Thanks VB…it’s sad to see our posts beginning to dwindle but we knew it would happen when Big Boy starting getting great reports. I vow to continue lighting candles for Bobby and others and checking here daily until he goes home to play in his own back yard.
Off to light candles for several now!
Barbaro Casts Long Shadow Over the Travers
Absolutely a must read on mcnbc.com:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14106712/from/RS.4/
Here’s a small excerpt:
Barbaro is a horse who continues to demonstrate what it means to be a thoroughbred. Intelligent and strong, showing a will to live beyond anything we’ve seen in four decades of watching horses do what they were bred to do.
Barbaro’s struggle for survival has provided inspiration for Internet poets and his daily regimen has been chronicled nightly on network broadcasts whenever newsworthy developments arose. His story reached out and touched even more people than the remarkable Afleet Alex did a few years ago.
The racing business may be trending downward but a nation has shown it cares about what happens to Barbaro. It is for that reason he will get my vote for Horse of the Year 2006, an honor he is unlikely to win no matter how his story ends.
Wow…tears and smiles.
Thanks for the continued updates, VB…and for the signature help (how do we get color???) You never seem to tire!
Eggbut, great article, indeed!
Off to light a few more candles!!
Go to your profile (user CP) and click on signature…you’ll see color and font buttons that you can click to highlight your signature. I changed my signature the day Bobby went outside so it would express his colors. Cheesy, but fun :yes:
[QUOTE=eggbutt;1838683]
Thanks VB…it’s sad to see our posts beginning to dwindle but we knew it would happen when Big Boy starting getting great reports. I vow to continue lighting candles for Bobby and others and checking here daily until he goes home to play in his own back yard.
Off to light candles for several now![/QUOTE]
I’ll ditto that eggbutt!!! 
I’ll admit though to getting lazy about the candles - not lighting them, just not bothering to initial them. I light until the first 2 lines are completely lit! 
Continued thanks to my buddy, Alex~
Update 523: OK, they are trying: Lost in the Fog ‘Not Done Yet,’ Gilchrist Says, excerpt:
Returning to his barn after spending the previous five days in Florida for the Ocala Breeders’ yearling auction, Gilchrist said Lost in the Fog is being treated in his stall with medications designed to shrink two football sized tumors found in his spleen and beneath his spine along his back, as well as a third, smaller mass. The trainer said he was encouraged by the 4-year-old colt’s feistiness.
“This horse is not done yet,” he said. “We are trying to shrink the tumors if that would be possible. If we can shrink them 50 percent, there’s a chance we can remove them (surgically). It’s a long shot but long shots happen all the time in this game. It’s something to hang on to. We’re not dead in the water yet.”
and
Gilchrist said Lost in the Fog, who returned to the stable Aug. 20 after a week at the University of California at Davis’ Large Animal Clinic, is “doing fine and holding his weight well.”
He said the popular colt with the oddball blaze has been given walks outside his stall and has been happily enjoying the carrots, apples and other things sent to the barn by admirers. The get-well cards, e-mail wishes and flower bouquets have been overwhelming, Gilchrist said.
“I finally took all the flowers up to the (administration) office and gave them to all the girls there,” he said.
and
The trainer had originally planned to allow the horse to live out his final days in familiar surroundings and to be cared for by those that know him best. Without giving into what he called “false hope,” he now thinks it could be some time before a decision to euthanize the colt might be necessary.
“He still has quality life ahead of him,” Gilchrist said.
In particular, he said, the horse has enjoyed being reunited with his favorite human, groom Pascual Garcia.
“Everybody is glad that he’s back,” Gilchrist said of the atmosphere at the stable. “Everybody realizes the situation. But I won’t let anybody get down. I refuse to allow any negativity.”
Update 522: A couple of articles on St. Liam’s untimely death: Owner Warren reflects on Saint Liam’s tragic death and Freakish Accident Causes Saint Liam’s Death. The articles highlight the severity of the break and thus the need for the very tough decision to euthanize St. Liam. ESPN will provide some St. Liam coverage during their saturday racing coverage (5 - 7 pm). A nice post on the discussion board of a visit to DancingInMyDreams. We have a Fair Hill horse to follow on saturday in Saratoga: Hard to Argue With Sweet Talker in Ballston Spa. Here is an excerpt:
Sweet Talker missed winning her second grade I race in the Diana Handicap at nine furlongs July 29 at Saratoga. Angara rallied along the outside to beat her by a head.
“I thought she ran a huge race,” said trainer H. Graham Motion. “It’s tough to be disappointed when she ran so hard. That race might have been longer than what she wants to go.”
Motion wasn’t originally considering the Ballston Spa because it came up a little sooner than Sweet Talker’s customary five-week spread between races.
“I had not originally planned on this last race,” Motion said. “But she came out of the Diana so well that we thought this would be a good spot for her. She’s a very tough filly. I think the distance will help her.”
I saw Sweet Talker this morning, coming off the wood chip track. I think she was shipping up to Saratoga this afternoon (by horse van).
Finally, a Cecil Whig photographer was at Fair Hill this morning taking pictures (of me and Tim). I think they are writing an article to celebrate 100 days since the Preakness. Anyway, a lot of jovial banter was had as we were coming onto the track from Michael Matz’s crew leaving the track. There are people reading the discussion boards thinking some of the discussion is quite amusing!
[B]Kenike, I made a vow and a promise that I would follow this story until it’s end, and I mean a HAPPY end. It’s something I feel that can be done to show my love for this horse, and the team that wills him to health.
All of you should be proud as it’s all of us that make this work, because…WE BELIEVE!!!
[/B]
Update 526: Kathy Anderson called and she had visited Barbaro a little later in the afternoon (she left about 5:30 pm). She was there as Dr. Richardson had Barbaro out grazing. All was well. She did note Bobby saw a goat on his way back into his stall which interested him. Kathy also noted that Bobby is weighed each day (he walks over a weigh machine on his way back into the ICU) so the weight gain that is being reported is not just a visual thing, but documented weight gain from the scales.
Update 525: Just spoke to Dave Wallace (Tom Albatrani’s assistant). He reported that Bernardini is doing well as he readies for the Travers. Today he galloped about a mile and and eighth. He was led to the track, was handed off to a pony and was ponied the wrong way (anti-clockwise) for a half mile. He turned around, left the pony, and jogged about three eighths of a mile before his gallop. He is in great spirits, yet very self controlled. He will likely do something similar tomorrow (but I will catch up with Dave to confirm once he has trained). Dave galloped Cigar, so I will quiz him about that once the Travers is over.
They (Albatrani) have a runner tomorrow in a grade 1 stake at Saratoga, Balletto: Fleet Indian’s speed, durability hard to beat.
Update 524: Peter Brette just called. He visited Barbaro this afternoon (about 3pm). He was very upbeat in his report, and also noted Barbaro was devouring “stud muffins” during the time Peter was visiting. :lol:
Thank you VB as usual for the updates but I think the file is geting so large it takes a while to boot up or maybe it is my computer…heehee!
Anyway, that is awesome news about LITF! Are they using chemo drugs? This only shows us what our horses can stand if we give them the chance…Jingles for LITF! and of course Bobby!!!
It is hard to believe that it has been about 3 months since the “accident” but the horse continues to amaze us now a horse trying to survive cancer!!! Gotta love it…
Tb’s are the best…
The first thing I do every morning, and the last thing I do every night is to check this board. I’ve been to other websites, but they don’t have ALL of the news. We have you, VB, as well as 100 other people posting about every article, photo and video in the universe. Thanks a million!
I, too, will keep lighting candles and sending jingles until the Big Horse is back at home, where he belongs, making little Barbaros.
Good deal, folks. LITF and Gilchrist are doing their part. Now we have to do ours. Lets get some candles lit and start the energy flowing. Perhaps we should decide on just ONE name for LITF’s candles–there were about 600 candles under Fog and also Foggy. To divide is NOT to conquer, in this case. I vote for foggy, or LITF. Somebody pick and let’s roll!
Barbaro Posters
Please see my post in the giveaways forum about 10 Barbaro posters.
Should there be a new thread started for LITF? I fear that he’ll get lost here.
Thank you VB for posting about the “Stud Muffins”. I sent Barbaro a big can of them last week. I hope those were mine he was eating!!
I check in here every morning and last thing at night and will continue to do so until there are no more updates on the Big Guy. Also, I continue to light candles every night for him and now for Foggy.
That is so cool, target! I do hope they were yours!
Friday morning from Alex:
Update 527: This Baltimore Sun article provides further details on the current status of Barbaro: Barbaro’s surgeon pleased with colt’s progress and reveals the left hind hoof has grown a centimeter, excerpt:
Richardson said Barbaro’s hoof has grown about one centimeter since the hoof wall was removed in early July and his broken right leg has healed well enough that without the left-foot laminitis, he would be out of the cast.
A nice Sports Illustrated article on Michael Matz: [URL=“http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/tim_layden/08/24/barbaro.update/”]What could’ve been…
As Barbaro fights for life, Matz reflects on fateful day. A short excerpt:
Matz is a competitor, a three-time Olympic equestrian. “It hurts to be standing on the sideline,”’ he says. “I wish I could send Barbaro out there to run. I can’t, and I have to accept that we were lucky to have him as long as we did.’”
And finally: Barbaro casts long shadow over Travers: Injured horse has greatly boosted sport with incredible will to survive. I think this site confirms the subheader. I enjoyed this excerpt:
In essence he is much more. Barbaro is a horse who continues to demonstrate what it means to be a thoroughbred. Intelligent and strong, showing a will to live beyond anything we’ve seen in four decades of watching horses do what they were bred to do.
Barbaro’s struggle for survival has provided inspiration for Internet poets and his daily regimen has been chronicled nightly on network broadcasts whenever newsworthy developments arose.
[/I]Barbaro casts long shadow over Travers
Injured horse has greatly boosted sport with incredible will to survive
COMMENTARY
By John Pricci
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 4:22 p.m. ET Aug 24, 2006
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was like a scene out of “Bull Durham,” the baseball movie in which a veteran catcher, Kevin Costner’s Crash, is schooling young batterymate, Tim Robbins’ Nuke, on the cliches he’ll need to know when he makes it to “the show”: “I’m just happy to be here" … “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.” Non-incendiary PR.
The atmosphere was like that Wednesday at the post-position draw for the $1 million Travers Stakes, with the two favorites’ trainers, Tom Albertrani and Todd Pletcher, lavishing praise on each other’s horses.
“Bernardini has been awesome every step of his life,” said Pletcher of the favorite. “I thought Bluegrass Cat’s Haskell was a breakthrough performance but he’ll need to step it up another notch on Saturday.”
“Todd’s horse looks like the one we’ll have to beat,” said Albertrani. “My horse has been galloping strongly and he’s had three works since the Jim Dandy. If he wins on Saturday then maybe we’ll start thinking about the championship.”
Pletcher knows what it might take for his colt to win an Eclipse Award in racing’s glamour division: “We’ll have to sweep the table.”
John Ward, who will send out both Minister’s Bid and Dr. Pleasure, also was generous in praise of the favorite: “Bernardini is by far one of the nicest animals we’ve seen in a decade."
“If he wins this race, continues to win this fall and beats older horses . . . we’ll just have to wait and see,” said Albertrani of Bernardini, the even-money favorite on the overnight line but more likely will be odds-on in the betting on Saturday‘s 137th renewal of the “Mid-Summer Derby.”
Such is the giant shadow cast by an ill-fated Kentucky Derby hero, a remarkable fighter named Barbaro. “Certainly he’s everyone’s sentimental choice,” Pletcher said.
In essence he is much more. [B]Barbaro is a horse who continues to demonstrate what it means to be a thoroughbred. Intelligent and strong, showing a will to live beyond anything we’ve seen in four decades of watching horses do what they were bred to do.
[/B] Barbaro’s struggle for survival has provided inspiration for Internet poets and his daily regimen has been chronicled nightly on network broadcasts whenever newsworthy developments arose. His story reached out and touched even more people than the remarkable Afleet Alex did a few years ago.
The racing business may be trending downward but a nation has shown it cares about what happens to Barbaro. It is for that reason he will get my vote for Horse of the Year 2006, an honor he is unlikely to win no matter how his story ends.
Barbaro has done more for his sport than any horse that might win the Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic. That horse certainly would have earned a 3-year-old title and the sweep even could be enough to upset divisional leading Lava Man as this country’s top handicap runner. Much can happen between now and November.
The championship season begins in earnest Saturday and all eyes will be focused on prohibitive choice Bernardini. Historians will note that 15 of the last 18 odds-on favorites have gotten the Travers job done. Indeed it’s been 24 years since a prohibitive favorite lost this race, Affirmed’s disqualification in 1978 notwithstanding.
Compared to Bernardini, his six rivals are cast in supporting roles. Clearly, 2-1 second choice Bluegrass Cat is the most accomplished with placings in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont prior to his record-setting 7-length romp at the Jersey Shore.Despite his impressive Haskell, Bluegrass Cat was no cinch to start in the Travers. Pletcher, whose program is geared to give his runners from four to six weeks of recovery time between starts, was concerned about racing Bluegrass Cat back in 20 days but in recent days has happy with his colt’s energy level coming into Saturday’s race.
What should concern Pletcher more is that Bernardini is much faster, has the benefit of a race over the sometimes quirky Saratoga surface, and is coming off a less enervating effort with longer rest.
Further, unlike Bernardini’s Preakness victory, Bluegrass Cat never has carried scaleweight of 126 pounds successfully and picks up a not insignificant eight pounds from the Haskell. Pletcher will also give High Cotton a chance to step up in class.
A Dixie Union colt from the A. P. Indy mare, Happy Tune, High Cotton has won half of his six starts this season including the Grade 3 Northern Dancer. Most recently was narrowly defeated by Deputy Glitters in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby. That colt defeated Bluegrass Cat earlier this year in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Ward has a pair of lightly raced runners, the very promising Minister’s Bid, second in Bernardini’s Jim Dandy, and the talented underachiever, Dr. Pleasure. “I like that both colts are training here, they’re fresh and that they’ll both move up in their first starts around two turns,” said Ward. “I’ve been on both sides and this time I’m the hunter. Strange things sometimes happen to favorites at Saratoga.”
Hesanoldsalt comes off a sharp allowance win over the track for Travers-winning Hall of Famer Nick Zito, but the colt never has finished in the money in a graded stakes race. Rank outsider Kip DeVille completes the field.
Bernardini figures to win Travers 137 in a romp. To be regarded in the same celebratory light as Barbaro, he had better.
Thanks, Alex:
Update 528: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (thursday night). Just saw Michael Matz as I was going to the track on my third set (on Chappy), he had heard from Dr. Richardson. Its a muggy morning at Fair Hill, and we have not had the rain that seemed to be in the forecast (yet).
update 7:35 am, friday, august 25
That’s a good thought, EXCEPT I doubt the VB has time to keep a second thread going like she does this one. So maybe we just stay here and keep the guys together?
Thanks VB for the updates and the MSNBC article.
Yes, Barbaro has more of what it takes to be a GREAT Thoroughbred than any I have seen in a long time. The truly great ones have that something that helps them go beyond the odds.
I’ve been a fan of racing since the 50’s. I recall thinking that Secretariat would be beat when he started to run ahead in the Belmont…but I soon sat there in awe Someday, perhaps we will see a “little Barbaro” run with that courage and form that is Barbaro. I hope so.
Seeing Barbaro, walking and alive Wednesday on TV was such a wonderful blessing.
The Industry should make him Horse of the Year, for no one could possibly have made as many fans as he has, nor garner as much media attention!
GO BARBARO!
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