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May 24, 2006

Barbaro Update: Wednesday, May 24

Barbaro was seen napping in his stall Wednesday morning, another indication the seriously injured Kentucky Derby winner was making steady progress on his long road to recovery from life-threatening leg injuries.

"I happened to peek in there today, in the ICU this morning, and it was early and quiet and the light was dim and he was laying down very peacefully, sleeping in his stall," said Corinne Sweeney, executive hospital director at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "And I talked to Dean Richardson and he told me Barbaro is doing very well and his condition is excellent."

Barbaro sustained his injuries during the May 20 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Md. X-rays of his right hind leg revealed a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint -- the ankle -- was dislocated.

Dr. Dean Richardson, who led Barbaro's surgical team, said the pastern bone was shattered in "20-plus pieces."

The bones were put in place to fuse the joint by inserting a plate and 27 screws to repair damage so severe that most horses wouldn't have survived it.

"I couldn't believe it at the time of the accident," said Gretchen Jackson, who with her husband Roy bred and owns Barbaro. "At first, I thought he just got a suspensory (ligament) injury, then it became more evident it was life threatening. Each day as he shows signs of wellness and is behaving himself in that stall is encouraging."

(From AP reports)

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