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We’re still not sure how good a horse Barbaro could have been, but what we do know is that he was undefeated in six lifetime starts going into the starting gate on that third Saturday in May of 2006. Below is a letter we received from a 7th grade student who submitted her biography of Barbaro. Barbaro was her favorite horse and she asked us to publish her letter as tribute to him. Well, Jenny, after reading your letter, we at Horse Racing Simulation decided that it does deserve to be published, so here it is. I love Barbaro very much. I did some research on the internet and here is my story on Barbaro. Barbarp was a thoroughbred American racehorse who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later when he was racing in the Preakness Stakes. This ended his racing career and eventually led up to his death. In 2006, Barbaro ran in the Preakness Stakes, but he false started the race, fractured three bones in and around his right hind leg and ankle. This ruined any chances for winning the Triple Crown for that year, and it actually ended his racing career. The next day, he went through extensive surgery to correct the problem at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania. A few months later he developed laminitis in his left rear leg. This brought on five further operations, and he did not seem to recover very well after the surgeries. This also brought on laminitis in both of his front legs even after the surgeries. The veterinarians and the owners came to the conclusion that this colt would not be able to be saved. This brought him to his euthanization. He was the third generation from Mr. Prospector, and related to many of the champion racehorses out there such as Smarty Jones, Funny Cide, and Afleet Alex. The injuries that Barbaro sustained were life threatening. This is because the way a thoroughbred is bred, it optimizes its anatomy for speed rather than durability. Unlike other mammals in the world, a horse cannot survive in good condition with only three legs. If a horse gets a broken leg, this is pretty much the end of their career and possibly their life. Another horse underwent the same surgery as Barbaro in 1971. The New Bolton Center is known for its specialized care for animals that need complicated bone surgery. The day after the race, the doctor did surgery that allowed Barbaro to stabilize himself and put weight on the leg. This procedure was 5 hours long and was one of the most difficult surgeries that the doctor had ever performed. Barbaro had a Synthes stainless steel locking compression plate and 27 screws put into his leg during this surgery. This was new technology, and one of the first ever used. This was designed originally for humans to use. Barbaro was placed in the recovery pool once the surgery was performed and finished. He began to awake an hour later. He stood up and jogged to his stall. He ate just fine, and was able to put weight on his injured leg. The blood supply to the leg was also very good. Even after all of this, the doctor still gave Barbaro a 50/50 chance of survival. His first week of recovery went well and he even made some friends at the recovery station. His cast had to be replaced every so often. His complication then arose. He developed a fever, abscess and laminitis in his legs. He would have to take weight off of his hooves, and get standard treatments. No experimental treatments were to be tried. His original leg that broke would have been healed in time, and the cast would have come off if he did not get the laminitis in his other legs. He seemed to be getting better, and his bones were almost fused together. He was euthanized in January of 2007 because they felt his pain was no longer manageable. I miss Barbaro very much. His picture is in my room. Jenny, we, too, miss Barbaro.
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