Barbaro Remembered

He is a thousand pounds of controlled energy and grace traveling through the wind, literally airborne every few strides, on thin and delicately constructed legs. Fibrous tissue, ligaments, and long bones carry his gliding bulk of hundreds of pounds, a thousand and more, and propel him forward on a man-taught mission: reach a finish line at all costs ahead of his competitors.

Even casual horseracing fans who tune in to the sport for just the three spring races that comprise the Triple Crown can be found in tears when this soaring creature missteps and crashes to an end, an end like no other in sports.

A great, brave bay colt has passed, having met such an end.

For eight months, the world cheered for Barbaro to fight on after his disastrous misstep in 2006's Preakness Stakes. The shattered leg was repaired in six hours of surgery; the bay's chances of survival were no more than 50-50, but we hoped in our world of many sad things for a triumph yet for the bay. But in the end, he could not fight off the complications of his grievous injury without undo suffering. He was humanely euthanized on Jan. 29, 2007.

Should the Kentucky Derby champ have run in the Preakness? The bay had stumbled coming out of the gate in the Derby, a sign of his eagerness to run. But in the Preakness gate, he exploded from the enclosure before the race started, a thousand pounds of restless energy on attack. Such a premature charge is rare.

Was Barbaro disoriented? Could his fate have been changed that day? By track rules, once a horse is on the track for his race, he cannot be scratched. So the bay was led back to reenter the gated stall.

And his fate was sealed.

Of the gate break, the track media announcers agreed, "This doesn't bode well (for Barbaro)." Former jockey Gary Stephens, in the booth that day, agreed in a voice hinting doom.

Seconds ticked away. Then the racers burst out of the gate and lunged forward. The chase was on and the bay was right.

And then he was not. All his screaming audience could see in later replays the right hind leg flail out in a grotesque, broken stride. The bay's jockey looked down, then began to pull a thousand pounds of racing fury to a halt, while the other racers pounded past him.

We watched in tears, and in terrible pain as Barbaro raised the leg, shook it confusedly, and the ankle dangled. The day ended with the last memory of the Preakness being the sight of a horse ambulance pulling away from Pimlico. We couldn't think of the name of the horse who had won the race. We could only think...Barbaro.

We listened to the track vet trying to put a positive slant on his report of the injury...recognizing his grave concern, we listened to the words of Stephens: "This is not a good injury"...to Tom Hammond's race coverage sign-off: "Thoroughbreds: such beautiful and powerful animals, but so fragile"...we waited for weeks of news of the brave bay we knew was fighting for his life...we rejoiced at the signs of his healing...we sent carrots and apples and love notes...we applauded the Jacksons, his owners, for all their caring...and we learned the whole name of the bay's vet hospital, the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center, that cared for the champ around the clock.

But we could not save him.

Should he have run that day? We cannot answer. We can only say, rest well, spirit of Barbaro, in the knowledge that you closed bravely.

So we await roses in Kentucky on the first Saturday in May. What new spirit will arise to capture our hearts?

/End/

Sources: USA Today newspaper, The Toledo Blade newspaper