His jockey, Edgar Prado, pulled him up shortly after the start, as Barbaro tried to keep his right rear leg from hitting the ground. It tentatively looks like a career-ending but not life-threatening injury.
I watched with tears on my face as he was put in the equine ambulance, and as Prado tearfully hugged Barbaro's assistant trainer. I watched the replay of the reaction of Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz, as he dashed out of the stands and left his tearful wife standing there staring in horror.
Such a horrible thing to see.
I love watching horse racing, but always in the back of my mind is the knowledge that horses get hurt. Is it cruel? I don't know. These horses are bred to run--and Barbaro had to be held very tightly to keep from running after the rest of the field as Prado struggled to stop him. The desire to race is there, even when they have been hurt.
Update:
Barbaro is being taken to Pennsylvania for surgery. There is a lot of concern that the blod flow to his leg has been impeded. If this is the case, it is very much life-threatening. He has two breaks in his leg, one above the ankle, one below.
I sincerely hope they are able to save him and that he can have a nice life as a stud horse. He's such a beautiful animal.
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