It’s been more than a week since Barbaro had surgery on the hind leg he shattered in the Preakness and the colt couldn’t be doing better, Dr. Dean Richardson said this afternoon:
“He’s actually done far better than we could have ever hoped, so far … He’s perfectly comfortable and all his vital signs are normal. His blood work is good, and basically, at this moment, he could not look any better in terms of his medical condition. His prognosis is much better than it was, but he still has a long way to go.”
Richardson, who said the colt’s chances for recovery were 50-50 last week, felt good enough about Barbaro’s progress to joke today that his chances were “now officially 51%,” and said, “Seriously, every day that goes by is a big day.”
Jockey Edgar Prado paid a visit to Barbaro at the New Bolton Center today. “I’m still heartbroken, and I will be for a long time, but I definitely feel a lot better after seeing him,” Prado said after.
There has been no shortage of theories advanced to explain Barbaro’s injury, most centering on the gate incident, since the Preakness, but Pimlico officials think they know what really happened: After studying video of the race, at times frame-by-frame, track president Lou Raffetto said that he is 80% certain that Brother Derek’s right front foot hit Barbaro’s right hind foot only a few yards into the race, forcing Barbaro’s leg to twist. “It’s a timing thing,” Raffetto said. “It’s incredible that it should happen like that. But that’s what appears to have happened.”
Jockey Alex Solis, aboard Brother Derek, isn’t buying that explanation: “There’s no way he could have struck Barbaro; I would have felt it,” said Solis. “We were close behind him, but not that close. Getting that close to him and going that speed, if I had struck him I would have gone down.”
Posted by JC in Horses on 05/30/2006 @ 10:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
– And trainer Richard Dutrow couldn’t be more pleased. “We’re very happy,” Dutrow said. “How often do you see things work out like that? I’m talking about the Met Mile after the Breeders’ Cup win and it happens.” Silver Train is 4-for-6 at Belmont, 1-for-8 everywhere else. The Pedigree Guru is hinting that a stud deal will soon be announced for the sprinter: “He is going to be a happy boy just off Leestown Road.” [Announced the very next day: “Silver Train going to Vinery for stud.”]
– Dutrow may be a very happy man right now, but trainer Nick Zito isn’t. Sun King finished behind Silver Train in the Met. “It’s a little frustrating. In the Donn, we finished second. In the Pimlico Special, we finished second. In the Met Mile we finished second — and we beat [trainer Todd] Pletcher all three times … It’s like the freakiest thing ever. The horse ran great. He ran his guts out. This was a tough beat.”
– “Jockey Corey Nakatani earned his 3,000th victory one race after guiding Aragorn (Ire) to a 1 3/4-length win in the $321,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes (G1) on Monday at Hollywood Park.”
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 05/30/2006 @ 9:45 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
– Without the Derby or the Preakness winner in the field, the Belmont looks wide open. Ten horses are considered definite for the race and at least three others are under consideration. Among the definites are Bluegrass Cat, second in the Kentucky Derby, and Steppenwolfer, who finished third.
– It’s almost certain that Bluegrass Cat will have a familiar rider aboard in the Belmont. Jockey John Velazquez, out since April with an injury, is working horses for trainer Todd Pletcher in the morning and plans to return to racing early in June. “It’s looking pretty good that Johnny will be able to ride [Bluegrass Cat],” said Pletcher. “He’s been working the horse the last few days and hopefully he’s going to start riding next week.”
– Honey Ryder finally figured out the Belmont turf, winning the Sheepshead Bay Handicap by one length over Noble Stella. She finished fifth in the same race last year and was 0-for-5 over the Belmont grass until Saturday. “The difference between this year and last year and that she was covered up and inside this time,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “Last year, she was never able to relax.”
Posted by JC in Triple Crown on 05/28/2006 @ 10:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
