showed Barbaro had sustained fractures above and below his right hind ankle, requiring major surgery. He was taken to the University of Pennsylvania's celebrated New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania for treatment. The Center is renowned for its specialized care, especially for animals needing complicated bone surgery. Its use of heated pools fitted with "horse rafts", electronic overhead winches and monorails is unique on the U.S. East Coast, offering the greatest available protection against re-injury by horses coming out of sedation after surgery.

Contrary to speculation shortly after the race, several veterinarians on the scene at Pimlico Race Course insisted that Barbaro's false start had nothing to do with the ankle injury. Prado reported that Barbaro had used only his nose to disengage the magnetically locked gate bars, and Maryland's Chief Veterinarian personally attested to Barbaro's fitness upon being reloaded into the gate.

Injury aftermath

According to Dr. Larry Bramlage on the NBC telecast, the prospects for saving the colt's life will depend on whether the blood supply to the ankle can be maintained. Dr. Bramlage later reported on TVG that Barbaro had arrived safely at New Bolton, had responded well to being tranquilized and was being a good patient, and, if all went well, he would probably be stabilized and would not be operated on until the morning.

Dr. Richardson, remarking on the surgery procedure, said, "The aspects of the surgery will be dictated slightly by what we find. But the bottom line is we will attempt to perform a fusion of that joint and to stabilize it and make it comfortable enough for him to walk on."^[1]

Fair Hill Training Center reported on its website that "Barbaro is now in the recovery pool (7:40 pm). He has a bone plate fusing his ankle and pastern and a caste (sic) has been placed over this. Dr. Richardson described the surgery as one of the toughest he has performed. He is awakening from anesthesea in the pool, and once he completely comes around, he will be transported via sling back to his stall later this evening (it usually takes an hour from when they are placed in the pool to when they are able to return to their stall.)"^[6]

At 9:00 pm EDT, Dr. Richardson reported at a press conference that Barbaro was back in his stall after surgery and was comfortably putting weight on the injured leg. He said that the blood supply to the injury site was very good, but stressed that there was still a risk of infection and of laminitis in the uninjured legs.^[7]

At 12:00 AM EDT, AP Racing Writer Richard Rosenblatt reported that, "Barbaro underwent more than five hours of surgery Sunday to repair rear leg bones he'd broken in the Preakness, calmly awoke from anesthesia and practically jogged back to his stall for something to eat. His survival, however, is still 50-50."^[8] Dr. Richardson asserted that Barbaro was eating and doing well but that the colt was nowhere near out of harm's way. Later that morning there were reports Barbaro was already showing interest in some of the mares at the facility.

On May 30th Richard Rosenbalatt reported, "Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is progressing so well he might not have the cast on his severely injured right hind leg changed for several weeks.

Dr. Dean Richardson, the surgeon who repaired Barbaro's shattered bones after the colt broke down at the Preakness Stakes on May 20, said Tuesday the prized patient has had an "incredibly good week -- far better than I would have ever hoped so far, so far, so far."

Richardson said the fiberglass cast on Barbaro's leg will be assessed daily, but there's no urgency for a change."

"Right now this horse is walking so well on his limb, walks around the stall, he's very active,"

On June 5th, a news release by Penn Veterinary Medicine stated, "Veterinarians at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals continue to be pleased with Barbaro’s condition, which improves daily."

On June 13th, Barbaro had his cast replaced. All went very well.

On July 3rd, Barbaro had his cast replaced a second time. Again, the cast replacement appears to have gone well.

Connections

Barbaro is owned and bred by Gretchen and Roy Jackson's Lael Stables in West Grove, Pennsylvania. He was trained by Michael Matz at Fair Hill Training Center. During his racing career he was ridden by Edgar Prado.

Breeding

Racing career

Trivia

• Barbaro, in the wake of his Preakness injury, has become the object of care and affection from the public in a way only a few animals before him have. He has received many thousands of "Get Well" cards and presents (including a 7ft by 72ft card from fans at the Belmont), his condition is followed by news organizations on a daily basis, and he inspired a large anonymous donation to the New Bolton Center establishing the "Barbaro Fund", to aid the treatment and care of large animals.

• Barbaro's stable name is Bobby.