Barbaro Updates: 177
updates are now here.
Update 1327: Mr. Jackson just called (3:30pm) to let us know that Barbaro is comfortable after his surgery yesterday. The Jacksons had visited Bobby earlier today. Mr. Jackson also noted that Michael Matz had visited this morning.
updated 3:50pm sunday
Update 1326: No Barbaro update yet today (2:20 pm). I will endevour to get an update before the end of the day.
A quick update from my visit to Philadelphia Park yesterday. Its strange! The racing amenities now reside on the fifth floor of the clubhouse, which as you can imagine is quite far from the paddock area and finish line. There is really nowhere else in the clubhouse to watch the racing live. There was a group of us who had a table in the restaurant for the afternoon. It was good company, poor service. One of our company writes for the Thoroughbred Times, so I asked him if he would write about hawty Creek if she performed well in her first start back. The storyline: We waited for the slot money (which is actually true). Some of my afternoon I was preoccupised with getting the Barbaro update out once it was released by New Bolton. Release means e-mailed out to media contacts, which includes me in this case. I worked with Jen to get this online as noted earlier.
The racing highlight of the afternoon was Hard Spun, at the Fair Grounds: Hard Spun takes it up a notch. This race we actually missed as we were on route to New York City for the weekend!
Update 1325: A couple of articles as a result of yesterday's surgery for Barbaro:
Barbaro has more surgery on his left hind hoof, leg. This includes a couple of short quotes from Mrs. Jackson saturday afternoon:
"I didn't know what to expect, so I can't say that I was surprised or let down," Jackson said. "I think they were going to clean up things and put on a cast, and that was it."
and
"It's an ongoing situation, but we're certainly a step better than in July," Jackson said.
Barbaro endures further surgery . This includes a new perspective:
"This is a very usual procedure in treating laminitis," said Dr. David Zipf, veterinarian for the Maryland Racing Commission. "You have to cut away abnormal growth. You can't let it keep regenerating; you have to stop it right now and start over.
"The unusual thing about the story of this horse is that he is a freak. And I mean that in a singular way. His appetite has never gone away. He keeps eating and drinking and looking at the fillies. That's not normal.
"What usually happens is a horse founders, goes off his feed, won't eat or drink and their kidneys begin to fail. Any other horse would have been put down weeks or months ago. That's what makes him so unusual and special. And that's why Dr. Richardson has said this is a day-to-day situation. There are no textbooks. It's all play by ear.
"But what's happening isn't unusual - that Barbaro is persisting through this is."
I wanted to thank Jen Duffy for posting the updates yesterday while I was at Philadelphia Park. Its tough when you know something is going on with Barbaro and you want to make sure you get the information out as soon as you have it, but are nowhere near a computer. So Jen came to the rescue.
Update 1324: I spoke to Kathy Anderson, who visited Barbaro late this afternoon, after Michael Matz. She also noted that Barbaro was laying down and appeared tired after his procedure today. Kathy did also note that he was eating well when she visited. There was also a bag of Lael grass waiting for him outside his stall. Its been a long day for Barbaro. Keep rooting for him.
Philadelphia Park was interesting.
Update 1323: Peter Brette just called (4:45pm). He reported that Michael Matz had just visited Barbaro. Barbaro was laying down during the visit, tired from his busy day. He appeared comfortable. Michael plans to visit tomorrow morning before he returns to Florida. I hope to get another update from Peter in the morning.
Update 1322: New Bolton just released the following: Barbaro undergoes planned procedure.
As previously planned, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was placed under general anesthesia this morning to fully examine his left hind foot. "While his condition was unchanged over the last two days, we were unable to fully assess his left hind foot with him in his stall," said
Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery. "In today's procedure, another area of undermined hoof wall was removed. The left hind deep digital flexor tendon was cut to help decrease the pull on the coffin bone by that tendon. This was previously done in July, but the tendon had healed and was pulling on the coffin bone, contributing to the malalignment of the coffin bone.
Because he has been more uncomfortable on his left hind, we put a cast back on the right hind lower limb for additional support."
Dr. Richardson reports that "Barbaro was awoken from anesthesia once more in the recovery-pool and had an uneventful recovery. He continues to receive intensive management for his discomfort on the left hind foot."
Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of Penn's George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center.
The next update will be posted on Tuesday, January 16, unless there is a significant change in Barbaro's condition.
Update 1321: I am now off to Philadelphia Park, I don't have an update yet this morning, but will endevour to get one for later today.
Update 1320: A couple of very good articles that explain the issues Barbaro faced this week.
Uncertainty a tough foe for Barbaro's caregivers, excerpt:
"The medial [inside] side of his hoof was always healing poorly," Richardson said. "Scott and I discussed at the time when we put the cast on whether we were going to have to remove that medial wall sooner or later. We were hoping it was going to be later. But as soon as he started bearing weight in a more normal alignment, it just sheared off. It was something that was almost certainly going to happen anyway at some point.
"The only thing that was disappointing was how uncomfortable it made him. We hoped it wouldn't, but it definitely made it more uncomfortable."
Barbaro well despite setback, excerpt:
"The cast was put on in hopes of preventing this from happening and to help realign the pedal bone (the bone under the hoof wall)," he said, adding that Barbaro most likely will get another cast soon on the afflicted foot.
One thing that seems very apparent, but worth reiterating, Barbaro has the smartest minds focusing on his condition!
Update 1319: Another unseasonably warm morning this morning at Fair Hill. A quieter day for me, which was nice. I took Hawty Creek outback and we galloped around about a 2 mile loop. She was pretty fired up and enjoying it, bucking and pulling. Somtimes horses get more out of their exercise when you take them outback, than on the track ... and they enjoy the exercise more.
Nonpariel galloped in company with Tim on Farouche. We were on the dirt. As we were galloping down the lane I said to Tim that there was a fox running at a full clip from the infield across the synthetic track. No sooner had I mentioned it, and the fox legged it across the dirt track right in front of us ... another rider jogging the wrong way yelled "Tally ho!"
I worked a baby, who worked well for her second work, and had a couple go to the gate. Mike from the gate crew noticed I had my Brette Favre short on back to front ... who knew!
No update yet for Barbaro, but I know he has a few visitors scheduled, so I will endevour to get an update at some point today.
Update 1318: It appears a quiet night for media reports on Barbaro last night (a good thing). On the racing front today a couple of notables running, Hard Spun puts his undefeated record on the line in the Lecomte and Brother Derek tries again. Michael Matz was going to run Chelokee today, but it is reported Chelokee has a bruised foot.
In other racing news: Del Mar will have its new Polytrack installed by April: Del Mar to go synthetic by April (meet opens July 18) and Philadelphia Park is making loads of money from the slots: Philly Park Slots Big Business After Three Weeks. I am actually planning to go to Philadelphia Park today, so will take a look at the casino side.
Sorry Chelokee..those bruised heels are no fun...had one myself. Get some rest buddy.
Good Luck to Brother Derek, Hard Spun and Snifter's Spirit. Be safe and run swift.
Hey Barbaro..hope you get lots of visitors today and your bath too! Keep chowing down..you've been lookin' good Mister!.
I'll check in on you later, tough guy.
Hope you have pleasant morning Alex. It is very cold here in MN today. Hope its not coming your way.
Leslie In MN
Posted by: Leslie in MN at January 13, 2007 11:37 AM