Jonathan Friedman
Kudos to you, Barbaro
Those of you who know me personally, or at least have read my columns in The Malibu Times, are aware that I am a fan of thoroughbred horse racing specifically and a lover of horses in general. So it should come as no surprise that Monday’s death of Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro hit me hard.
I had not planned to write about Barbaro this week because I knew there was no shortage of stories about him being written throughout the country. But then on Tuesday I saw the Los Angeles Times’ poor coverage of his death, which was limited to an article that proposed various conspiracy theories regarding how and why Barbaro had been cared for after his injury and an obscene column by the supposedly funny T.J. Simers that mocked people who loved the horse. I felt that at least one journalist in the Los Angeles area needed to better serve the memory of a champion whose struggle meant so much to so many people.
As a person who loves thoroughbred horses and their natural speed and beauty, it is impossible for me to observe the Barbaro story from an outsider’s perspective. So I can only tell you what following his struggle these past eight months has been like for me, and others like me. Barbaro was a courageous hero, an amazing athlete and a legendary figure that will be remembered forever. And if calling him all that makes your eyes roll, I’m sorry. That’s just how I feel. And most of the millions of people who feel that way are not going to be swayed by those rolling eyes.
Even before Barbaro’s tragic injury, he had marked his place in history. The field of 3-year-olds in the 2006 Kentucky Derby was considered to be the best in many years. The experts were divided on who would win the race, but most agreed that it would be close. That was not to be. Barbaro humiliated the competition, winning by six and a half lengths, the largest margin in 60 years. Based on that performance, many speculated that Barbaro would be able to win the Preakness Stakes two weeks later in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes three weeks after that in New York. Wins in those two races, combined with the Kentucky Derby victory, would make Barbaro a Triple Crown champion, the first since Affirmed in 1978.
Sadly, the experts were wrong again. Barbaro did not make it more than a couple hundred yards down the track at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness Day before he had to be pulled up by his jockey Edgar Prado. It was not clear then, and it still is not today, how it happened, but Barbaro broke his right-hind leg in three places, with one of the bones shattered into 26 pieces.
The next day, surgery was performed on Barbaro at New Bolton Center, a veterinary hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Dean Richardson, the chief surgeon at New Bolton, said the operation went as well as it could, but he still gave the horse a 50 percent chance to survive.
The next chapter in Barbaro’s life followed. Over the next eight months his status changed often, as he endured more surgeries and various cast changes. His many fans, which included people who didn’t even follow horse racing, sent him cards and food, posted messages on Web sites and followed his status daily. Barbaro’s growing legion of supporters cheered when video footage was released of him walking outdoors. They worried when it was reported in the summer that he had contracted a painful and often fatal hoof disease called laminitis in his left hind leg, cause by the shifting of weight to that leg to relieve the pressure on his healing limb. But he appeared to make it through that trouble spot, and people began to believe Barbaro could overcome anything.
Late last year, it was announced that there were plans to let Barbaro leave New Bolton. People speculated where Barbaro would go for his retirement, and what famous mares he could mate with to create offspring that could reach the heights many believe only injury prevented Barbaro from reaching.
But during all this time, Richardson warned it was an uphill battle for Barbaro, and that it would be a long time until we would know for sure whether he was headed for long-term survival. Richardson, speaking in serious tones, often acted as the rational person when some of us let our emotions get us too optimistic.
But even Richardson could not hold back the emotion on Monday as he spoke at a press conference about the decision to euthanize Barbaro. He could barely hide back the tears while talking about the fact that Barbaro’s condition had gotten to a point where he would no longer be free of pain, and the plan had always been to end the fight if it were determined Barbaro’s quality of life would otherwise severely deteriorate.
Also speaking at the press conference were Barbaro’s owners, Gretchen and Roy Jackson, people who should be applauded for the efforts they made to keep their horse going. And for those of you who think they did it just to collect the possible stud fees for Barbaro as a stallion, the Jacksons have also paid for operations to save a gelding, which is a castrated horse. And the likelihood of Barbaro being able to breed was not that great even if he had survived long-term.
Like Richardson, many grown men became emotional and were teary eyed on that day. For me, it came when I saw a picture a child had created on a horse racing Internet discussion board I frequent. The child had a photo of Barbaro running down the stretch at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby with the competition far behind him, and she had drawn Superman’s cape and shirt on the equine athlete. Barbaro was a super horse, winning all six races he completed, with the final one in style on thoroughbred horse racing’s biggest stage. It’s a darn shame we will never get to know what he could have done after that. But Barbaro’s fight for survival, and the assistance from those who helped him with it, is something inspirational.