Barbaro Was a Champion to Humanity

Barbaro Was A Champion To Humanity

By Stephen J. Alicknovic

Hearing of Barbaro’s fate touched a wide range of emotions for me. From the highs of watching his wonderful ability, he displayed on the racetrack, to hearing of the sad news. He was as talented a racehorse as you will ever see. He had a long ground covering stride. The great memories he delivered were special. Of course, the sad memories of him being injured in the Preakness Stakes and Edgar Prado jumping off to aid him were memories that were not as fond. It was truly an emotional roller coaster; the full gamut of highs and lows were visited during his rise to Kentucky Derby Champion, until his moment of final peace came.

I remember watching Barbaro race early in his 3-year-old campaign. He demonstrated his awesome ability early and often. A horse that ran wonderfully on grass and dirt, but it was the Florida Derby they led me to believe he could be special. He was brilliant that day winning and galloping out as if to say running a mile and a quarter will be a piece of cake. I knew he would be able to run a mile and a quarter without getting tired.

I watched all the prep races. I had analyzed the contenders in the Derby closely. I was convinced he would certainly be running late, more so of him than any other contender in that race, in what was considered a very deep field at the time. Barbaro was the blood class, as some horseplayers like to refer to a superior racehorse. He was a champion. I had decided he was my Derby horse with good confidence about week before the big race. After what had been a tough choice, but the Florida Derby kept replaying itself my head.

As he struck the front turning for home on Derby day, it was evident he would have the roses draped around him not long after the race ended. It was powerful, strong victory. He won it the way I had envisioned it, running on strongly, with his powerful kick.

As a player and racing fan, it was a gratifying moment, not for the cashing a ticket so much, but to see greatness before he went on to dominate that race. It is not often you see greatness, but when you do, you know what it looks like. It looks like Barbaro. Selecting a horse to win the Kentucky Derby is one of the most gratifying things a horseplayer can accomplish. I know for me it is. Money goes, the race is over, but the memory lives on forever. You have these things until your final breath. Barbaro winning the Kentucky Derby is one of those memories.

Happiness and joy can be fleeting in the life we live. Two weeks later was the Preakness Stakes. A packed house at Pimlico in all its glory, the anticipation of him winning the second leg of the Triple Crown was in the air. You feel like a kid on Christmas Eve on these big racing days. These races define horseracing in America. It is what people know and watch. Even the most casual fan turns it on to catch a glimpse. It did not work out the way many wanted. Moments after the gates opened tragedy fell upon Barbaro. All that was good was now destroyed in a flash, or so it seemed.

I had written an article on that day in what I thought pretty much summed up how I felt as a fan and person on that lousy afternoon. Things around me were hard to understand “The Preakness Stakes Turned into a Sad Day in So Many Ways” No doubt that was bad day. It seemed that a sad ending was imminent. Even the most sensible fan and horseman alike knew things were looking bleak for Barbaro. Barbaro did not pass on that day. He had been given a chance for survival and we should all be happy that he was.

I have heard some people he would have been better off being euthanized that day. To those of you who felt that way, you were wrong for several reasons. I said in the closing of that writing the only thing that could make things better was if he made a full recovery from his life threatening injuries. He never did make a full recovery, but the next best thing that could have happened, did.

Dr. Dean Richardson and the New Bolton Center performed procedures never done before in an attempt to save Barbaro’s life. For the first time, new modern techniques were being used. There was never any sugar coating his situation. Dr. Richardson had said along this would be an up hill battle, but a battle that well worth fighting. Barbaro agreed, as he endured the procedures to save his life. Barbaro never fretted, as he was a model patient, almost as if to say he was there for a reason. If he did not want to fight on, the call would have been made a long time ago.

The advances taken with equine veterinary care took a Quantum leap forward, thanks to Barbaro. The hope of using the same technology to save horses down the road has improved greatly. The attention Barbaro brought to this aspect of equine health is immense. The Barbaro Fund has been created to help this cause. Several other funds have also been established in his name. Children so enthralled by Barbaro might decide to become a veterinarian. There will be more extensive research into the life threatening horse ailment laminitis, which in the end was Barbaro’s final demise.

A closer look at polytrack is already in the process of taking over as the preferred surface of North American racing. The reduction of breakdowns at Turfway Park since the new synthetic surface was put down has brought racing safety to the forefront, with Barbaro’s fate, even more tracks will look to this new synthetic surface to minimize these track related injuries.

Those are just some of the positives that have came out Barbaro’s injury, so to those that would have thought it would have been better to let him have pass on that day, many advancements in equine health care would have been curtailed.