Barbaro Updates: 29

updates are now here.

Update 354: As we wait for the press release from New Bolton I thought I would highlight some more content from the comments. Mike C has composed race calls in honour of Bobby, this is the latest (3:20 pm post time):

MORE OF THE CALL...And the horses thunder down the backstretch,Barbaro still has a lot of work to do", says Durkin. "He's back in the race, but he's not in his usual up close stalking position after the 2 disasterous mishaps in this race".As the leaders begin to hit the far turn Durkin is calling the positions of the horses in the race using names and colors to describe them in his adjective littered call.As he gazes thru his binocs and he gets to BARBARO, now in mid pack we pick up his call." And now BARBARO IS BACK,here in mid pack an unlikely spot in both a bad and good way, he's usually close to the pace but with what happened today its already an amazing comeback.Edgar pulls down a pair of goggles and he almost seems to be smiling now, WHY COULD HE BE SMILING??.DID WE NOT SEE THE BEST OF BARBARO ALREADY TODAY??.Edgar still has a handful of reins ladies and gentleman meaning he still has a ton of horse under him"..This could be a comeback of TITANIC proportions, Edgar is smiling like a guy holding 5 aces, he knows he's on a time bomb here waiting to explode, but after all the hardships thrown BARBAROS' way just how much is lift in the tank???.But by the look on Edgar's face, and determination in BARBAROS eyes I'm not willing to bet against the miracle we may just see here today".....The crowds roar heightens with every stride of the horses,you can now hear cries of "C'MON BARBARO,LETS GO BOY" becoming more evident above the thunderous roars of the thousands anticipating the tremendous finish that lies ahead.....

Bobby left this poem (1:36 pm):

Barbaro In The Hospital

until he's healed
and it is time
Mighty Barbaro will
proudly walk away

Update 353: This site was featured in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer today: To check up on Barbaro, check out his blog. I wanted to thank Mike Jensen for the great story, and Michael Bryant for the cool pictures (they are in the real paper, page 5 of the sports section). The paper actually has a more complete story than the online version. I see the online version is also available via mercurynews etc. I really appreciate the coverage! As I am sure people are aware, this site would not be possible without the support of many, I am going to name some, but no doubt will forget others who are important: Michael Matz, Peter Brette, Kathy Anderson, Tim Woolley, Eliza, Jen, Annie etc. Mike and Michael, thanks for coming down to Fair Hill.

Update 352: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (monday night). Michael Matz gave me the update as I was heading out to the track on my third set this morning. It was good to see Michael back at Fair Hill.
Kathy Anderson visited Bobby yesterday evening and also reported that he was doing well. He was in good spirits and looking for a good rub which he of course received, in the form of a massage from Kathy!
updated Tuesday morning 7:35 am

Update 351: As we wait for an update this morning we have an article and a new poem. The DailyLocal.com: Vet: Barbaro's smarts aiding his recovery, is a nice article on the intelligence of Barbaro, and how he has adapted to his current situation, it quotes both Peter Brette and Kathy Anderson. The following is an excerpt:

"Barbaro is not aggressive, but he is very confident," Anderson said.

Anderson added: "He's adapted to the sling. I like to think he understands that if I shift my weight this way, I feel better. I'd say that's not typical of racehorses. They're so competitive, they just react, rather than having a planned action."

Bernell Kress could not sleep, so wrote this for us (Posted by: Bernel Kress at August 1, 2006 05:00 AM):

You are the wings beneath our wings,
But, no longer will you fly.
You've captured the hearts of all with a soul,
And we are content with gazing in your eyes.

So rest and heal, oh ancient one,
You've been here before and you're not done.
You are teh wind beneath our wings,
And when you fly again, your world will sing.

Update 350: Barbaro had another comfortable day (monday). I just spoke to Peter Brette, who had spoken to Michael.

It turns out the winner of the Mike Rea Mustang is a presenter for HRTV! Congrats Becky!

We are planning our second vigil for saturday. While Bobby has been maintaining his comfort and has shown some positive medical signs, we know there is a very long road ahead, the vigil should help us stay focused on his well being and progress. 7pm saturday, whereever you are, whatever you are doing, think of Bobby.

I mentioned to Peter while we were chatting this evening about the interview I conducted with Tom Albertrani (update 348). Peter of course knows Tom as Peter also used to work in Dubai. He only had good things to say about Tom.

Finally, another beautiful poem, thanks TLC (from updates 23 10:44 pm):

Work is slowing down a bit now and I just wrote this sitting here at my desk:

So when life gets you down,
and things seem a "no go",
Believe in Miracles
Believe in Barbaro

Posted by Alex at 11:39 PM | Comments (634)

Barbaro Updates: 28

updates are now here.

Update 349: Just returned from Delaware Park, where Mike's family and friends were present for the raffle drawing. It was great to meet Mike's sisters and see Rochelle (his wife). Sheila Barndollar did a fantastic job putting everything together, they sold all four hundred tickets. Rebecca Witzman won, so congratulations to Rebecca! Mike is progressing well. His sisters have lost internet access, hence why no updates for the lcast couple of days. They feel really badly about that. I will try to update their blog to alert people, but it may take a little time.

Jake posted a nice response to my interview with Tom Albertrani (update 348) (comment at 4:35 pm) copied below:

You had only to look at Tom Albertrani's face that day at the Preakness to know a real horseman. Here his own horse is burning up the track, but I saw the double-take he gave when Michael Matz left the stands. He looked stunned, and saddened.

And you want to talk about horsemen (and women) -you can't beat Roy and Gretchen Jackson, or Michael Matz, or Peter Brette, or all of the people who have been touched by Barbaro.

I mentioned to Tim today about the interview, and that I might try to contact Dan Hendricks for the same (Brother Derek's trainer). Tim reminded me that Dan was asked by the media shortly after the race how his horse was, his response was pretty much, who cares, how is Bobby! (OK, not quite like that, but that was the sentiment.)

Linda Lee wrote a nice poem in the comments (5:14 pm):

I have been looking for months now of all the pictures of Barbaro. I have written below what I see. After you read take a look again at your favorite picture of this GREAT horse.

KEEP THE FAITH!

Update 348: I just did a telephone interview with Tom Albertrani, trainer of Bernadini. I wanted to get his perspective on a couple of things, including obviously his thoughts re: Bobby. Here is the interview:

Me: I asked Tom about the mood after winning the Preakness.
Tom: While happy to win a triple crown race, there was a bad feeling. It was very upsetting to see such a great horse being put in the horse ambulance. No one wants to experience what Michael (and his team) had to experience. It definitely took away from the excitement of the victory. The day after the race, the mood was a little better, we could focus a little on the win, but we wished dearly for a great horse race. After Bernadini's win saturday in the Jim Dandy, Michael Matz was one of the first to congratulate me. Later in the evening I caught up with Michael again. He gave me an update on Barbaro, we are all really rooting for him.

Me: I asked Tom about his experience with Godolphin:
Tom: I had worked for Bill Mott for nine great years. The Godolphin opportunity came along and it was an opportunity of a lifetime. It was an incredible experience. I got to travel all around the world, Ireland, France, Italy, Australia. I worked with some fantastic horses: Dubai Millenium, Fantastic Light, Street Cry, Swain, Halling ... we had an incredible 85 group one winners in seven years. Sheikh Mohammed is a great horseman (Sheikh Mohammed runs Godolphin and Darley Stud, owner of Bernadini). He is very hands-on, and on top of everything within the entire operation. He loves the sport of horse racing, its competitive nature. He would have loved nothing more than seeing a true rivalry, something akin to Affirmed and Alydar.

I have never met Tom. I do know a few people who have and who have worked with / for him. He does seem like a very cool guy.

Update 347: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (sunday night). I just spoke to Peter Brette who had just got off the phone with Michael Matz.
update 11:20 am, monday july 31

Update 346: No morning update yet, but Peter (Brette) did confirm Barbaro remained comfortable throughout the day sunday. Here is an article that appeared recently while we wait for an update from this morning. The Chicago Tribune: Veterinary hospital is breed apart writes about New Bolton Center, a nice compliment to their own video. Here is an excerpt about the recovery pool:

Normally, horses coming out of anesthesia after surgery are lying down in a recovery room. As they wake up, they must struggle to their feet, a dicey maneuver on freshly repaired ankles and legs. Moreover, a postoperative horse may be confused and thrash about in the recovery room, further jeopardizing the surgeon's work.

There, the animal is lowered into a black rubber raft with four long sleeves enclosing the legs. Once the raft is inflated, the horse remains floating there, typically for one or two hours, with nurses sitting close beside it. Thus, when the patient awakens, there is nothing hard anywhere near an injured leg, no matter how much it tries to thrash about.

A couple of blogs have written about this site: Animals We Can Love (that's Tim in the picture, not me) and Barbaro = Passion = Blog = Community. Toby, the author of the latter blog, is a "blog buddy".

Update 345: This morning's update will again be delayed. Michael is still in Saratoga I think, returning today. I imagine I will know something by mid morning and be able to post then.

Update 344: We have seen Barbaro coverage in the UK, in New Zealand, and now Japan: Sympathy for a racehorse. This article talks about the rationale for the sympathy directed towards Barbaro as the world is seemingly full of other tragedies. The conclusion:

Barbarophilia is certainly not logical. And it is sentimental, outrageously so. But here's a thought the anti-Barbaro crowd seems to have missed: Compassion isn't an either-or proposition. Interest in the fate of an injured horse in Pennsylvania doesn't preclude concern for terrified children in West Java or Baghdad or Tyre. Very likely, it's the same warmhearted people caring about the lot of them. Even if it wasn't, you can't legislate the flow of sympathy.

The following article: Bernardini could be Horse of Year I hesitated to post. Not because I don't admire another great racehorse, who won very easily over the weekend (although he really had nothing to beat), but because it was poorly written and factually inaccurate. Bobby was 6 for 6 going into the Preakness. I would also take issue with qualifying Albertrani's tenure with Godolphin as a sentence but since I don't know the guy (yet) I cannot confirm how much he enjoyed working with horses like Dubai Millenium.

Update 343: No new update this evening. I am assuming that is a good thing. Lori Keith rode her first winner at Philadelphia Park today, in the first race. She is a friend, and its great to see her getting going at Philly. She had ridden a winner at Penn, and actually went to Saratoga yesterday and was fourth. I asked her her perspective on Barbaro, she said:

My heart goes out to everyone involved. The horse is obviously strong, and he is hanging in there. It really makes you want to pull for him even more, he is trying.

Very true words. Congrats on the win, and looking forward to seeing you at Fair Hill breezing.

Adrienne caught up with Michael Matz yesterday at Saratoga. She had this to say (comment at 5:35 pm from update 27):

I was at Saratoga yesterday and actually had 2 michael signtings. The first was on a tour of the barns and track that was scheduled through the thoroughbred museum. Michael was with one of his children.

The second was in the paddock waiting for the post purade for the Jim Dandy. michael was walking into the paddock and I asked him how Barbaro was doing because I couldn't check Tim and Alex's web site as I was at Saratoga.I told him that I was one of those crazy and proud of it Barbaro fanatics. Michael said that he had a good night. I guess I heard the update as close as you can get from the horses mouth. He stopped for a second and I then asked him to thank Tim, Alex and the NBC staff for all of their wonderful work. I also told him that I hoped Barbaro enjoyed the carrots and the Delaware Park cap that I dropped off at the NBC 2 weeks ago. Finally he thanked me for the thoughts. Michael seems to be a really kind and understanding person. Barbaro you are really lucky!!!!

Wm & Cl, NH provides us this new poem (5:33 pm updates 27)

****Seabiscuit To Barbaro****

Forever thanks to Alex & Mike,
Allowing others a sharing mind--
For blessed news raising the spike,
Focused on good and bad left behind--
Go BARBARO Go -- we all love you so!

I was at dinner tonight when our host (Sue) relayed a story from our local fair (which has been in town the last week). She was talking with the person responsible for the big cats, and they were planning to take a lioness to New Bolton to be spade. Sue mentioned how excited the person was at the thought that she might get a chance to see Bobby! (Not too likely, but its great to see how widespread Bobby mania is!)

I am going to try to catch up with Tom Albertrani and get a quick interview on his Bobby perspective. He seems a really nice guy and I am sure has good things to say about Bobby. I have his phone number anyway!

Posted by Alex at 11:34 PM | Comments (691)

Barbaro Update: 27

updates are now here.

Update 342: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (saturday night). Peter just visited Bobby to report the news, and said that Bobby looked good. Peter's tone was relatively upbeat!

A nice article in the UK Observer: The final furlong rehashes the Barbaro story. A good resource for those wanting to get a good handle on the entire set of events. You might also pick up one or two additional insights.

Thanks Heather for the lovely basket delivered to our barn by Kennett Florist. The goodies have been eagerly distributed between our barn and Michael Matz's barn. Much appreciated. A belated thanks to Brandi for the popcorn. Sorry to say that stayed in our barn! As I was in the barn this morning (Tim called me to tell me there was a basket of goodies etc.) I got a chance to see Red Aspen. She looks good after her race yesterday, but tired. I also ran into Sheila Barndollar, who has been instrumental in putting together the raffle for a Mustang for Mike Rea. The drawing is tomorrow at Delaware Park, after the fourth race I think. Tim and I are planning on going. I hope to win! Lets hope Mike continues his good progress.

Update 341: Its great Michael is spending a couple of days at Saratoga (I think he is returning monday) as he has enabled more media coverage for Bobby. This Times Union article: Barbaro touches a heart includes some of the same interview covered by the Racing Form article in update 340. Here are a couple of excerpts that are new:

"I have just never been around a horse that has been so popular," Matz said. "Even outside of the racing community ... I took the kids to a Phillies game a while back and we were just sitting in the stands watching a ballgame on a Saturday afternoon. Three people I didn't know just came up and asked how the horse was doing."

and

"It would have been nice to see Barbaro run against Bernardini," Matz said quietly. "It would have been good for racing. But I'm not going to be sour. How can I be sour. The horse has done a lot for me. Now we are going to try and do as much as we can for him."

I had dinner at the Brette's last night. They gave me a win picture from the Tropical Park Derby (How cool is that ?) I asked Peter how he looks, given all the concern of no recent pictures. Peter said while he has dropped a little weight (inevitable) his coat looks great (shiny) and his eye is bright, two very good signs he is doing well. We talked about many Barbaro things. I asked about the Florida Derby, and the stretch dual. Peter considered that was the making of the transition from boy to man for the horse. He said Edgar told him afterwards that it was very easy (despite what we were seeing). He did gallop out very strongly. Peter is visiting this morning, so will get an update after that visit.

Update 340: No update yet for sunday, but I will likely know something by mid morning. In the meantime here are a couple of articles, one old and one new. The new one, from the Daily Racing Form, is essentially an interview with Michael Matz from yesterday in Saratoga: Matz keeping an eye on Barbaro. Michael relayed how the last few weeks have been:

"At one point I thought I was going to win the Triple Crown with this horse, next time I was sort of resigned to the fact maybe it wasn't supposed to be and he's going to come through this and be a great stallion," Matz said. "Then, when this other thing happened, I sort of resigned myself that they were going to put him down. Next morning I go and look, there he is bright-eyed. Every time I had myself resigned to something that was going to happen it never did. I don't think physically I was getting tired, emotionally I never knew what to expect."

He was also asked about Bernadini yesterday:

"I'm anxious to see the race," Matz said. "Bernardini's a real nice horse. It sure would have been nice to see them run against each other; that's never going to happen."

"Right now, I'm more worried about saving his life instead of whether he's 3-year-old champion," he said.

The second article, which I don't think I had seen, is about Peter Brette, some of his background etc: Exercise rider Brette on journey of a lifetime with Barbaro. Obviously this is an old article, and the journey has taken major turns since the article was written. The final piece of the article is poignant:

At mid-afternoon on Derby Day, a good friend of Brette's from Ireland strolled up to the barn to greet the horse and rider.

"She gazed into his eyes for a while," Brette said. "Then she turned to me and said: 'He's an old soul. He's been here before.'"

Update 339: Barbaro had another comfortable day (saturday). Had dinner with Peter and Kim. Other interesting factoids:

Messenger was a racehorse, I think trained by Michael, but not very fast. I think he may have had a stakes winning sibling.

Bobby, Barbaro's nickname, is such because Nicholas, Peter and Kim's son, could not say "Barbaro" ... he is quite young.

I also wanted to note that a couple of people have noted sons and daughters of Dynamformer as half bothers / sisters to Bobby. We do not actually consider a thoroughbred a sibling (or half sibling) unless they are out of the same dam. Thus Bobby's siblings are Holy Ground (four year old half brother) Man of Havana (two year old half brother), and his weanling full brother, yet unnamed.

Posted by Alex at 2:01 AM | Comments (563)

Barbaro Updates: 26

updates are now here.

Update 338: Bernadini was super impressive in the Jim Dandy. I am not entirely sure what he beat, but nevertheless he did not get out of third gear. Congratulations!

Update 337: Melissa sent me this poem, which included the following in her e-mail:

I've been working on this poem for some weeks but couldn't finish it after the horrible news two weeks ago. Now, after yesterday's good news, I was able to finish it. Feel free to share it with anyone including Peter, Michael, the Jacksons, Edgar Prado and all who are close to Bobby.

poem:

"Barbaro"
by
Melissa Harden

And his name, Barbaro
For all those who know him
Will always mean hero
His fame never to dim.

Sweet Talker ran a great race to just get headed in the Diana. I asked Graham about her chances on thursday. He was a little concerned with her travel schedule, but she certainly showed up today, just losing on the wire! Also, nice win for Master of Disaster at Delaware for Steve Klesaris.

Update 336: Redaspen was sixth in the stake today at Philadelphia. Perhaps she got a little tired in her first start back. Tim said Victor Molina gave her a great ride and gave her every opportunity. After a nine month layoff it was great to see her return to the races. Lets hope she can move forward from this start.

Yahoo! News has the following article today: Barbaro's trainer not getting hopes up which includes the following excerpt:

The medical updates on Barbaro seem encouraging, yet the trainer of the ailing Kentucky Derby winner isn't allowing himself to become too optimistic.

"I'm not getting my hopes up," Michael Matz said Saturday. "I'm just taking it one day at a time -- but he's trying."

I had asked Michael during the week whether he was getting a little more optimistic (as we were getting all the positive news) and his answer to me was similar to the above.

Update 335: A nice article from the Washington Post : Barbaro a 'Happy Horse' As He Adapts to His Situation rehashes generally what we know. I do like the closing:

The outpouring of support from the public, Sweeney said, has shown no signs of slowing.

"People see traits in him they wish they had, a warrior's spirit," Sweeney said. "He's a hero and he has no agenda. People can make him what they need in their life."

I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine at Delaware Park noting the raffle drawing for the Mike Rea Relief Fund is to be monday, I may try to get down for that (I owe for a few tickets!):

On Monday the Mustang for Mike Rea will be drawn here at Delaware Park. The fourth race is to be named after Mike Rea and the drawing is expected to take place about that time to. The car is on display in the grove and the drawing will be in the winners circle. I think there are still some tickets in the horsemens office for purchase.

The latest report about Mike seems a little more upbeat.

Update 334: Another comfortable night for Barbaro last night (friday night). Just got a voice mail from Peter Brette. Sorry for the late update.
updated saturday, july 29, 1:04 pm

Posted by Alex at 5:02 PM | Comments (636)

Barbaro Updates: 25

updates are now here.

Update 333: No update yet this morning. I was just talking to Peter Brette, who has not yet heard from Michael (who is in Saratoga). As soon as I do hear, I will post. Peter also may visit today, so hopefully we will hear from his visit later. More later.
updated 10:47 am saturday.

Update 332: Just spoke to Peter Brette, who visited Barbaro today, this afternoon. Bobby remains comfortable, a nice end to our visit updates this week.

Things have been good this week, but I think we need to gently remind ourselves there is a long road ahead. I am so relieved of the news we have heard, but I also remember how physically sick I felt after the news conference of only two weeks (and a day) ago. Lets hope Bobby continues his slow progress.

Michael is on his way to Saratoga and therefore won't be at Fair Hill tomorrow morning. Peter said he will ask Michael if he can leave him a message as soon as he hears from Dean, Peter will then let me know. The point being, tomorrow's update in the morning may be a little later. Later or not, lets hope it is consistent with everything we have heard lately!

Finally, more Bobby pictures, some lovely ones: Barbaro @ Fair Hill and Barbaro arrives at the Preakness. These are photos from Michael Bryant (Philadelphia Inquirer). Visiting these links does not expose you to his Preakness pictures.

Update 331: Our friends from Kennett Florist visited New Bolton Center again today, they had this to report:

Well, NBC is on a high today... Good news about Bobby and the sugar high we supplied today. For Breakfast, the staff was treated to gooey cinnamon buns and all different kinds of muffins, juice and coffee. The cinnamon buns were gone in minutes! They were still raving about those when we went back in the afternoon. Thanks to Jack and Andrea and everyone at the Barocho Cattle Company, in FL -- as always breakfast was a huge hit!

We are going to start sending some of the baskets next week, on days that Bobby and the staff don't have anything going, from the donations that have been coming in the mail. Thank you again to all of you for letting us be a part of this wonderful family.

Posted by Alex at 8:44 PM | Comments (722)

Barbaro Updates: 24

updates are now here.

Update 330: I am expanding the 'contact us' page to include any organization important to Barbaro's recovery. If you would like contact information added, please include it in the comments and I will make the appropriate additions.

Racing tomorrow (saturday) looks exciting. Red Aspen is in at Philadelphia Park (3:50 pm), Sweet Talker (Graham Motion) is racing in the Diana and the three year olds continue in the Jim Dandy. The latter two races are from Saratoga and will be televised on ESPN. If anyone is at the races, feel free to provide a report in the comments so we can all enjoy!

Update 329: New Bolton's press release (received an e-mail of the release, will add link later):

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro continues to be stable after another comfortable night according to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson. His right hind leg cast was changed late Wednesday. "We took new radiographs, and they look good," said Dr. Richardson. "No problems were evident." In addition, the modified foot cast on Barbaro's left hind foot, which has laminitis, is changed daily so the foot can be treated and watched for signs of infection.

"Barbaro has a strong appetite, and he has been enjoying hand-picked grass and 'healthy snacks' daily," said Dr. Richardson.

Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital.

The next update will be posted on Tuesday, August 1, unless there is a significant change in Barbaro's condition.

Update 328: The Thoroughbredtimes has a very encouraging article: Encouraging sign: Barbaro's hoof regrowing. The following are a couple of excerpts, but PLEASE read it all:

Although he described Barbaro's overall condition as "very guarded," Richardson was more upbeat on Thursday night than he has been in weeks.

"We change the bandage on his left hind every day now and it's improving regularly," Richardson said. "It looks like he's starting to grow at the coronary band again. It's where the hoof grows down from. It's where he's going to have to grow a new hoof, so that was nice to see."

The article also notes progress in his right hind:

"Where the new plates were put on it actually looks very good. There were no signs of infection," Richardson said. "I was pretty happy with how the leg looked as well as how the X-rays looked, so he was put back in a fresh cast on his right hind.

Update 327: Another comfortable night for Barbaro last night (thursday night). I was coming onto the wood chip track this morning (inside the dirt track) and saw Michael on Messaging (overseeing some breezes) about 1/16th of a mile from the gap to the right. I was supposed to back up (jog to the left) but changed things around a little in order to get the update! Michael had heard from Dr. Richardson, who said Bobby was still lying down (good sign) when he visited this morning.
updated friday july 28, 7:15 am

Update 326: There have been a couple of issues with the site overnight. If you have had trouble posting a comment, we are looking into it. Hopefully it will be resolved very soon.

Update 325: Just spoke to Peter Brette. Bobby remained comfortable throughout the day today. Peter was unable to visit, but had heard from Michael Matz.
update thursday evening.

Posted by Eliza at 1:24 AM | Comments (609)

Barbaro Updates: 23

updates are now here.

Update 324: Kennett Florist have just visited New Bolton and have this to report:

Just back from NBC... Mood is good, and reports say that all is well with sweet Bobby. Today we delived a special treat for the gang at NBC. A very wonderful Barbaromaniac (Lisa in NY) had special chocolates made up... they looked like PA license plates that said BARBARO on them! They were so very cool! If I ever get my hubby to get a website going for personal KF stuff, I will post the picture. The basket also included chocolate stars and chocolate bandaids (for life's boo-boos). The staff absolutely adored them. Dr. Sweeney was going to hold onto one to give to the Jackson's; who, by the way, are back and will be in this afternoon to visit Bobby.

We will be back up in the morning as someone is treating them all to breakfast... and in the afternoon, ice cream sundaes! That's going to be fun for all! You guys and gals are all great!!

Comment is posted: : Rachel at July 27, 2006 07:57 PM (note that is UK time, not US time!)

Update 323: This morning we had Michael Bryant, a photographer, visit Fair Hill and Tim's barn. Very cool guy. He had covered Barbaro for the Philadelphia Inquirer during Bobby's training at Fair Hill leading up to the Preakness, and Preakness Day. He has a blog, and on his blog he has an entry of photographs from the Preakness. The entry also includes this text from Michael:

I was one of 100,000 people at Pimlico when Barbaro broke his back right leg and ankle. The gasps and the screams from the crowd was something I have never heard in my life and I hope I never have to hear again.

The entry is here: Barbaro Breakdown, please do not visit if the Preakness coverage upsets you as these pictures, while very good, vividly and uniqely portray the horrific incident.

I asked Michael if he would create a blog entry of some of his other Bobby pictures from Fair Hill. He showed them to me and they are very good, so lets hope he does.

Update 322: We were told there would be a cast change this week on Barbaro's right hind leg. This did occur, yesterday (wednesday). Michael mentioned it to me this morning, Kathy Anderson also noted the cast change when I caught up with her a little later. I believe they actually changed both casts yesterday. Anyway, from what I understand they are pleased with what they saw, but I do not know the details. It is just a relief to know the right hind cast change has occured, and it was done in the sling etc. This makes changing the cast a little more tricky I think, but much better for Bobby!

Update 321: Another comfortable night (wednesday night) for Barbaro. I saw Michael Matz and his set as I was coming to the track with my second horse. I took some photos so will hope to get a couple on the site later.
update, thursday july 27, 7:15 am

Update 320: A few more pictures of Barbaro, from Fair Hill, before the Preakness. The following is a short poem, provided by Kim from yesterday's updates:

I have a short poem I heard many years ago that I want to share. I think it's called "Don't Quit"

Bobby, you're closer every day to that golden crown. DON'T QUIT.

Posted by: Kim at July 26, 2006 11:11 PM

The following is another poem by Mary C, also posted in yesterday's comments:

A Poem for Barbaro, with Love

Bathed in the balm of love
Ascending and transcendent
Rare and magnificant Creature
Blessing to the world
Adored and revered
Running in spirit with us
One heart, four hooves, uniting many.

Posted by: Mary C. / Canada at July 27, 2006 12:47 AM

Posted by Eliza at 9:55 AM | Comments (831)

Barbaro Updates: 22

updates are now here.

Update 319: Peter Brette just called, he had just heard from Michael (Matz) who had just visited (late afternoon) and all remains comfortable for Barbaro. Another good day, a long road ahead. HRTV did do a Bobby update today, and as reported in the comments they did emphasize the long road of which we are aware (thanks Jan for reporting in the comments):

HRTV- Barbaro Update
They basically reviewed the latest update from NBC.
They are verbally very cautious about Barbaro's condition
The long road to healing is usually talked about as part of this daily update.

The fact that HRTV is still doing a daily 3:30 EST Barbaro Update at least shows great sustaining public interest!

For those interested in more detail about New Bolton and their work, you might be interested in their 2002 video: On Any Given Day. Its 18 minutes, but very interesting.

I had been trying to identify who sent the flowers "poster" that was placed outside one of Michael Matz's barns at Fair Hill (currently our feature image), I received the following in an e-mail from the parent of the provider:

Well it was done by my 14 Y.O Daughter Kaylynne. Shes been following the likes of Smarty, Alex, and now Barbaro. She just wanted to do something to say Thank you. to the Chapmans, J Servis and Team Smarty to all the Cash is King Family, who truly let her enjoy the ride of her life last year. Now it's Barbaro who captured her heart, and wanted to give her best wishes to Micheal Matz, the Jacksons, and everyone associated with Team Barbaro

Finally, Round Pond worked a nice half mile under Peter Brette this morning at Fair Hill.

Update 318: Just e-mailed Jeannine Edwards and ESPN will cover horse racing from 5 - 6 pm saturday (east coast time). This will include the Diana Handicap and Jim Dandy. Graham Motion is planning to run the very well traveled Sweet Talker in the Diana, so we will be hoping she continues her great consistency (she's won 6 of her last 8 starts (dating back to may '05) and was 2nd in the other two. this will be her 9th different track...thanks Jeannine for that information). ESPN will provide a short update on Bobby (15 - 20 seconds) during this telecast.

Our friends from Kennett Florist report that Bobby continues to do well, they learned this from Dr. Sweeney during their visit today to drop off goodies for everyone.

Mike Rea's recovery process is certainly going to be a long one, and likely complicated by some unanticipated "issues" ... Mike, the rail is lonely without you!

Update 317: New Bolton's press release confirms Barbaro's comfort etc: Barbaro remains stable and comfortable:

According to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro slept well after his left hind foot bandage was changed yesterday. "I'm happy with the appearance of this foot, which is doing as well as can be expected," said Dr. Richardson. "Over the last several days, his temperature has been normal and his blood work has significantly improved suggesting that the infection in his right hind is under control." His heart rate is also consistently normal now, a good indication that he is stable and comfortable.

The next update will be posted on Friday, July 28 unless there is a significant change in Barbaro's condition.

Its nice to see continuing Bobby coverage in New Zealand!

For the presentation I gave yesterday, at the beginning, I asked the audience how many people follow horse racing. I think three hands went up (the audience was about 60 people, who work in MBA administration). I then asked how many people were familiar with Barbaro, about 3/4s of the audience raised their hand. I then showed the audience this site!

Update 316: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (tuesday night). Saw Michael Matz on the horsepath as I was coming back to the barn and he gave me the good news.
updated wednesday 7:05am

Update 315: Wm & CL left a wonderful comment in Barbaro Updates 21 (Posted by: Wm & CL at July 25, 2006 03:32 PM) as a an explanation of how Barbaro has captured our imagination. The following is a short excerpt:

While Barbaro recovers, immense obstacles are being overcome as Americans recover. His struggle and our struggles are easy to understand. That is what grabs our hearts. In the imortal words of Seabiscuit's trainer, Tom Smith, and owner Charles Howard: "You never throw away a whole life just because it gets banged up a little bit." We believe Barbaro's owners, Roy & Gretchen Jackson, are of the same mindset including Dr. Dean Richardson and his medical team. Barbaro's same fierce fighting spirit and champion heart inspire us to go the extra mile for him while he is doing the same for us. He is giving us our second chance as we give it back to him.

"You raise me up so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when you are on my shoulders,
You raise me (us all) to more than I (we) can
be."

Posted by Eliza at 10:35 AM | Comments (767)

Barbaro Updates: 21

updates are now here.

Update 314: Just spoke to Peter Brette...while he was unable to visit Barbaro today, he's heard that Bobby has continued to remain comfortable through the day.

Also, Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer called earlier today and interviewed me over the telephone. He's planning a visit to Fair Hill in the next couple of days. So, there may be a piece about the site for us to read soon in the Philadelphia Inquirer!

Update 313: Rachel from Kennett Florist just left this comment:

We hadn't had a chance to get on and give the morning update from NBC until now. Thanks to Mary in TX, the staff was treated to another wonderful breakfast. (I think we could become caterers on the side!:) We served lots of different danish, cinnamon buns, coffee cake, coffee and juices. As always they were very grateful. We also brought up a special little breakfast basket for Bobby with his baby carrots (with the greens on top) and spearmints.

WE BELIEVE!!

Update 312: A few interesting articles, one old and the others new. The spirit of a champion, by Scott Wells for Thoroughbred Times, discusses horses' love for running, and the compassion we all have for Barbaro, especially his connections' compassion. The article concludes:

If it comes down to spirit, Barbaro will survive. How I hope it happens that way. But just know that when he does die, whether in a matter of days or 20 years from now, his owners, his trainer, his jockey, his groom, his hot walker--they will mourn his passing with the type of real grief saved only for the best of friends.

The article: Barbaro's British influence (a little dated) provides background information on Peter Brette and the relationship he and Michael (Matz) have developed. The following is an excerpt:

Matz met Brette a year or so ago at Palm Beach Downs in Florida. The initial assessment was that the Englishman "seemed like a real nice guy," Matz said. And when it came to riding and training horses, the Matz-Brette connection appears to have been solidified along the adage that it takes a good one to know another good one.

"It evolved really quickly, you know," Brette said. "We get along very well and sort of bounce things off each other really well.

Finally an article on track safety, a topic of heated discussion in the comments given recent issues at Arlington and Del Mar. I post this while also noting there is no evidence that an unsafe track caused the horrific accident to Barbaro: Racetrack technology treads on gentle ground. This article is noteworthy also because it quotes two prominent Fair Hill trainers (Motion and Klesaris). It focuses on Michael Dickinson who used to train at fair Hill, and used to employ Tim ... and I (a long time ago).

Update 311: Barbaro had another comfortable night last night (monday night). Tim spoke with Michael Matz (again) and Michael had heard from Dr. Richardson.

It was nice to see a caption re: Barbaro's condition in the USA Today (I am staying in a hotel) that shows the broad interest Bobby continues to generate. I suspect most media coverage today (USA Today, DRF, Baltimore Sun etc.) are rehashing the press release from New Bolton yesterday.

Now off to breakfast (something that is a luxury since I am usually galloping horses all morning), and to prepare my presentation: "Using the Web to Build Relationships and Manage Your Messages": for MBA Admissions.
update, 7:25 am, tuesday July 25

Update 310: Michael Matz visited Barbaro 9 pm monday evening. He told Tim this morning that Bobby was comfortable during the visit. Tim noted a cheerful tone from Michael as he was telling him about the visit.

Posted by Eliza at 11:16 AM | Comments (670)

Barbaro Updates: 20

updates are now here.

Update 309: Peter Brette just left me a voice mail. He also visited Bobby today and echos the positive reports we have heard. He noted his positive demeanor, and he was munching on hay when he visited. Peter sounded pretty upbeat when leaving the message.

Update 308: I spoke to Kathy Anderson as she was leaving New Bolton today (about 5 pm). She noted Barbaro was the same as she saw him yesterday, bright and alert. She also chatted with Mrs. Jackson who was also visiting Bobby, Mrs. Jackson was happy with how Bobby appeared. Kathy massaged him, and fed him fresh cut grass.

Rachel, from Kennett left this comment after her visit:

Sorry I haven't had a chance to post in a while... but wanted to give you an update on our trips to NBC today.

WE BELIEVE!!

Update 307: New Bolton Center's press release today: Barbaro's condition remains stable:

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro had an uneventful weekend, and continues to be comfortable according to his doctors at the George D. Widener Hospital. "He's maintaining an excellent attitude," said Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson. "We change his left hind foot cast regularly, and we may change his right hind cast some time this week."

The next update will be posted on Wednesday, July 26 unless there is a significant change in Barbaro's condition.

I am now in DC, helping with a presentation (my presentation is tomorrow). I am also hoping to get a visit report later today.

Update 306: I was walking back from the track today with Martine Palermo (have to check the name), one of Michael Matz's exercise riders, and he described to me his visit to Bobby last monday. He was shipping a horse to NBC, and when he was there asked if it was OK to visit. He fed him carrots, and nearly got bitten. I could tell from the look in his (Martine's) eyes how much the visit meant to him. Martine has a bumper sticker on the back of his vest (required equipment for all exercise riders), it says "Go Barbaro". I will try to get a picture of him with it.

I am off to DC for the next day or so (teaching a class) so while I will continue to provide updates as I get them, there is no signal value in a delayed update (for example, I will try to get tomorrow morning's update at the usual time, but it might not happen quite as fluidly). I think Kathy may visit again today, if so, I will try to get an update etc. The same goes for Peter etc.

Finally, Red Aspen did her last piece of work before her 2006 debut, which we hope will be this saturday at Philadelphia Park. She worked well on the wood chip track, and scoped clean. Her last start, before her winter break, was pretty impressive, she has never been out of the first three.

Update 305: Another comfortable night for Barbaro last night (sunday). Saw Michael Matz this morning as I was going on to the track to breeze a horse. It's absolutely gorgeous in Fair Hill this morning. Earlier I rode a set out back and got to see a fox cub playing in the newly cut grass!
updated monday 7:10am

Update 304: Kathy Warren writes a response to a news media that seems to capture Barbaro's will to survive and continue his recovery:

I just sent the following message to Tom Archdeacon, a sportswriter at a newspaper in Dayton, who wrote a grim assessment for his paper this weekend:

Kathy Warren
Northbrook, IL

Also, congratulations (again) to Edgar Prado. I read in the New York Post (Ed Fountaine) that he won the riding title for the most recent meet at Belmont, thanks to his win in the Oaks this weekend.

Posted by Eliza at 10:05 AM | Comments (763)

Barbaro Updates: 19

updates are now here.

Update 303: No new update tonight, but I thought I would post a link to these images of Fair Hill. There is one of me, plenty of Anne Kelly (who has contributed to this site) on Round Pond and also one of Kim Brette, who has also contributed, among other images. Thanks "All Things Considered". The images do a good job of highlighting Fair Hill I think.

It has been nine weeks since Bobby came out his initial surgery following the Preakness. In the nine weeks we have had high moments, and low moments. We do know his condition remains serious, yet he is currently comfortable. It is a long road ahead, lets keep all our thoughts positive for Bobby.

Update 302: Dr. Kathy Anderson just called (as I was leaving my house to go for sunday lunch) and she was just leaving New Bolton Center (2:00 pm sunday). She was very pleased with Bobby. She said he looked very relaxed. He was comfortable standing squarely on all four feet. She massaged him, and he leaned against her at the appropriate times signaling his appreciation for the massage. She rubbed him behind the ears, and fed him fresh carrots that had been left for him. Basically while the medical prognosis remains the same, he is doing as well as can be expected at this point of his recovery.

The Sunday Herald has this article: Fans full of hope for Barbaro the 'superhorse', which is cool since its a Scottish paper. Perhaps Tim's mum, who lives in Scotland, will see it! This only reinforces the reach Bobby has, we have previously highlighted Horsetalk from New Zealand, here is their most recent report: Barbaro 'as well as can be expected' which is also from today's edition.

Update 301: For those interested in learning more about Bobby's younger days, this NTRA article sheds some light: After difficult birth, Barbaro thrived. It is interesting to note many of his early characteristics persist, although they do note he had a dislike to peppermints (perhaps his taste buds have developed / adapted). The following is an excerpt:

"He was so mild-mannered, I could roll him over on his back and scratch his belly or pick out his feet," he said. "He was big, but he wasn't lanky. He was real brawny. And he had the nicest temperament."

"To me, he was just a nice little bay colt," she said. "He chimed right in and got with program. He was not a troublemaker."

This article was linked from Barbaro on Squidoo which also discusses the mating of La Ville Rouge and Dynaformer etc.

Lyn Gilbert dropped off some goodies at NBC this morning and included this in her comment below (2:03):

I just got back from delivering breakfast to NBC - as of 45 minutes ago, they had no update except for "another comfortable night". Energy there was calm, serene and I knew all was OK.

enjoy the food and sunflowers (and organic carrots for you-know-who...), NBC staff...

And a random site factoid, we are now one of the top 500,000 in terms of traffic, ranked 129,497 if you just use last week's traffic!

Update 300: Barbaro had another comfortable night last night (saturday night). I saw Michael Matz on the track this morning (sunday) as I was exiting the track. He was chatting with the Klesaris', but turned to me to provide the good news.
update sunday, july 23, 8:10 am

Posted by Eliza at 1:07 PM | Comments (677)

Barbaro Updates: 18

updates are now here.

Update 299: Peter Brette just called. He was unfortunately at the barn all day, unable to visit Bobby. He did know that Bobby has had a good day, so his condition has persisted through the day (he's comfortable). Michael will be visiting him this evening, Peter said he will be giving him a good grooming!

We have another video (thanks Mary) on the Fan Media page. It is Barbaro, Never gonna give in.

If you can, tune into ESPN2 7 pm east coast time for horse racing from Del Mar, which will include a Bobby update from Jeannine Edwards.

Update 298: A lovely picture of Gallant Secret from Barbara Livingston.

Tim ran Something Wild today at Philadelphia Park, in a "never won a race other than" allowance race (he broke his maiden at Philadelphia Park a few starts back). It was his first time stretching out (a mile and 70 yards). He ran third, losing second to a simple head bob. An encouraging race.

Just spoke to Kathy Anderson. I mentioned to her the Baltimore Sun article from today, which see seemed pleased with (she just hopes she was correct noting the product A-cell!) She had not been able to visit today, but assumes all is well (she had not heard to the contrary, and she would hear.)

I have added a couple of pictures to the gallery. They are of everyone who attended the event at the Whip thursday evening (thanks again for that) and of a banner placed outside of one of Michael Matz's Fair Hill barns (Parlo 3). This is the first such banner at Fair Hill, its very cool.

The weather here is aweful!

Update 297: Bits and Bob(bie)s: The Wilmington News Journal's Jack Ireland wrote a couple of stories today. The first: Trainer faces long recovery discusses Mike Rea's plight, notes this site, and notes how people can help. According to Mike's blog, he is progressing well (somewhat slowly of course) and will be celebrating Hunter's birthday tomorrow.

Jack Ireland's second article talks about Bobby (of course): There's something special about Barbaro. The following is an excerpt:

When I watched this horse win the Florida Derby with a comeback effort and draw away for a brilliant win in the Kentucky Derby, it was obvious we were looking at a great racehorse. Well, I'm convinced there is something special and heartwarming about this colt beyond his racing ability.

This horse is special in so many ways. He's a long shot I'll bet on any day.

Our freinds from Kennett Florist provides us this insight into NBC today:

ust got back from NBC. Things are quiet (which I'm going to take as a good thing). They have more like a skelton crew - at least as far as the front reception area goes.

WE BELIEVE

For those interested in the anti-slaughter bill, a hearing is being scheduled for tuesday, July 26, here are details.

Update 296: Barbaro had yet another comfortable night last night (friday)! Just heard this from Michael Matz on the horsepath coming back from the track. He had of course just gotten his report from Dr. Richardson.
updated saturday 7:20am

Update 295: New Bolton Center's Barbaro News page now has a link to this site. I am excited about that on many levels. I had feared that this site may be perceived as a problem (not sure why, but as a blogger you worry about this), but this link is affirmation to the contrary I think (very cool).

The Baltimore Sun continues its marvelous coverage of Bobby: Vital signs for Barbaro are still good: Treatment working for Derby winner, and quotes heavily from Kathy Anderson. here is an excerpt:

"I'm not saying he's out of the woods, but in my opinion, he has really improved in the last week."

In the course of his recovery, Barbaro's hoof should grow about one to two centimeters a month.

Finally, nice to see Edgar Prado winning another award: Edgar Prado wins Venezia Award. Not only is he an amazing athlete, but an amazing human being:

The award honors jockeys "who exemplify extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship," in the memory of Mike Venezia, who was killed in a spill at Belmont Park on Oct. 13, 1988.

Perhaps we should start a campaign to get Edgar voted for the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year ?

Posted by Eliza at 9:41 AM | Comments (499)

Barbaro Updates: 17

updates are now here.

Update 294: Jeannine Edwards reports ESPN2 will provide an update on Barbaro in their coverage tomorrow on their 7pm show from Del Mar. She also reports the sad news that Gallant Secret had to be euthanized as a result of her recovery process from surgery. This is obviously very sad, keep a thought for her and her obviously heartbroken connections.

On another note, Andy Durnin, a close friend (he used to gallop Fusaichi Pegasus, Labeeb, Manndar etc.) called to let me know Lori Keith has just ridden her first winner at Penn National, she will be based in Philadelphia Park.

Update 293: Just spoke to Peter (Brette). While he was unable to visit Barbaro today he had heard from Michael who had just visited. Bobby remains comfortable, friday evening.

Update 292: A few Bits and Bob(bie)s. This article in the Penn Gazette: Something about Barbaro sheds some additional light on the Jacksons (among other topics). Its a little dated, but a great read. The following is an excerpt:

The first rule of the horse business, as Gretchen remarked in a press conference three days after Barbaro's surgery, "is not to fall in love with the animal because it's so painful when something happens."

"We have an obligation, " Roy told The New York Times. "We are their keepers."

This article from the LA Times: Loving a Champion Like This One ... It's Only Human is a favourite of Peter and Michael. A quick excerpt:

The five reasons for his popularity can be found not in those statistics, perhaps, but in the hard realities of what else happened that day.

5) The San Francisco Giants put Moises Alou, an outfielder who says he toughens his hands by urinating on them, on the disabled list.

Kennett Florist left a comment from this afternoon's visit:

Just got back from my afternoon trip to NBC. Dr Sweeney escorted us to the back of the hospital because we had some large (LARGE!!) baskets of goodies today. She is such a wonderful lady, right there with the staff and handing things out to them as they walk by.

WE BELIEVE!!

Bobby as a baby ?

Update 291: New Bolton's press release today: Barbaro's condition remains stable:

According to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro remains in stable condition. "He had another restful night and his vital signs are good," said Dr. Richardson. "We continue to monitor him closely and he is responding as well as can be expected to treatment."

The next update will be posted on Monday, July 24 unless there is a significant change in Barbaro's condition.

Lets hope there are no updates from NBC this weekend, although we will continue to provide updates from what we hear from visitors we know and updates from Michael etc.

Kennett Florist left this comment about the mood at New Bolton:

Wanted to tell you about our morning delivery today. A wonderful Barbaromaniac in New York City sent us 6 dozen bagels to deliver to all the wonderful staff at NBC this morning. We included lots of spreads, butters and cream cheeses to go along with them. The staff went wild and were so very appreciative!! Alie brought up some coffee and o.j. for the staff to enjoy, and there again was another stampede for the treats. Thank you so much Lisa, your generosity is overwhelming!

WE BELIEVE!!

And for those interested in a quick view of Fair Hill, here is Barbaro, training at Fair Hill.

Update 290: I thought I would provide a quick review of our Whip evening last night. In all I think about twenty people attended. This included a number of Michael Matz's exercise riders, Peter and Kim Brette, Kathy Anderson along with two interns, Tim Penny and Amanda, Sabina Pierce and Jennifer Rench (works in PR for New Bolton). I am sure I missed a few people. Everyone seemed to have a great time so I am truly grateful for being able to do this thanks to this web-site. I thought I would note a few conversations I had.

With Peter Brette
We talked of course about Bobby. I asked him about Derby week, and the final breeze before the Derby. He was clocked in a very fast time (which included the eighth after the wire galloping out I guess) and I just remember thinking when I saw the time it had to be too quick. Well we know now that's not the case. Peter again described going down the lane in what appeared to be three strides. He said once they galloped out etc. he really knew he was the real deal. He cooled out great, it was apparently easy for him. There was also a loose horse on the track just before the breeze which no doubt created some issues for the breeze.

I asked him about the "rumour" that Bobby ran off with him the morning of the Derby. Peter smiled, he described what happened. Someone was galloping just behind him, this of course got Bobby a little kean, Peter eased him back, and as he was easing him back, the horse behind Bobby realized the situation and also eased back (Peter I guess was hoping the horse behind him would overtake him once he eased back). Anyway, he got a little kean, but that was all ... and we know the rest of the story. I mentioned to Peter that when you watch the Derby you can see Bobby accelerate inside the eight pole (check this video of all his races to see) . Peter has seen the same thing, but he noted an overhead video that shows the same thing. BTW, I like the commentator in Bobby's maiden race: "this could be a good one"!

I also asked Peter about the Laurel Futurity, which Barclay Tagg had described as the best thing he had seen since Secretariat. Peter too was amazed at the performance. Just talking to Peter makes you realize this horse was just a horse unto himself ... we had not seen the best of him.

I also spent some time talking to Kathy Anderson and her interns. Kathy of course provided us with the update last night, but I swear that was not the only reason I wanted to catch up! She reemphasized what we know here. It will be a very long road, we need to keep Bobby comfortable, and HOPE that Laminitis does not appear elsewhere while his foot grows out on the left hind and the right hind continues to fix.

I sat next to Jennifer (New Bolton), Sabina (photographer), Tim etc. We had fun conversations. I tried to convince Jennifer I should have direct access to all updates from NBC. Well I am now on their "media list", which I think is a good thing. Jennifer talked about how overwhelmed everyone is, and I can certainly appreciate that. Anyway, it was nice to meet someone from NBC and make a connection.

All in all, a great time, and everyone this morning seemed to concur. Thanks for making it happen!

Update 289: Barbaro had another comfortable night last night (thursday). As I was jogging around the track, I passed Michael Matz jogging the other way on Messaging. He had just heard from Dean Richardson.
updated friday 7:00am

Update 288: The following is a lovely video of Barbaro's baby brother. He is cute! As noted in the video he has a mind of his own, he is correct and strong, and is two to three weeks away from being weaned.

Posted by Eliza at 9:34 AM | Comments (752)

Barbaro Updates: 16

updates are now here.

Update 287: Just returned from The Whip. We had a great turn out, and will let you know more tomorrow. More importantly, Kathy Anderson visited Barbaro on her way to The Whip (about 7 pm) and reported he remains comfortable, so another good day for Bobby.

Update 286: A couple of comments have cited more sources for Barbaro pictures, the sources are: Deborah Tracy-Kral and Turfangels.com. The following story was left in the comments, I truly hope it does not offend anyone, I thought it was heartwarming:

Last evening a friend and I were on our usual Wednesday evening ride. He had his grandson with him which was unusual. This boy was a knotheaded little cowboy in every sense... riding a little one eyed pony that we got a couple of years ago from people that didn't need a horse in the first place. For that matter, all of our horses came and still come form places like that. But anyway, sometime around 7, Cam asked his Pa, "ain't it time to pray for Barbaro?" This embarrased his Pa I could tell, and took him aback as we had never even discussed Barbaro. I spoke up and told him yes sir,it is. We dismounted and bowed and prayed for Bobby. Two old knotheads and one young one ....and three horses that shouldn't be around anymore. Barbaro has indeed touched many many lives and we are so grateful. Daily prayers and best wishes and prayers from the Gates of Eden Farms.

Posted by: David at July 20, 2006 04:53 PM
OK, off to The Whip. I think it will be a good turn out, and I am hoping it includes people who may have visited Bobby today so I can provide an update later.

Update 285: You can catch Sabina's NBC10 piece, it is now online.

Update 283: New Bolton Center's press release for today: Barbaro remains stable:

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro remains in stable condition after another restful night according to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson. "His vital signs are good and his attitude remains positive," said Dr. Richardson. "He slept well and is comfortable this morning."

Update 282: Kennett Florist left the following comment this morning:

Good morning everyone!
Alie and I just delivered a breakfast bonanza from Dunkin Donuts to the staff of NBC. We weren't even finished loading up the table that one of the doctors had set up for us before there was a stampede! (of people, not horses) The card from the gigantic basket that contained donuts, munchkins, muffins & coffee (among other goodies) was signed "FROM OUR FAMILY AT TIM WOOLLEY RACING SITE WHO LOVES BOBBY AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR HIM" but sent by a lovely TW member in KS whose name remains anonymous. ;)
Our news of Bobby is the same as everyone else's- another comfortable night. Go Bobby! Steve and Alie plan to go up this afternoon to check in with the staff about updates.
~Bernie

I just caught Sabina on NBC10. Very cool. She clearly loves this horse, and is more enamoured by him than the human stars she has photographed! She mentioned Bobby gets a bath each saturday, he has a big aura, there's a brightness in his eyes, he's got grace, he has adapted well to his needs (sling) and he has a big will to live. These comments were interespersed throughout the interview. I hope it becomes available online, it was terrific!

Update 281: Excellent article from the Baltimore Sun: Barbaro devotees offer gifts, good wishes to injured horse, which quotes Kathy Anderson (one of our great sources):

Dr. Kathleen Anderson, Barbaro's personal veterinarian during his racing days, gets a daily morning update. She said she has been encouraged by what she has heard, although Barbaro faces an additional six months at the hospital.

"It meant there was no infection," she said. "If there was an ongoing infection, it would have deteriorated."

The article also covers other ground, a great read. The New York Post cited this site again today in its daily Barbaro update (thanks Ed Fountaine). The Bloodhorse is in Fair Hill today (I think that's what Peter told me).

A few of us are getting together early evening at the Whip, so I really appreciate the contribution, it will be well spent. Peter and Kim (Brette), myself, Tim (and perhaps Penny), Kathy Anderson (possibly), Sabrina (photog, possibly) and others will be there. Will report back the fun we have!

Update 280: Barbaro had another comfortable night last night (wednesday). Saw Michael Matz at 6:35 this morning (thursday) as I was walking to the racetrack. He had just heard from Dr. Richardson.
updated thursday 7:00 am

Update 279: Dean Richardson was interviewed yesterday (wednesday) for this article in the Bloodhorse (and no doubt other media): 'We're in a Marathon,' Says Barbaro's Vet, the following are Dean's quotes:

Dr. Dean Richardson is looking way beyond those daily updates, however.

"The issue is months, not days," he said Wednesday. "He has a long, long way to go."

and

"I'd be laughed out of the profession if I said this horse's prognosis is anything but poor," he said during a brief telephone interview from the center.

"It is possible he could have a bad night, but it could be just a bad hour and we wouldn't go crazy about that," Richardson said.

and

"Every day I'm encouraged," Richardson said. "No one wants to quit on this horse. No one wants him to suffer."

"It looked as healthy as you could have expected it to look. I was very pleased," he said. "If you're not used to looking at that sort of thing, it might not look healthy."

and

"We're still talking months, many, many months," Richardson said. "We're talking about six-plus months, as far as how long to go if he grows one. The next few weeks, that's very important."

Mike Schuh, the reporter for our WJZ piece left this comment:

My email is: schuhm@wjz.com With Alex and Tim as my subjects... how could I go wrong? With Fair Hill at dawn as the back drop... every image was more beautiful than the next. As a storyteller, everything lined up... from the weather (hot & dry), to Alex & Tim's schedule (flexible), to the right photographer (Joel Eagle) and the right video editor (Paula Gage). I'm sorry Barbaro was hurt... though I'm glad to have made the acquaintence of such cool guys as Alex, Tim, & Michael.
Thanks for your kind words about our news piece.
M i k e

And finally, for those that can watch, don't forget Sabina Pierce will be on Philly's NBC10 at 10 AM today, discussing her photopgrahs of Barbaro.

Posted by Eliza at 9:52 AM | Comments (852)

Barbaro Updates: 15

New updates here.

Update 278: Kathy Anderson called again after her visit to Bobby (7:20 pm). She concurs with what we have heard today. She did provide some insight into Bobby's current routine. As she was leaving, Bobby was being prepared to leave his sling. Basically it seems he spends about 12 hours in his sling and 12 hours out of his sling. When he leaves his sling he tends to sniff around his stall, prepare himself, and then lay down for about five hours. Before they release Bobby from the sling, the staff spend some time preparing the stall with extra straw etc.

Update 277: Kathy Anderson just called. She is running late (she has a couple more horses to see before she can get to NBC) but wanted me to know that Dr. Scott Palmer visited Bobby today. He is a vet from New Jersey Equine and had not seen Barbaro since the Preakness. Kathy said that Dr. Palmer was pleased with Bobby, he felt he was bright and comfortable.

Bernie, from Kennett Florist left this comment:

Alie, Steve, and I just got back from NBC and spoke with Dr. Sweeney, the nursing & office staff and the mood there was really happy. He's doing well and they REALLY appreciates the goodie baskets and chocolates and cookies. They told us that Bobby LOVES the carrots & horsey treats. Dr. Sweeney said to us as she was holding the door for us, "He's having another good day."

Update 276: New Bolton's Update: Barbaro's condition unchanged confirms what we have heard today:

Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson reports that Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro remains in stable condition with good vital signs today. "Barbaro spends several hours a day in a sling, which he has adapted to very well," said Dr. Richardson.

Slings, which were originally designed for rescuing horses, are now common in the treatment of horses with conditions that include neurological problems or muscular skeletal injuries. They have been in use for many years for long-term management of a horse's movement. "We have a lot of experience in using slings for equine support," said Dr. Richardson. "In Barbaro's case, it is a part-time aid that we use to increase his comfort level."

Sports Illustrated is running a story: Natural treasure Barbaro's grace and fighting spirit has touched us all that tries to explain our passion for Bobby (we have seen similar articles lately I think, but they are great nonetheless), an excerpt:

But maybe that's the point. Barbaro isn't human, so he exhibits none of the human failings that disappoint us in our athletes and coaches. He never put his hoof in his mouth like Ozzie Guillen, or fell in love with himself like Terrell Owens. He never held out for more money, stiffed us for an autograph, tangled with the authorities or coasted when he should have been playing hard. In fact, he gave all of himself, competing almost to the point of destruction. How could any fan ask for a more noble competitor?

Update 275: Just spoke to Peter Brette, who was just leaving New Bolton after his visit with Barbaro (2:45 pm). He said Bobby looked fine, was standing all square and certainly not in distress. He appears to be maintaining his comfort level. We know this is (hopefully) going to be a long road ahead, and this is all we can hope for at this stage.

Sabina Pierce left a comment (5:35 PM) which I include here:

I just thought I'd let you know I was asked to go NBC10 in Philadelphia's 10! show Thursday at 10 am to speak about my photographs of barbaro at NBC.

You can see Sabina's work at her site: Sabina Louis Pierce--Photojournalist. For those in the Philadelphia area, I hope you get a chance to tune in. Lets hope they put the content on their site.

Update 274: A little light humour as we wait for further Barbaro reports: LOOP CHAT ASK SMARTY JONES. The following is an excerpt:

Q: The entire world is pulling for Barbaro as he tries to recover from his life-threatening injuries. What advice do you have for your fellow Kentucky Derby champ?

JONES: All of us in the paddock are praying for Barbaro. He got a really tough break, or about 25 of them. He needs to work hard on his rehab, because it's all going to pay off for him and his owners in the breeding shed. That laminitis is a bad disease. It's hard to believe that putting too much weight on a leg can do that much damage. It's even more hard to believe that the Vikings' Pat Williams doesn't suffer from the same problem.

Someday Farm, where Smarty spent some of his youth (perhaps he was foaled there, I am not entirely sure), is about a five minute drive from Fair Hill, just inside Pennsylvania.

I just wanted to thank those of you who have sent us (Tim and I) gifts in the last few days (and for the tab at the Whip). It is much appreciated but entirely not necessary. If you would like to offer your thanks with some form of gift, I think it would be cool to either contribute to Mike Rea's Fund or to a thoroughbred retirement home, whichever you prefer. If it turns out we do need some financial support for this site, I will definitely ask! For now, Eliza is taking care of everything for us. For those who have contributed to the Whip, I am planning to get a few Barbaro people together so we can toast you all! Its funny, Kathy Anderson came to me this morning and thanked me (and Tim) for a dozen red roses. She was convinced we had sent them. I looked at her, she then realized that was not really something we would do! Thanks to the person who contributed the roses in this site's name. For a while, Kathy thought very good things of Tim and I! Kathy said she might be visiting Bobby later today, I will try to catch up with her to get a report if she does.

Update 273: Barbaro had another comfortable night (tuesday night). Just got the report from Michael Matz as he was leaving the barn with his string at 7:05 this morning.
updated 7:10am

Update 272: The following New York Times article: Veterinarian Says Barbaro Needs to 'Regrow His Foot' focuses on a key issue for Barbaro's recovery. The following are quotes from Dr. Richardson:

"He has to, basically, regrow his foot," Richardson said. "That's the whole issue. Can we get enough hoof growth that he will be comfortable? And that's going to take months. If we can keep him comfortable with the various things that we are doing while this is occurring, we have a shot. Horses have regrown feet before. He wouldn't be the first horse to do it. But his hurdles are higher than others because we still have issues with his right hind leg."

and

"You have to get the horny part, or hard part, of his hoof to grow back down on top of the bone," Richardson said. "Then you have something for the horse to walk on. No one is claiming that the horse has a high probability of getting a normal foot. The hope is to get him something comfortable enough that he can walk on.

"If you really stick it out, some of them make it. But the overall numbers are such that I can't be excessively sanguine about his chances. This is a serious problem."

The following sketch (thanks Anna) is a little humour based off update 247.

This Baltimore Sun article: Barbaro gets cast changed twice not only quotes Peter Brette, excerpt:

And that assessment comes as no surprise to Brette, who visited him Sunday and Tuesday, but the assistant trainer said the horse's determination is another story.

"It's the first time I've seen a horse treated in a harness," Brette said. "But he's just adjusted to everything they've ever done to him. What he's been through the last eight weeks, it would have been the end of us and of most horses. I think he's surprised everyone by how tough he is."

but also Kathy Rengert (works for Fair Hill and helped in the purchase of La Ville Rouge (Bobby's mum) for the Jackson's):

"We've been bombarded," said Kathy Rengert, a blood stock agent who is a friend of Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who remain in daily contact with the New Bolton Center while on vacation, visiting family in Africa.

"People want to send things to Barbaro," said Rengert. "Lately, I've been telling them Barbaro's connections have lots of money. If you want to help someone in racing, donate to the fund for trainer Mike Rea, who had a terrible accident here."

Of course we have been following Mike Rea's progress: tuesday appeared a good day!

Posted by Eliza at 9:39 AM | Comments (848)

Barbaro Update: 14

updates are now here.

Update 271: And here is the WJZ piece. Thanks Mike Schuh and Joel Eagle, really appreciate it!

Update 270: Before the WJZ piece airs this evening I thought I would provide a bit of background about the events prior to and during the "shoot".

Mike Schuh mentioned last week, after he e-mailed us the nice video clip they did at New Bolton Center, that he would be interested in doing a piece on the web-site. When he mentioned this I assumed it would be a written piece. He said he would get back to me early next week (this week) to arrange a time (I assumed this would then be a phone call interview). Mike called yesterday and said he planned to come up to Fair Hill this morning, and bring a camera. We discussed the best time to arrive, and truly it is before the sun gets too hot, so he planned to get here about 6 AM. Usually I get on my first horse at 5:30, this morning, my first horse was scheduled for 6. As I was about to get on the first horse (for Paul Rowland) I noticed I had a voice-mail. I called, it was Mike, he had arrived, had dropped his camera guy off close to the track and was waiting at the first barn. The first horse I was getting on was actually from another barn, and I was taking him "out back", i.e. not to the training track. I called Mike back (at this time I was already on my first horse going to the fields) and told him I would be by the first barn at 6:30, Mike went to the track to catch up with his camera guy.

I was kind of stressing a little as I was thinking that perhaps these guys would take the opportunity to get some information from Michael Matz, and I was wondering how I was going to get the info. for my first update if these guys were around etc. etc. Perhaps Michael Matz would be a little annoyed by the whole thing (none of this turned out to be correct of course!)

Anyway, I got back to the first barn, and I was now getting on my second horse (for Judge Jackson), which was going to go in company with one of Tim's horse's with Tim riding. I met Mike, and also the camera guy, Joel Eagle. Immediately my fears for their intent to use this as an opportunity to get content from Michael Matz etc. ended. They both just seemed like cool guys. They miked me up, and off to the track we went (me and Tim). Joel took some footage of us getting on the horse (she scooted from under me, I hope they edited out the ...). Tim and I galloped our horses just over a mile, we jogged a ways first. As we were riding I tried to make some relevant comments etc. I still had not got an update from Michael for the site at this stage (it was 6:50ish and usually the time I can get an update) so I was stressing about that a little. We rode the horses back to the barn. The plan was then for me and Tim to ride a couple of Tim's horses, but Joel and Mike were going to stay behind in the barn. Mike interviewed Tim for about five to ten minutes while I went to see if I could get the necessary update. I walked back up the horsepath (without a horse) and found Michael (Matz). I walked back down the horsepath with Michael who gave me the positive news which I reported in update 265.

At that point I called the update in to Jen to put on the site. I did this in proximity of Joel, Mike and Tim. I think some of it was on camera.

Tim and I went out on our next set (Tim had now been interviewed). When we returned Mike and Joel were talking to Kathy Anderson. I do not think this was on camera. I was then interviewed, for about ten minutes. Mike asked great questions, and it was done in a very relaxing manner. I am sure there is an art to that! Mike and Joel then departed (about 8:10 AM) and I got on my next horse, just before the renovation break.

It was a great experience. Joel and Mike were really cool to work with. I have subsequently learned that each is a multiple emmy award winner. I am glad I did not know that beforehand, I might have fallen off!

Update 269: Mike Schuh just called to say that the piece he did at Fair Hill this morning for WJZ / CBS, which includes interviews with Tim and I, will air between 6:10 and 6:20 pm. It should be about a two minute clip, he was not sure since it is now in editing. Shortly after it airs it will be on their website: wjz.com. Someone posted this website of Bobby pictures from the Bloodhorse before the Derby. I assume these images were not widely distributed at the time, I would not have got 6 - 1!

Update 268: A couple of articles include a telephone interview with Michael Matz this morning: Barbaro's trainer cautiously encouraged with stability and Barbaro's trainer is encouraged. Michael Matz's quotes from the articles are:

"He could take a turn for the worse or get an infection again, you just don't know," Matz said in a telephone interview. "It's just a slow road now. If he keeps having days like he's having now, then hopefully everything will be fine."

"He said they're very happy with the X-rays yesterday of both hind legs," Matz said.

and

"He's a fighter. He's doing the best he can," Matz said. "They're doing all the best to save the horse. That's all we can do. That's all we can hope for is what's happening right now."

and

"It's a difficult situation," Matz said. "I've had two before with it and we lost both of them."

and

"You have to be prepared for anything, obviously," Matz said. "I'm optimistic because I want him to live."

Update 267: New Bolton's press release today: Barbaro's casts changed discusses the much anticipated cast change:

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro remains in stable condition with good vital signs after a restful night, according to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson. "Yesterday afternoon we changed his right hind leg cast to take new radiographs and to examine the incision," said Dr. Richardson. "The radiographs looked good; the plates we placed on July 8 to fuse the pastern are intact and the fetlock fusion is unchanged. The leg and the incision looked as good as we could have hoped."

The modified foot cast, which acts like a bandage on Barbaro's left hind foot, was also changed yesterday. The foot cast is rigid and provides stability and support, but will be changed often so that the hoof can be treated. Both cast changes were performed with Barbaro lightly sedated in a sling. He has adapted very well to being managed as needed in the sling. "He is a very intelligent horse," said Dr. Richardson.

I enjoyed reading this article: Barbaro on minds of Matz, DelPark fans. Micheal did mention to me yesterday that so many people were offering their support throughout the day. However, this piece of the article really caught my attention:

Michael Barnes and his 7-year-old daughter Taylor came to Delaware Park with a sign that read, "We Love You Barbaro; Get Well Soon." The Akron, Pa., residents showed the sign to Matz, who signed it and posed for pictures with the family.

"My daughter asks me every day how [Barbaro] is doing," Barnes said. "Everybody is really worried and everyone is saddened for the horse."

I also saw the poster and met Taylor and her parents. You can see a picture of the poster with Taylor in our gallery, and it is now featured on the homepage.

Update 266: Reading through many of th recent articles that have been published. Much of the content we already know. I did enjoy this article: Barbaro a hero because he lacks human flaws that discusses why we love Bobby, an excerpt:

Barbaro is, after all, a horse. Why the tears shed on his behalf?