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Tuesday, June 24, 2008 -- Morning The owners of Big Brown are really reaching for a problem other than lack of steroids to explain why the horse lost the Belmont Stakes. There were reports in Blood Horse magazine that Big Brown's right rear shoe came loose at the start of the Belmont. The photographer zoomed in on the image to show it all to us. However, this sort of thing happens naturally. Tom Dutrow, the trainer, noticed that there was some separation between shoe and hoof, but Big Brown didn't seem sore. Also, the farrior had to remove the shoe, and at that time, noted that the shoe wasn't totally loose on the foot, just off in the back. Of course, the owners want any other than steroids to be the problem. However, it's hard to ignore the fact that the horse doesn't seem to have any problems, and the only thing that can be said for sure is that Big Brown did not get his monthly steroid shot in the middle of May. Wednesday, June 11, 2008 -- Late Morning Rick Dutrow, trainer of Big Brown, is blaming jockey, Kent Desormeaux, for Big Brown's dismal performance in the Belmont Stakes. When I was watching the race, you could see that Big Brown was tossing his head around a good deal. Dutrow claims that was because Desormeaux was pulling back on Big Brown and not letting him run his race. Dutrow said that he told Desormeaux to let Big Brown run if he wanted to because the pace of the race might not be fast. Da' Tara, who won the race, had the lead the whole way and finished the race in 2:29.65, which isn't a fast time. Thy syndicate that owns Big Brown said that Desormeaux will continue as the regular jockey, although Dutrow admitted that his preference was for Edgar Prado. Another item to note is that Big Brown's monthly steroid shots will be started again. I think that Dutrow started blaming Desormeaux because Dutrow was getting alot of questions about Big Brown failing due to the fact that he didn't get his monthly shot of Winstrol, the anabolic steroid that Big Brown has been getting on a monthly basis. Saturday, June 7, 2008 -- Evening Today was the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes. For the past few weeks now, everyone, including me, has had Triple Crown fever. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Big Brown would easily win the race and become the twelfth Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed won it in 1978. People expressed concern when Big Brown developed a quarter crack in his left front hoof. However, it was taken care of, and Big Brown had the clearance to run in the race. Casino Drive was scratched from the race when he developed a stone bruise in his left hind leg, which left Casino Drive favoring the leg. Casino Drive was considered the biggest challenger for Big Brown because of Casino Drive's genes. He had Jazel (winner of the 2006 Belmont) and Rags to Riches (winner of the 2007 Belmont) as his siblings. The path seemed clear for a win. However, Big Brown was denied the Triple Crown when he didn't show up to run. Perhaps it was the heat, with temperatures in the 90s. Perhaps it was because of the lapses in training due to the quarter crack. Perhaps it was due to the lack of his monthly steroid shot on May 15. Whatever the cause, when Kent Desormeaux asked Big Brown to run, he just continued to canter. Desormeaux didn't continue to ask Big Brown, but let him ease up. Big Brown finished last in the field of nice. The winner was the Nick Zito trained Da' Tara, a 38-1 longshot. Da' Tara lead for most of the race and won the mile and a half race by 5 1/4 lengths in a time of 2:29.65. Denis of Cork finished second and Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo were in a dead heat for third place. Big Brown was being examined for problems since his performance was so far from normal. There may be more news on Big Brown if someone does actually determine a physical cause for his poor performance. Finish Horse Jockey Trainer ------ ----- ------ ------- 1 Da' Tara Alan Garcia Nick Zito 2 Denis of Cork Robby Albarado David Carroll 3 Anak Nakal Julien Leparoux Nick Zito 3 Ready's Echo John Velazquez Todd Pletcher 4 Macho Again Garrett Gomez Dallas Stewart 5 Tale of Ekati Eibar Coa Barclay Tagg 6 Guadalcanal Javier Castellano Fred Seitz 7 Icabad Crane Jeremy Rose Graham Motion 8 Big Brown Kent Desormeaux Richard Dutrow Jr. 140th running Running Time: 2:29.65 Purse: $1,000,000 Site: Belmont Park, Elmont, New York Stakes Record - 2:24 held by Secretariat Saturday, May 17, 2008 -- Evening Today was the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes. Big Brown was the prohibitive favorite. Considering that the only horses running in the Preakness were not huge stake winners, it was not surprising. The race was predictable. Big Brown laid back in third and fourth place at the start of the race. Then he easily took the lead on the last turn and galloped away easily to win the race. Big Brown won by 5 1/4 lengths, with Macho Again finishing in second and Icabad Crane finishing third. The time for the 1 3/16 mile race was 1:54.80.
Finish Horse Jockey Trainer
------ ----- ------ -------
1 Big Brown Kent Desormeaux Richard Dutrow Jr.
2 Macho Again Julien Leparoux Dallas Stewart
3 Icabad Crane Jeremy Rose Graham Motion
4 Racecar Rhapsody Robby Albarado Ken McPeek
5 Stevil John Velazquez Nick Zito
6 Kentucky Bear Jamie Theriot Reade Baker
7 Hey Byrn Charles Lopez Eddie Plesa
8 Giant Moon Ramon Dominguez Richard Schosberg
9 Tres Borrachos Tyler Baze Beau Greely
10 Yankee Bravo Alex Solis Patrick Gallagher
11 Gayego Mike Smith Paulo Lobo
12 Riley Tucker Edgar Prado Bill Mott
134th running
Running Time: 1:54.80
Purse: $1,000,000
Site: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland
Stakes Record - 1:53.46 held jointly by
Curlin (2007)
Tank's Prospect (1985)
Louis Quatorze (1966)
Saturday, May 3, 2008 -- Early Evening Today was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. The favorite for the race was Big Brown. He's a horse who has been lightly raced, three races in total, and is undefeated. Even though Big Brown was the favorite, there were several who thought that his changes were slim because Big Brown was in the outside, number 20, post position. Few horses have won from that position because they either wind up at the back of the pack or they have to go around the whole pack, increasing the distance they have have to run. The race wasn't the fastest run race, and that worked in the favor of Big Brown. He ran on the outside for most of the race, never falling lower than fifth place. Big Brown made his move as they came around the final bend, and galloped easily to win the race by 5 lengths in 2:01.82. The filly, Eight Belles, finished second, and Denis of Cork finished third. The race ended in tragedy, however, when Eight Belles collapsed shortly after the finish. She had broken both of her front ankles and was immediately euthanized on the track. It was really sad because the film crew briefly showed the horse lying on the track. This is the second injury on the track in the past week. Chelokee broke a front leg on Friday in the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs. Back to good news. Big Brown barely broke a sweat in his win, and I'm starting to get a good vibe about a Triple Crown win this year. We will have to see. Finish Horse Jockey Trainer ------ ----- ------ ------- 1 Big Brown Kent Desormeaux Richard Dutrow Jr. 2 Eight Belles (f) Gabriel Saez Larry Jones 3 Denis of Cork Calvin Borel David Carroll 4 Tale of Ekati Eibar Coa Barclay Tagg 5 Recapturetheglory E.T. Baird Louie Roussel 6 Colonel John Corey Nakatani Eoin Harty 7 Anak Nakal Raphael Bejarano Nick Zito 8 Pyro Shaun Bridgmohan Steve Asmussen 9 Cowboy Cal John Velazquez Todd Pletcher 10 Z Fortune Robby Albarado Steve Asmussen 11 Smooth Air Manoel Cruz Bennie Stutts Jr. 12 Visionaire Jose Lezcano Michael Matz 13 Court Vision Garrett Gomez Bill Mott 14 Z Humor Rene Douglas Bill Mott 15 Cool Coal Man Julien Leparoux Nick Zito 16 Bob Black Jack Rich Migliore James Kasparoff 17 Gayego Mike Smith Paulo Lobo 18 Big Truck Javier Catellano Barclay Tagg 19 Adriano Edgar Prado Graham Motion 20 Monba Ramon Dominguez Todd Pletcher Race 10 of 12 - 134th running Running Time: 2:01 4/5 Purse: $2,200,000 Site: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky Stakes Record - Secretariat 1:59 2/5 (1973) Tuesday, January 29, 2008 -- Evening One year after Barbaro was euthanized, his owners, the Jacksons, have announced that his ashes and a bronze statue will be placed at the entrance of Churchill Downs. As Roy Jackson said, his favorite memory of Barbaro is his win at the Kentucky Derby. Barbaro is the first Derby winner to be buried on the grounds at Churchill Downs. Saturday, August 25, 2007 -- Evening Street Sense was the favorite in today's Travers Stakes at Saratoga. As befits a champion, Street Sense showed his grit by coming on to challenge Grasshopper, and then to finally pass him to win by half a length.. Time for the mile and a quarter was 2:02.69. Ten and 1/2 lengths further back was third place finisher, Helsinki. Saturday, June 9, 2007 -- Evening Today's Belmont Stakes was one of the most exciting races that I have seen in a long time. The field was comprised of only seven horses, but the big story was that one of the horses was the filly, Rags to Riches. She's been chewing up the track in her races against other fillies, and her trainer, Todd Pletcher, thought that she would be a contender against the colts at a mile and a half. Distance racing is in her blood, with her sire, A. P. Indy, and her half brother, Jazel, won the Belmont Stakes. Of course, the last time a filly won the race was in 1905. When the horses broke from the gate, Rags to Riches stumbled. Through most of the race, she was back in fifth place, but the pace was extremely slow with the first half in 50 seconds. It looked like Rags to Riches and Curlin were in great position. As they turned into the homestretch, both Curlin and Rags to Riches took off from the rest of the field and battled down the stretch. Rags to Riches finished with her nose in front of Curlin. Tiago finished in third with Hard Spun in fourth followed by C P West, Imawildandrazyguy, and one of the early leaders, Slew's Tizzy, trailing. Final time for the mile and a half was 2:28 3/5. It was such an exciting race. I was screaming for Rags to Riches to win. Great race! The funniest part was how the race announcer commented on Imawildandrazyguy lumbering along behind all the other horses. The sad part was that the usual jockey for Rags to Riches, Garrett Gomez, had committed to riding Hard Spun. So he was out, and John Velazquez on his first ride on Rags to Riches won the Belmont. Gomez must really be kicking himself this evening.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 -- Evening The post postitions were drawn today for the Belmont Stakes. Both Curlin and Hard Spun have returned to the fight with five other horses. Curlin and Hard Spun are early favorites, along with Rags to Riches. With only seven in the field, there shouldn't be crowd to get in the way.
Saturday, May 19, 2007 -- Evening As for horse racing, all the excitment was at Pimlico for the 132nd running of the Preakness Stakes. I really didn't have a favorite, but I did favor Hard Spun. The race started out fast with Xchanger setting a blistering pace. Hard Spun was lying in third and made his move on the backside. So did Street Sense and Curlin. It looked like Street Sense was going to win because he had the lead, but Curlin didn't give up. Curlin got his head in front for the photo finish win. That means no Triple Crown again this year. This is the longest drought of winners in Triple Crown history, with the last one by Affirmed in 1978. The time for the race was a fast 1:53.46. You really have to wonder what would have happened if Curlin didn't run into traffic in the Kentucky Derby. Even with the traffic, he was able to finish in third. The Preakness finish had the same top three finishers as the Kentucky Derby--just in a different order. Also in racing, the Barbaro Stakes was held before the Preakness and was won by the Michael Matz trained, Chelokee. Chelokee won the 1 1/16 mile race by 4 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:43.44. Silver Express was second and Zephyr Cat was third. Sonehouse and Dancin Buddha rounded out the field.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 -- Evening The post positions were selected today for Saturday's 132 running of the Preakness Stakes. Only nine horses are entered. Some people are expecting Hard Spun to do a good job and ruin Street Sense's Triple Crown bid. If Hard Spun runs like he did two weeks ago, I think that he might have a very good chance. Michael Matz is going to race Chelokee in the Barbaro Stakes on Preakness day. The original intent by Pimlico Racetrack was to have Barbaro make an appearance on Preakness day, make a lap around the track, and then have the horses run in the Barbaro. Well, Barbaro won't be there physically, but he will be in most fans' hearts.
Saturday, May 5, 2007 -- Early Evening The 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby just finished a few minutes ago, and boy was it a thrilling one. Curlin has dropped from the early morning favorite, and Street Sense had replaced him. When the horses broke from the starting gate, both Curlin and Street Sense fell to the bottom of the pack, with Street Sense all the way in 19th place out of the 20 horse field. Nobiz LIke Showbiz was in a good posiition near the front of the pack, placed just right to avoid the blistering pace that Hard Spun was setting with a 46 second first half mile. Street Sense's jockey, Calvin Borel, kept the horse up along the railing, and fortunately, racing luck was on their side when the entire pack of horse moved away from the railing to leave an opening for Street Sense. Borel took advantage of it, and rode Street Sense from 19th place to first. The leader of the race, Hard Spun, held on for second, and Curlin finished in third. Street Sense finished the 1 1/4 race in 2:02.17. He did not receive the $1 million dollar Barbaro bonus because he only finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Hard Spun. I didn't think Street Sense would win because he did have the jinx of having won the two year old Juvenile championship. Also, he really extended him self in his Florida Derby win and the hard loss by a nose in the Bluegrass Stakes. The most famoous attendee of the race was Queen Elizabeth II, who was in Virginia yesterday to celebrate the 450h anniversary of the settling of Jamestown. Now all the discussion will be geared towards the Preakness, and if Street Sense could be the next Triple Crown winner. I'll post the complete results on my horses page later this evening. Wednesday, May 2, 2007 -- Evening The post positions were drawn for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. The field was packed with the maximum of 20 horses. Michael Matz will not be Chelokee in the race because his winnings didn't make Chelokee eligible for the race. If more than 20 horses are entered for the race, they rank the horses by earnings. The top 20 earners get in. Chelokee was in 22nd place of the horses that were entered, so he's out. Of the horses that are running, Curlin, Street Sense, and Nobiz LIke Showbiz are generating the most talk. I think that I'm going to go with Nobiz Like Showbiz, especially if his trainer rigs him out with the blinkers and cotton for the ears. There is a $1 million bonus if the winner wins the race by more than the 6 1/2 lengths by which Barbaro won. For the post positions, go to my horses page.
Sunday, April 29, 2007 -- Late Afternoon Today would have been Barbaro's fourth birthday, and in honor of the occasion, there are several celebrations planned at racetracks across the county. One ot the things that NBC wanted to do was to air the documntary, Barbaro, a Nation's Horse. The show should have been on at 5 p.m. EDT, but was delayed by a rather exciting New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres semi-final playoff game. The game is tied now with a score of 1-1, and is in the first overtime. Until someone scores, the game continues. Because the game has continued into the second overtime, the Barbaro documentary is rescheduled for 9 p.m. on Friday, May 4, repeating at midnight, on CNBC. Monday, April 16, 2007 -- Afternoon Blood Horse magazine is posting the complete race video from recent graded stakes (meaning stakes races with a purse larger than $75,000 and around for more than two years under the same conditions as examples). The races should be available in their entirety within 20 minutes after the race has been completed. Sunday, April 15, 2007 -- Late Morning Yesterday afternoon was the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race course in Kentucky. It has long been one of the favorite precursors to the Kentucky Derby. Street Sense was the favorite to win the race, and the finish was quite challenging. Four horses, including Street Sense made the surge to the wire, and Dominican was the one to get his nose in front. Street Sense was a nose behind in second wih Zanjero a head behind in third, and the early leader, Teuflesberg, another head behind in fourth place. The 1 1/8th mile race was run in 1:51 1/5. There was talk when Street Sense won the Tampa Bay Derby that he might have ruined his chances at the Kentucky Derby because of his hard run. That has yet to be seen, of course. In the other big race yesterday, Curlin won the Arkansas Derby by 10 1/2 lengths, runing the 1 1/8th mile race in 1:50.09. Second was Storm in May with Deadly Dealer in third. Curlin is undefeated in three races and has placed himself in the nice position as possible favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Sunday, April 8, 2007 -- Late Afternoon There were a couple of Kentucky Derby prep races yesterday. First up was the Wood Memorial. The favorite in the race was Nobiz Like Shobiz, and he did not disappoint, holding on to win the race by a half a length in 1:49.26. Sightseeing was second and Any Given Saturday was third. For this race, Nobiz Like Shobiz wore blinkers and had cotton stuffed in his ears. The hope was that these accessories would help keep him concentrated on the race, and the move did indeed work. The other race of note was the Santa Anita Derby. This one was an upset with the half brother of 2005 Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo, winning the race. Tiago was not the longest shot in the race, but the second longest. Tiago came from behind, and thanks to the fast early pace, won his first race by a half a length. HIs only other "win" in January was a win by disqualification of the horse who finished first. Tiago ran the mile and 1/8th in 1:49.51. King of the Roxy was second and Sam P. was third. The last prep race run yesterday was the Illinois Derby. That was won by Cowtown Cat by 2 1/2 lengths over Reporting for Duty. Bold Start was third. The favorite of the race, Cobalt Blue, the California horse owned by Merv Griffin, finished seventh, never really being a challenger. The time for this mile and 1/8th race was 1:51.21. Saturday, March 31, 2007 -- Evening The Florida Derby was held today. It's one of the prep races for the Kentucky Derby, and was won last year by Barbaro. This year, Barbaro's trainer had a horse in the race, Chelokee who has been lightly raced, but that he was hoping would become Derby eligible. In order to make it into the Derby if more than 20 horses are entered, a horse's earning from graded stakes will be considered. Those with a low amount will be tossed from the race. Back to the Florida Derby. Scat Daddy won by a length and a quarter with a time of 1:49 for the mile and an eighth race. Notional finshed in second 3/4th's of a length in front of Chelokee. Rounding out the field were Stormello, Boogie Boggs, Imawildandcrazyguy, Birdbirdistheword, Adore the Gold, and Johannesburg Star. Elsewhere in racing, Invasor won the Dubai World cup, a $6 miillon dollar race, the richest in horse racing. Invasor ran the mile and a quarter race in 1:59:50. Premium Tap finished second. Bullish Luck was third followed by Vermillion, Forty licks, Kandidat, and Discreet Cat. Discreet Cat, undefeated before the race, finished in last place 23 lengths behind Invasor. Invasor should be back in the US to race in the Surburban Handicap at Belmont Park. Saturday, March 17, 2007 -- Evening The Tampa Bay Derby was held earlier this evening, and Street Sense, the two year old juvenile champion, won the race by a nose over Any Given Saturday. The mile and 1/16 race was run in 1:43.11 which broke the track record. There has been alot of talk about Street Sense because he was the juvenile champion and is thought to be a strong contender for the Kentucky Derby this year. The controversy is that winners of the Breeder's Cup Juvenile race don't have a good record in the Kentucky Derby, and Street Sense is only going to have two prep races before the Derby. I don't think that is a problem. If the horse is ready, he's ready. Racing a horse alot doesn't necessarily make him ready. Street Sense carried two more pounds than Any Given Saturday. Finishing in third place was Delightful Kiss and Most Distinguished was fourth. Wednesday, February 14, 2007 -- Late Morning Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, have set up a $3 million endowment in honor of Dr. Dean Richardson at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary school to study equine diseases. The endowment will go towards further research in laminitis which was the ultimate cause of death for Barbaro. In other Barbaro news, Bloodhorse magazine is going to release a commerative issue with 80 pages of articles and 50 color photos. There will probably be a glut of materials on Barbaro in the upcoming months, with a book already due for release at the end of February titled Barbaro: A Nation's Love Story. Wednesday, January 31, 2007 -- Evening There have been a few stories about Barbaro in the news since Monday. People are still coming to terms with the fact that he was euthanized. The person hardest hit by the death was Dr. Dean Richardson, who has treated Barbaro since the fracture occurred in May. Richardson said that he become emotionally attached to Barbaro. His daily routine was to stop at the ICU to check on Barbaro every morning, and it's hard to know that he isn't there anymore. It seems that the final night for Barbaro was filled with pain because he developed laminitis in his front legs. As Richardson said, Barbaro couldn't find a comfortable spot, and was very unhappy in the last few hours. The decision to euthanize was the right one, but Richardson still hoped that he could have done more. As Richardson told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Because you wanted the horse so badly to survive, to me, the goal wasn't achieved. We didn't save the horse. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or anything like that about what we did. But it's still so profoundly disappointing, that it's hard not to feel like you've let him down." Very touching words. The question that some have had is should the decision to put Barbaro down have occurred in May when the accident happened. That's the thing that is really hard to answer. We might have had a differnt outlook if Barbaro didn't develop laminitis, if the infection hadn't occurred in the right leg, if the laminitis didn't worsen, if, if if. Unfortunately, it turned out the way it did, but I would agree with the owners and Dr. Richardson. You have to make the effort, knowing that the odds might be against you. I had a diabetic cat who became very ill. I found out later that the vets gave him a 20% chance to survive. They didn't tell me that at the time, and I spent $2000 treating him. He lived, and continued to have a happy and healthy (although diabetic) life for a few years after that. it's a personal decision that we all wanted to turn out better for Barbaro. Sunday, January 28, 2007 -- Early Evening Barbaro is not doing well. Earlier in the week, Barbaro had the cast that was put on his right hind leg a few weeks ago, removed to have a brace put in its place. It seems that Barbaro has not been tolerating the brace well, and the vets had to do some more surgery yesterday to put in some more pins and plates in the leg to stablize the bones. The problem is that they can't put a cast on because Barbaro has an abscess on that leg that has to be treated. Dr. Dean Richardson is worried though because the discomfort that Barbaro is filling in his hind legs puts him at higher risk to develop laminitis in his front feet. It that happens, they might have to put Barbaro down. The problem is that Barbaro has major problems with both hind legs that are not resolving. This is very sad news, made especially so because it comes just weeks after hearing that Barbaro might be able to leave New Bolton Center. Friday, January 26, 2007 -- Evening Barbaro is doing well after treatment yesterday. He had the cast replaced on his left hind leg and a new brace put on his right hind leg. It appears there was an abscess on his right hind leg, and the brace will provide support while allowing the vets to take treat the abscess. Barbaro is doing well though, and continues to have a good attitude and appetite. The vets are planning to replace the cast on the left hind leg on a regular interval every two weeks. Tuesday, January 23, 2007 -- Early Afternoon The Eclipse Awards were held last night, and Invasor was named Horse of the Year. He beat out Barbaro, Bernardini, and Lava Man for the award. Bernardini was awarded the 3-year-old Horse of the Year with Barbaro finishing in second place. I can understand why Barbaro didn't get either award. It's hard to consider a horse as the winner of a year long award when his racing time was at the beginning of the year, and he spent most of the rest of the year injured. I know that everyone has a sentimental tie to Barbaro, but Invasor is a good choice. I think that he won out over Bernardini because of the Breeders Cup result. On the Barbaro health side of things, he is doing much better. Dr. Dean Richardson, who received an award for his care of Barbaro at the Eclipse dinner, said that Barbaro is being weaned from the pain medication for the laminitis. Also, it appears that Barbaro will most likely be headed to Kentucky when he is released from the New Bolton Center. That isn't expected now for at least a month, if not longer. When Barbaro is released, he will most likely be under the care of Dr. Scott Morrison of Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic. Friday, January 19, 2007 -- Evening Barbaro is doing better with each passing day. His vital signs are stable, his appetite is good, and his pain medication is being reduced. There are very good signs. The next update is scheduled for next Wednesday, January 24, unless there are developments that warrant publication. Thursday, January 18, 2007 -- Early Afternoon Barbaro's owners and the New Bolten Center are going to be given a special Eclipse award at the January 22 awards dinner. The award is to honor the efforts that both have made in treating Barbaro and giving him a chance at a longer life. Barbaro, Invasor, Bernardini, and Lava Man are all contenders for the Horse of the Year award. Winners will be announced at the awards dinner. Monday, January 15, 2007 -- Evening Dr. Dean Richardson has said that Barbaro is doing significantly better in the past two days since the surgery on Saturday. What is so hard about the Barbaro situation is that he was doing so well that he was going to get to leave the New Bolton Center. Now, it is back to a day to day situation. As Dr. Richardson said, it is going to be a long road that might eventually still lead to Barbaro's death. it is so hard to tell with laminitis. It would just seem such a shame to come so far to lose in the end. Saturday, January 13, 2007 -- Evening Barbaro has had more tissue removed from his left hoof and the deep digital flexor tendon in the hoof cut. The flexor tendon could make the matter worse by pulling the hoof away from the coffin bone. The tendon was cut in July but has since healed. The hope is that this will help the situation with the laminitis in the foot. Also, the cast was replaced on the right hind leg since Barbaro was feeling pain in the left leg. That could mean that he would favor it and the uneven weight distribution to the right leg could cause laminitis in that leg. If that were the case, it would be very bad news. Friday, January 12, 2007 -- Early Evening Barbaro's condition is not as bad as it was in July. It seems that he really doesn't have any "significant" infection in either hoof, and according to Dr. Dean Richardson, Barbaro has more healthyt tissue in the left hoof than bad. Barbaro is spending several hours in a sling for now, but the condition isn't as dire as it was in the summer. Thursday, January 11, 2007 -- Afternoon Barbaro is doing okay. He is spending several hours in a sling in intensive care, and is eating well and getting up and down on his own. X-rays of both hind legs look good so Dr. Dean Richardson is considering several options for continued care. Wednesday, January 10, 2007 -- Afternoon Barbaro has had a setback with his left hoof yesterday. Last week, the vets at the New Bolton Center had placed a small cast on the left hoof, which was affected with laminitis. Yesterday, they noticed that the foot became much more painful for Barbaro. They removed the cast and found that that was an increased amount of separation of the inside of the hoof from the outer hoof wall. They removed some of the damaged tissue and are keeping an eye on Barbaro. He continues to eat well and appears to be stable. Laminitis is tricky, and as the doctors have repeatedly said, it will be a long road before his recovery is assured. Thursday, December 21, 2006 -- Evening A new video of Barbaro has been released by his vets and played on Good Morning American. Dr. Dean Richardson was walking Barbaro outside, and there was no bandage on Barbaro's injured right hoof. He definitely does walk differently on that leg, and it seems to bend awkwardly, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Dr. Richardson said that Barbaro will be leaving the New Bolton Center soon because it will be in Barbaro's best interests to be in a place where he can be walked every day on soft ground. The majority of area around the New Bolton Center is covered by asphalt, which isn't the best for Barbaro. Wednesday, December 20, 2006 -- Afternoon Barbaro's left hoof was checked by a hoof specialist yesterday to find out how the healing process is going. That is the hoof that was affected by laminitis in the summer. A recommendation was given on how to trim to the hoof to achieve the best balance, but the main recommendation was wait for more healing. There isn't any news on when Barbaro will leave the New Bolton Center or where he will go when he does leave. The news release that the New Bolton Center posts about Barbaro should be available by tomorrow. In fun news, the Sir Barton Stakes that is run at Pimlico on Preakness day is being renamed the Barbaro Stakes. The race is a 1 1/16 mile race for three years olds. Friday, December 15, 2006 -- Morning Barbaro might be released from the hospital in the near future. It seems that he has been doing so well that Dr. Dean Richardson thinks that he might be able to complete his recuperation from home. Also on the Barbaro front, a portion of the sales from a figurine of him have been given to the New Bolton Center. Here is a link to the statuette. Tuesday, November 7, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had the cast removed from his right rear leg today. After his recovery from the anesthesia in the swimming pool, he walked back to the stall putting weight evenly on all legs. The right leg is looking good. The only thing left now is for the left hoof to complete its healing from laminitis. Right now, everything is well with it, but it will still require several months of growth to determine what the final outcome will be. Bernardini has been retired from racing, and he will stand at stud Sheikh Mohammed's Darley at Jonabell near Lexington. The cost to mate your mare with Bernardini will be $100,000. Saturday, November 4, 2006 -- Evening Surprising and sad day at the Breeders Cup races at Churchill Downs this afternoon. The sad news came when co-favorite in the Distaff race, Pine Island, stumbled after dislocating and fracturing her left front ankle. So severe was the injury, with broken skin meaning that infection was a strong possibility for future treatment, that Pine Island was euthanized shortly afterwards. Her jockey, Javier Castellano, was thrown heavily to the ground, and there was some concern because he was also Bernardini's jockey. Catellano was all right physically, but was feeling the effects emotional. The other co-favorite, Fleet Indian, was pulled up with a suspensory ligament injury. It is thought that Fleet Indian will be just fine, and she was due to be up for sale at Keeneland on Monday as a broodmare, but has been pulled from the sale. Winner of the Distaff race was Round Pond trained by Michael Matz, trainer of Barbaro. There was also abit of a surprise for Bernardini fans. He finished second to Invasor in the Classic race. There was alot of talk of a matchup between Bernardini and Lava Man in the race, and only a few even considered Invasor. Lava Man was not much of a challenger in the race and finished 7th. Brother Derek, the early leader, has a very slight bump by Bernardini in the stretch and there was an objection placed against Bernardini, but the objection was denied and the results stood. Invasor, ridden by 18 year old sensation, Fernando Jara, came flying by Bernardini in the stretch to win by a length. Premium Tap was third and Giacomo was fourth.
Winning Time: 1:43.81 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Appealing Zophie, Cash Included, She's Included, Adhrhythm, Bel Air Beauty, Sutra, Quick Little Miss, Satulagi, Gatorize, Her Majesty and Lilly Carson
Winning Time: 1:42.59 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Scat Daddy, Stormello, C P West, U D Ghetto, King of the Roxy, Skip Code, Teuflesberg, Pegasus Wind, Malt Magic, Got the Last Laugh and Principle Secret
Winning Time: 2:14.55 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Wait a While, My Typhoon, Mauralakana, Dancing Edie, Quiet Royal and Germance
Winning Time: 1:08.80 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Bordonaro, Attila's Storm, Too Much Bling, War Front, Siren Lure, Pomeroy, Kelly's Landing, Lewis Michael, Malibu Mint, Areyoutalkintome and Henny Hughes
Winning Time: 1:34.75 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Sleeping Indian, Rob Roy, Silent Name, Gorella, Aussie Rules, Araafa, Librettist, Free Thinking, Super Frolic, Ad Valorem and Echo of Light
Winning Time: 1:50.50 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Asi Siempre, Lemons Forever, Sharp Lisa, Baghdaria, Spun Sugar, Pool Land, Hollywood Story, Bushfire, Healthy Addiction, Fleet Indian and Pine Island
Winning Time: 2:27.32 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Rush Bay, Go Deputy, T. H. Approval, Silverfoot, Cacique and Icy Atlantic
Winning Time: 2:02.18 Unplaced horses listed in order of finish. Also ran: Giacomo, Brother Derek, Lava Man, Perfect Drift, Lawyer Ron, Sun King, Flower Alley, Suave and David Junior Saturday, November 4, 2006 -- Morning This afternoon's Breeder's Cup Classic has a 5:20 pm ET post time and should be a doozy. There are three horses that could be considered for Horse of the Year honor. Of course, first there is Bernardini, who won the Preakness, Travers and Jockey's Club Gold Cup in his six straight wins this year. A question mark still hangs over Bernardini because he really hasn't faced any stiff competition. Perhaps it's just that he makes it look easier than it actually is. Who knows. Then there is Lava Man, the $50,000 claimer who has won $2,770,000. This year, the 5 year old gelding has seven wins in seven races. The only problem with Lava Man is that he hasn't won outside of California, and the Breeder's Cup Classic is at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Lava Man is a grandson of Seattle Slew. Then there is Invasor. He's raced in Uruguay and Dubai, and has run only three races this year--all wins. The last race was the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga in August. That could be Invasor's weak spot because he is coming into the Breeder's Cup Classic with a light race schedule and just workouts to get him into conditiion. Invasor has only lost one race--in Dubai. There's also George Washington, who has raced well in Europe, Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron, Giacomo, last year's Kentucky Derby winner, and six others who might be spolilers in the race. All in all, it should be entertaining, and the winner will more than likely be Horse of the Year.
Thursday, November 2, 2006 -- Evening More news about Barbaro. Dr. Dean Richardson has said that the cast may come off of Barbaro's injured right leg next week. Dr. Richardson was also honored at National Turf Writers Association Dinner yesterday. He received the Joe Palmer award which is for "meritorious service to racing." Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, trainer, Michael Matz, jockey, Edgar Prado, and exercise rider, Peter Brette, were given the Mr. Fitz Award. That is named after Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, and it is given to the individual or group that typifies the spirit of racing. Fitzsimmons trained Gallant Fox, Omaha, Nashua, and Bold Ruler about many others. Thursday, November 2, 2006 -- Early Afternoon The Breeder's Cup Classic is this Saturday at Churchill Downs. Bernardini is entered for the race along with Lava Man, Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron, and Perfect Drift. In total 13 horses will be competing for the Classic. If Bernardini wins, he will be a shoo-in for Horse of the Year honors. Barbaro is featured in the Fall 2006 Penn Veterinary Medicine Bellwether magazine. The main article covers the team of veterinarians who have been caring for Barbaro since his accident. The coverage is extensive and even has a timeline for Barbaro since the Preakness. An additional article has questions and answers about Barbaro, covering such topics as the source of the bone graft that Barbaro received (which came from his tuber coxae--the point of the hip for us laypeople) and his feeding schedule. Barbaro is doing as well as can be expected and the weekly updates have been moved to bi-weekly. Tuesday, October 10, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro is continuing to do well. Dr. Dean Richardson changed the cast on Barbaro's right leg, and was very happy with the progress that the leg is making. There is still the issue of the left hind leg. As we keep on hearing, there is growth in the hoof, but it will be months before we know if the hoof has grown back enough. That has to make it hard for everyone because if the hoof does not grow back properly, there is still the issue of what they should do, and Barbaro still might not make it. The reason it is hard is because you see the horse doing well, and things just not working out. For the cast change today, Barbaro had general anesthesia and had his hooves trimmed. A new shoe was placed on the right hind leg and was out grazing and using both hind legs in the afternoon. There are some sores on his leg from wearing a cast for such a long time, but it isn't anything that the doctors are concerned about, and there are no signs of infection. Sunday, October 8, 2006 -- Evening It's a shame that Barbaro and Bernardini didn't get a chance to actually race against each other in a race that didn't end with Barbaro being injured. Bernardini ran in the Jockey Club Gold Cup yesterday at Belmont Park. The mile and a quarter race was for horses three years old and up, and Bernardini showed that he has the stuff of greatness when he won by 6 and 3/4 lengths in a time of two minutes and one second. Wanderin Boy finished second. There wasn't any betting allowed for show because there were only four horses in the race. Andromeda's Hero finished third and Dylan Thomas was fourth. Wednesday, September 27, 2006 -- Evening Dr. Dean Richardson gave an update on Barbaro's condition. It seems that a quarter of his hoof has grown by and that he is doing well. He has to regrow another three quarters of the hoof and the bottom of the foot has to get better. It could take up to six months for the hoof to regrow. The right leg is doing well, and the cast is still on the leg. It won't be changed just yet. Richardson will keep an eye on Barbaro's progress. Tuesday, September 19, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had a very good week this past week. He continues to be grazed outside. Also, the left leg which is the one stricken with laminitis is doing good, and Dr. Dean Richardson has decided to replace the boot on the foot with a bandage. The cast is still on his right leg and will be monitored. If the vets decide to replace it, they will. Monday, September 18, 2006 -- Evening Lost in the Fog was euthanized yesterday. it was noticed around a month ago that Lost in the Fog was ill, and then the owners and trainer found out that it was due to cancer. The cancer was around the spleen, and also close to the spinal cord. It's extremely rare for a horse to get cancer. They decided to try chemotherapy on the horse, but then the trainer noticed that Lost in the Fog appeared to be in pain yesterday. After consulting with the vets, Lost in the Fog was put down. The cancer was just too advanced and there wasn't any hope for poor Lost in the Fog. Tuesday, August 29, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro's cast was replaced on Sunday after a small crack was noticed in it. The leg is doing very well, and it appears that the short pastern is totally fused and there is only small healing left on the long pastern. The cast that is on now is expected to be on for a while, and the bone looks so good that they may keep the cast off with the next removal. There is also no sign of infection. As for the laminitis, it appears as if the hoof is growing back. However, the problem is that it will take several months before it is certain that the hoof will fully grown. Barbaro was on the CBS Morning Show last week, and he looks really good. Check out the video. Barbaro appears to be full of spunk and energy. Dr. Dean Richardson is getting dragged around by Barbaro as he goes to eat grass. As Richardson said though, before the accident, it would take 3-4 people to hold Barbaro. Monday, August 28, 2006 -- Afternoon Bluegrass Cat was retired yesterday. Bluegrass Cat was lame on Sunday, and when they checked his right rear leg, they found that he has a non-displaced fracture of the pastern. Bluegrass Cat had an excellent 2-year-old season, and wasn't shabby as a three-year-old with seconds in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and the Travers (on Saturday). The owners thought it was best at this point to retire him to a stud career. You have to wonder when he broke the bone, and if he did it during the race, how much it affected the outcome. Sunday, August 27, 2006 -- Early Afternoon Bernardini won the Travers Stakes yesterday. In fact, all the hype about the match-up between Bernardini and Bluegrass Cat was for naught because Bernardini won the mile and a quarter race easily by seven and a half lengths in a time of 2:01.60. Bluegrass Cat finished in second place six and a quarter lengths in front of Dr. Pleasure. Bernardini is a strong contender for Horse of the Year, and you just have to wonder what would have happened in the Preakness if Barbaro didn't break his leg. It would have been interesting to see a summer of matchups between those two. Zara Phillips, daughter of Great Britain's Princess Anne, won the gold medal in the World Equestrian Games in Germany. Zara is her mother's daughter. Princess Anne represented Britain in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Friday, August 25, 2006 -- Evening Horse racing news. 4 year old sprinter, Lost in the Fog, was diagnosed with inoperable spleen tumors last week. He was given only a few weeks to live because there were additional tumors in his body close to the spine that were inoperable. Since last week though, he has been on medication to reduce the size of the tumors so they can be removed. Lost in the Fog is doing well, still his old chipper self, and in fact feeling better because he is taking a low dose of pain medication which removes some of the colic symptoms. Things are necessarily as bleak as everyone originally thought, and Lost in the Fog's trainer, Greg Gilchrist, is not letting anyone give in to negativity. Tomorrow is the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. The race is shaping up as a battle between Bernardini, the even-money favorite, and Bluegrass Cat, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Bernardini does appear to be the one to beat, but horse racing can be unpredictable. All you need is for Bluegrass Cat to have a good day, and Bernardini to be off, and the favorite can be unseated. Monday, August 14, 2006 -- Late Afternoon Things have been going so well for Barbaro lately, that Dr. Dean Richardson has approved trips outside of the ICU unit. Barbaro has been taken into a little paddock just outside of his barn, and have been given the opportunity to pick some of his own grass. Dr. Richardson said that Barbaro has been going out for the past few days (as of Aug. 11). When Barbaro first went out, he was abit in culture shock of getting sunshine and fresh grass. Watch the video of Barbaro outside. Sunday, August 13, 2006 -- Evening Long shot, Cactus Creek won the Adios at the Meadows race track here in Pittsburgh. The race is for pacers, and it seems that the winners of the three heats that were raced earlier in the day, just faded in the final. Cactus Creek paced the mile in 1:50 2/5. Western Ace was second and Total Truth was third. The favorite, Sandro Hanover, finished sixth in the final after winning his heat earlier. Wednesday, August 9, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro's cast was replaced late yesterday, and the leg under the cast is looking very good. This seems to tie in with the blood work results which have been steadily improving and aren't showing any sign of infection. The wrapping on the left leg are changed daily, and it also looks good. The hoof area is dry and there is "excellent early regrowth at the coronary band,” according to Dr. Dean Richardson. Tuesday, August 8, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had another cast change today. There hasn't been a report on how that went, and there is not expected to be a news release until sometime tomorrow. Sunday, August 6, 2006 -- Evening Bluegrass Cat won the $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park today. He won by seven lengths. Praying for Cash was second and Strong Contender was third. The time for the 1 1/8th mile race was 1:48.85. Next up for Bluegrass Cat is a meeting with Bernardini in the Travers. Thursday, August 3, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro is improving, slowly. It seems that his left rear hoof is showing evidence of regrowth. There is still a long road to go before Barbaro is totally out of the woods. Tueday, August 1, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro is doing much better. In fact, Dr. Dean Richardson said that if Barbaro did not develop laminitis in his left rear leg, he would be out of the cast on his right rear. It seems that his right leg is in really good shape and healed enough that the cast could come off and he could just have a splinted shoe. However, because his left leg is so sore, they don't want to risk laminitis now in the right, so the cast stays on. Saturday, July 29, 2006 -- Evening Bernardini easily won the Jim Dandy Stakes today at Saratoga. People has been wondering if his Preakness win was just a fluke or the real deal. It looked like the real deal this afternoon when Bernadini won by nine lengths over Minister's Bid in a time of 1:50.50 for the mile and an eighth. Third was Hemingway's Key, followed by Dr. Pleasure, then Oh So Awesome, and with Sunriver rounding out the field. In the Diana Stakes Angara beat out Sweet Talker by a head to win the race. Argentina was a nose farther back in third place. The Diana Stakes is for 3 year and old fillies and mares, and the time for the race was 1:49 1/5 for the 1 1/8th mile race. Faster than the Jim Dandy which is for 3 years olds. The track was listed as sloppy after a heavy thunderstorm earlier in the day. Wednesday, July 26, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had his cast changed yesterday, and his blood work has consistently been good. These are all very good and promising signs. Wednesday, July 19, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro is still in stable condition with normal vital signs. Dean Richardson said that he doesn't think any changes in his condition will happen quickly. In Richardson's opinion, it is going to be a marathon with changes happening over time, but that it could be months of treatment. Tuesday, July 18, 2006 -- Afternoon Michael Matz, Barbaro's trainer, said that Barbaro is continuing to hold his own. He saw the horse this morning, and said that he is still listed in stable condition and his vital signs are still normal. Yesterday afternoon, Dr. Dean Richardson, replaced the cast on the right leg and took x-rays of the area. The pastern looks like it is in good condition and all the pins and plate look like they are in place. The incision also looks clean and has no sign of infection. The left cast was also replaced to treat the laminitis. The procedures were done while Barbaro was lightly sedated and in the sling. Dr. Richardson said that Barbaro is a very intelligent horse and "adapted very well to being managed in the sling." Matz is encouraged but not getting too hopeful because he already lost two horses to laminitis. Monday, July 17, 2006 -- Afternoon Barbaro is continuing to do well, and his vital signs are still normal. The one thing that his doctor, Dean Richardson, wanted to stress is that Barbaro has a bad case of laminitis and the treatment for it is complex. They are keeping a close eye on Barbaro, and changing the cast on the foot with laminitis as needed. They want to make sure to treat it as needed and to look for any signs of infection. Barbaro really does seem to have a will to live. Let's hope that his body doesn't fight against his spirit. Saturday, July 15, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had another good night, and appears to be responding well to treatment. He doesn't seem to be in pain. So he is still in stable condition. This doesn't mean that Barbaro is safe. He can still develop laminitis in another leg, and if that happens, he will be put down. Friday, July 14, 2006 -- Late Evening Dr. Dean Richardson gave another press conference about Barbaro later today. It seems that Barbaro is still in stable condition. As Dr. Richardson said, they are treating the laminitis aggressively, and will continue to do so far as long as it is needed. As he said, the treatment could continue for months if Barbaro continues to respond positively. Edgar Prado stopped by to visit with Barbaro. Prado left New York at 4:30 am, spent a few hours with Barbaro, and then went back to New York to make the races at 3 pm. Prado walked with Barbaro, fed him, and then Barbaro put his head on Prado shoulder and went to sleep. Prado was crushed at the news that things had taken a turn for the worse, but says that Barbaro has the will to overcome the bad odds. Friday, July 14, 2006 -- Afternoon Barbaro's vet, Dr. Dean Richardson, says that Barbaro is in stable condition. He was out of the sling for 12 hours and slept on his side for 4 hours. That doesn't mean he is out of the woods--not by a long shot. It just means that things are extended for abit and that he might have a chance to recover. Friday, July 14, 2006 -- Morning Barbaro is doing abit better this morning. He had a restful night according to vet, Dr. Dean Richardson. The promising news is that Barbaro even slept on his side which is a sign that he is feeling better. Although he continues to eat and look good, that doesn't mean that he is out of the woods. As Richardson said, if Barbaro appears to be favoring his left hind leg, or not wanting to put weight on it, he would have to put Barbaro down. Although things look promising now, that doesn't mean that we might not have a different story later today. Thursday, July 13, 2006 -- Late Afternoon Barbaro's chances for survival are poor. As long as he continues to eat and is not in alot of pain, the vets will continue to treat him. However, it is possible that he might be put down in the next 24 hours. This is very sad news indeed. Right now, the vets have cut away the hoof wall on the left hind leg in the hopes of treating the laminitis. Both of Barbaro's rear legs are now in a cast. Barbaro is also spending some time in a sling. We can only hope for the best news, but it's not looking good at all. I will post any updates on Barbaro's condition as soon as I hear them. Thursday, July 13, 2006 -- Afternoon Really bad news on the Barbaro front. He has developed laminitis in his non-injured left hind leg. As Dr. Dean Richardson said, they aren't going to put Barbaro down at this point because he is eating and has normal vital signs. However, the laminitis was the worst case scenario that the doctors were concerned about. It's caused because the horse has pain in one of its legs and doesn't put weight on the sore foot. The non-sore foot then develops the laminitis because of the increase in weight and pressure on it. So when Barbaro developed the infection in his right hind leg, he must have shifted more weight to the left which resulted in the laminitis. Things are really not looking good for Barbaro at this point, and we can only hope that somehow things will improve. Wednesday, July 12, 2006 -- Early Afternoon Barbaro is listed in guarded condition. Dr. Dean Richardson said that the road has hit a bumpy spot, but that the vets are treating Barbaro aggressively in the hopes of saving him. It seems that Barbaro is still not comfortable, and isn't responding well to treatment. The vets are in close contact with the owners, Gretchen and Roy Jackson, and we can only keep our fingers crossed. As Dr. Richardson said, "There's so much concern. It's significant. Two weeks ago, we were at 50-50 (for survival). With this new problem, we are less than that." It's such a sad turn of events that he went from doing so well to being in such bad shape. The Maryland Racing Commission has reviewed the tapes from the Preakness and determined that Barbaro's breakdown was just a matter of bad racing luck. There was some controversy that Barbaro might have had his hind leg clipped by another horse and that resulted in the break. However, the Commission was unable to see anything conclusive. Monday, July 10, 2006 -- Afternoon Barbaro's cast was replaced yet again today. This is the sixth cast that Barbaro has had since the fracture was first repaired. The longer cast was replaced with a shorter cast so Barbaro will be able to move around more easily. It seems with the longer cast, he was having trouble getting up from a lying position. Dr. Dean Richardson said that Barbaro is doing well, has a fine appetite, and that his temperature is again normal. The abscess in his left hind hoof was also treated. Sunday, July 9, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro had more complications and further surgery late last night. Dr. Dean Richardson replaced the plate and several screws in Barbaro's injured leg. There are some problems with the pastern joint (which is the area that was most severly shattered), and the vets stablized the area with fresh implants and bone grafts. To increase the stability of the leg, Barbaro's cast was made longer to give more support. There appears to be some infection in the fractured area which the doctors cleaned. They are also treating the left hind hoof for an infection too. This is the second surgery in less than a week and is not very promising. I'll be keeping a closer eye on Barbaro's progress. Saturday, July 8, 2006 -- Morning There is news on the Barbaro front. On Monday, Barbaro underwent surgery again to replace the cast on his leg and to replace a couple of bent screws and add three more around his pastern bone. The leg is healing well, but there are complications. It appears that Barbaro had been having problems with the second cast, and that lead to the decision to replace the cast. Also, he has been running a fever over several days which heighten the concern. An abscess was found on the sole of Barbaro's uninjured left hind leg, which again is a problem. This abscess is being treated topically and Barbaro is being given antiobiotics for any systemic problems. Obviously, Barbaro is not out of the woods yet, and it is going to be a long road still. As for the cast, Dr. Dean Richardson said that it will remain until he is certain that Barbaro's bones have healed and have the strength to support the leg on its own. Saturday, June 24, 2006 -- Late Evening We went to the Meadows racetrack today. It's maybe half an hour from our house and has harness racing. When I was a child, I used to read books on betting and would make pretend bets on the horses. The local newspaper would have the racing entries for the day, and I would write down my predictions on who would win, place, and show. Then I would check to see how I did the next day. With practice, I was pretty good. I haven't done that in years, so today my record was not very good. I gave my boyfriend the tips, and we won a few dollars. Basically we bet $20 and won $10 to $12. I hope to get better with practice, and plan on going to the races more often. The most exciting was the tenth race. I picked Solomon's Boogedy because his name is similar to my boyfriend's. Well, he was hanging at the end of the pack, but came on in the stretch to finish in a dead heat for second place. My boyfriend was really excited by that one. Out of the ten races that we saw, I picked two winners--Hidden Viggorish (won the 8th race) and Komodo (won the 11th race). Hidden Viggorish won the second division of the Currier & Ives 3 year old filly trot. She has five wins and one place out of seven races. Not bad--and obviously an easy pick to win. We bet for the horses to show because that would be a guaranteed way to get some money if the horse finished in the top three. I'm going to research handicapping again, and try my hand at exactas and trifectas. Here are a slew of pictures from the night. Monday, June 19, 2006 -- Afternoon Barbaro is steadily improving according to Dr. Dean Richardson. Before he is considered to be more than 51% likely to survive, the vets want to make certain that his foot is healing enough that he will be able to have his bones support the weight of the foot without the titanium plate. The plate is only supposed to be supportive during the healing process. The bone should become strong enough to hold the weight of the horse on its own. Things are looking good and everyone is hopeful. Tuesday, June 13, 2006 -- Evening Barbaro's leg is doing excellent according to Dean Richardson. Dr. Richardson replaced Barbaro's cast today, and he said that “the incision has healed well and judging by the radiographs, the graft is opacifying (“taking”). Callus is forming nicely, and all of the implants (plate and screws) look unchanged.” The procedure was done under general anesthesia, and Barbaro is now awake and continuing to improve. This is very good news. Saturday, June 10, 2006 -- Evening ABC did a very nice job with the Belmont Stakes broadcast. Although the show was two hours long, they filled the time with two other races that were held at Belmont Park. First there were several sections about Barbaro. We had the longer clip first that went over all the details of the past three weeks and the update on Barbaro for today which is that he is doing well. Then periodically through the show, they would send the cameras back to Barbaro, including showing a clip of Barbaro rolling around in his stall--oblivious to any problems with his rear leg. When it got closer to the start of the race, they wheeled in a television and had it facing Barbaro's stall door. It did look like he was looking at the television screen. Probably, he heard noises that he recognized as pre-race noises, and that caught his attention. It seems that since the New Bolton Center setup an e-mail address for folks to send best wishes to Barbaro that he has received 40,000 messages. On to the races themselves. First up was the Acorn Stakes for three year old fillies. The race was delayed for several minutes, and the horses were unloaded from the starting gate when Miraculous Miss reared in the gate, flipped over, and was trapped on her back in the stall. She was flailing around with her legs, and there was concern that she would seriously hurt herself along with Wonder Lady Anne L who was in the gate next to her. Miraculous Miss was one of the favorites in the race too, having won the five of her last six races. Bushfire won the race after a stirring stretch battle between her and Hello Liberty. At one point at the head of the stretch, Hello Liberty pulled ahead of Bushfire, but Bushfire came on to win the race by a neck. The time for the mile long race was 1:35.89. Last Romance was third, and Adieu (the favorite) finished fourth. After that was the Manhattan Stakes, a mile and a quarter (10 furlong) turf race. This race was very exciting. Edgar Prado was on Cacique, who was one of the favorites. The folks associated with the horse (I can't remember if was the trainer or owner) were talking before the race that if the pace was slow, Cacique might take the lead early. Well, Cacique did just that. In the stretch, he held off late charging Relaxed Gesture to win by a nose. It was a photo finish between the top four finishing horses. Grey Swallow finished third, a neck behind Relaxed Gesture. English Channel was a head behind in fourth place. The time for the race was 2:04.10 Finally, on to the Belmont itself. Bob and John had the early lead, and Jazil was lagging behind the field of horses. However, before the final turn, Jazil put the steam on and took the lead. He came on in the stretch to take the lead and to hold off late bids by Bluegrass Cat and sunriver to win in a time of 2:27 4/5 by 1 1/4 lengths. Steppenwolfer was fourth (the early favorite to win.) It was quite funny because all week long we have been hearing Steppenwolfer stories, how he was bred to win longer distance races and how he was named after the music group, Steppenwolf. All for naught with Jazil winning. The winning stories with Jazil are that this is the first Triple Crown race that his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin (a two time Eclipse winning trainer) won. Jazil's jockey was 18 year old Fernando Jara, and his owner is Sheik Hamdan from Dubai, and brother to the owner of Preakness winner, Bernardini.
Thursday, June 8, 2006 -- Evening Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell, went to visit Barbaro today. Rendell was there to present the New Bolton Center with a check for $13.5 million that will go towards the building of new medical facilities. Barbaro is still improving with every day. It seems that he is showing a great deal of interest in the mares that are in the area. All of that bodes well for his recovery.
Wednesday, June 7, 2006 -- Evening The post positions were selected today for the Belmont Stakes. The trainer of Deputy Glitters, Tom Albertrani, has already said that if the track is muddy, he will scratch Deputy Glitters. It seems that he doesn't do very well with muddy tracks. check out the horse racing page for the post positions. Of course, even though | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||