Barbaro: a hero never to be forgotten
By Cricket Goodall

“If it were not for Hopes, the Heart would break.”
—Thomas Fuller

We hoped, we wished, we all wanted it to be, but the Barbaro story did not have a fairy tale ending. The miracle did not materialize. In our heart of hearts we knew it was a longshot—we’d been warned it was a “coin toss”—and yet we longed for a positive outcome.

Barbaro, whose will to win inspired a nation, deserved it. His instinct dictated that he should win his races and his natural ability allowed him to do just that. But his body finally said no more; he could not win the race of his life. Fate stepped in. Everyone had tried to save him. Barbaro had been a willing and cooperative patient, but his time had come.
We know horses are not made to function with only three legs. And still we ask, why not? People who have never spent time around horses sometimes demand an explanation: why can’t a horse survive without one of his legs? A dog can do it; a cat has the ability, also. But we understand that horses are different. Patiently, we’ve responded to inquiries from the general public over the past few months: Thoroughbred horses weigh 1,000 pounds or more. They can’t redistribute their weight efficiently when one leg is injured. Horses don’t understand bed rest; they are hard-wired to move quickly, to flee and ultimately to race.
Barbaro’s battle to survive, after suffering massive fractures to his right hind leg just after the start of the 2006 Preakness, captivated an audience that rarely pays attention to horse racing. His short life has inspired books and unprecedented media coverage. It was as if our constant vigil, our fervent hopes, would protect him enough to beat those impossible odds.

His Thoroughbred spirit made him a hero but, ironically, his tragedy has gained him a place in history. He was a fighter both on and off the track. His struggle brought out the best in the horse industry, and inspired one and all to hope for his home in a sunny green pasture at the end of this tragic saga.

If there is one credo in the horse business, it is the value of hope. We breed the best to the best and hope for the best. We hope that each new foal makes it to the race track, and hope our young horses will go on to win the Kentucky Derby, just as Barbaro did. It is hope that heartens us when we are sad and guides us in challenging times.
We hope—no, we are certain—that Barbaro will remain in our hearts and be remembered as a hero.