PREAKNESS 131, originally uploaded by Banamine.
Barbaro may be laid to rest at Churchill Downs…
Wingspan Expressions reports that over 18,000 candles from 41 countries are alight in Barbaro’s honour on a virtual candle website…
The Breyer Barbaro was retired on January 1, 2007, so your best bet is probably eBay, where it’s going for ridiculous prices…
The LAist reminds us that he was “just a horse“…
Gulfstream Park and the University of Florida will honour his memory by establishing a veterinary scholarship in his name…
Philadelphia Weekly offers a hilariously cynical field guide to Barbaro messageboard factions…
Here’s the official statement from Churchill Downs…
Here’s a story about Barbaro’s vet (use BugMeNot if it asks you to register)…
Bridlepath 
Wow, you pretty much covered every point of view here in not much space with all the links. WTG I especially like the message board factions. Talk about a study of the human condition.
Barbaro,
With all your strength and determination you kept your fighting spirits, with the odds against you. You my friend never gave up until the very end, when we felt that you should not suffer any longer. You gave us all hope that we too must do the same in our everyday lives. Barbaro, be in piece now and know you were loved by many. It will be a long time before we see another majestic animal such as Barbaro again.
Much was made of the 35-day layoff that Barbaro had to overcome leading up to the Derby, but it’s possible he needed the extra time between his races. Let’s take a look at Barbaro’s career:
Start 1: 10/4/05 – won maiden special weight at Delaware
Start 2: 11/19/05 (46 days between starts) – won Laurel Futurity
Start 3: 1/1/06 (43 days between starts) – won Tropical Park Derby
Start 4: 2/4/06 (34 days between starts) – won Holy Bull Stakes
Start 5: 4/1/06 (56 days between starts) – won Florida Derby
Start 6: 5/6/06 (35 days between starts) – won Kentucky Derby
Start 7 – 5/20/06 (14 days between starts) – Preakness
The only time that Barbaro raced without the benefit of a 30 day + layoff was the Preakness, and we all know what happened there. Of course, you can’t blame the connections for the tragic accident. Matz plotted a beautiful course for Barbaro, and it resulted in a great Kentucky Derby victory. I’m sure that Barbaro would have been scratched if Matz thought there was even the slightest possibility that the horse wasn’t 100% before the race. Still, it’s likely that Barbaro wasn’t the soundest of animals, and that’s why there were so many layoffs between his races.
There has been a lot of finger-pointing here as to who should get the blame. No one should get any blame. This was a freak accident. As jeffhen mentioned in an earlier comment, the track vet had to make a split-second decision under the toughest circumstances. The trainer did a masterful job in getting Barbaro to the Preakness as an undefeated Derby winner.
It was a terrible tragedy, but no one is at fault.
I wouldn’t say that Barbaro “avoided” the hard Derby preps. That is like baillett45 implying that Bernardini “avoided” Barbaro. Ridiculous. Barbaro’s connections had a plan. Get the graded earnings, and get to the Derby with a horse that excels when fresh.
Barbaro comment of the week
Found at a news site:
Regarding the euthanizing of the Kentucky Derby horse that broke its leg: It went eight months with everybody working with this horse. I understand, through reading the paper that they put it down because it had ailments in the hoof and certain other problems with abscesses, etc. I’m a horse lover, and I don’t understand that if the horse was able to be on its own four feet, why did they put it down? Why didn’t they just donate it to someone who would like a good animal like this? I think they pulled the trigger too quick. Link
Yes, that’s right, dumbass, they just got tired of the whole thing and put him down so you couldn’t have him.
i agree with defrostindoors my horse as had a few abcesses, 2 on his upper hind legs and one in his foot, and they were all very treatable why could he go to a retirement home and when he was better live i a field happy with oter horse for the rest of his life??
someone would have taken him!!
No, you’re not getting it. Barbaro was destined for a painful crippling time before an eventual, slow death from a combination of things resulting from his injuries. He would not have been able to survive as a pet.
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