I just noticed this thread and wanted to update it. I had been wondering lately how Barbaro was getting along, as he is barely mentioned in the news these days, and found this article from Penn State U. :
Barbaro had another good week
October 24, 2006
KENNETT SQUARE, PA � It has been a little over five months since Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was brought to the University of Pennsylvania�s George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center. �I am happy to report that Barbaro had another good week, and his appetite and vital signs remain excellent,� said Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery at Penn�s George D. Widener Hospital.
Barbaro�s right hind leg remains in a fiberglass cast. �We are being very conservative with the right hind (fractured) limb in order to help protect the foundered left hind foot.� said Dr. Richardson. �The hoof is growing slowly and not uniformly so it has a long way to go before it is acceptably strong and functional,� said Dr. Richardson. �The foot will require meticulous care for a long time and setbacks here and there are probable.�
Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Pennsylvania�s George D. Widener Hospital, where he is recovering from injuries suffered at the Preakness on May 20.
Due to Barbaro�s continued improvement, the University will now be posting updates biweekly. The next update will be posted on Tuesday, November 7, unless there is a significant change in Barbaro�s condition.
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I know that the vet surgeons had to remove around 3/4 of his left hind hoof back in the summer after laminitis set in, but according to this article, all is going well. What an amazing creature Barbaro is! I watched him run (televised) in the Derby and then the Preakness, and seeing him break down was devastating. The first time I saw him was in the Derby, and while watching him race I was reminded of the great Secretariat, who ran in 1973...I was 15 at the time and was 'horsecrazy'. I never thought there'd be another Secretariat, at least not in my lifetime, but the moment Barbaro set foot on the track at Churchill Downs, chills ran through me. It was almost haunting...like watching Big Red himself come back to life...and I do believe had Barbaro not broken down, he would have been a very close contender to racing's glory horse.
And judging from the way Barbaro has been overcoming the odds to survive such a horrendous injury, I believe it is proof to us all at just how tremendous a spirit he has, and what an enormous heart he possesses. My prayers are still with him for continued recovery...