Update 1893: Preakness week will honor Barbaro, which will include the Barbaro Stakes: Pimlico to Honor Team Barbaro During Preakness Week, the article ends:
On Preakness day, the inaugural running of the Barbaro Stakes Presented by the Maryland State Lottery will take place. Prior to the race will be an appearance of the Wings of Blue, the United States Air Force’s elite parachute jump team. One jumper will carry a flag designed with the colors of the Jackson’s Lael Stable and commemorating Barbaro, which the Air Force will present to the Jacksons in a special winner’s circle ceremony.
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;2432309]
On Preakness day, the inaugural running of the Barbaro Stakes Presented by the Maryland State Lottery will take place. Prior to the race will be an appearance of the Wings of Blue, the United States Air Force’s elite parachute jump team. One jumper will carry a flag designed with the colors of the Jackson’s Lael Stable and commemorating Barbaro, which the Air Force will present to the Jacksons in a special winner’s circle ceremony.[/I][/QUOTE]
Sniff, sniff. The above brought tears to my eyes. 
[QUOTE=msj;2432477]
Sniff, sniff. The above brought tears to my eyes. [/QUOTE]
My thoughts exactly. I cried like a baby when they did the recreation of the Seabsicuit, War Admiral match race, this might put me over the top. I can’t wait though, I will make sure I am nearby to get some good pics.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;2432622]
My thoughts exactly. I cried like a baby when they did the recreation of the Seabsicuit, War Admiral match race, this might put me over the top. I can’t wait though, I will make sure I am nearby to get some good pics.[/QUOTE]
I’m hoping you do get close enough for some good ones. I’m anxiously awaiting the pics. 
:sadsmile:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/16/ap3726021.html
Matz Returns to Pimlico for Barbaro Stakes
Michael Matz was looking at an album full of Barbaro photos when the trainer’s pony nuzzled up alongside to check things out.
“That’s your buddy,” Matz said, smiling at his longtime pony, Messaging, before accompanying another set of horses from the stable to their Tuesday morning gallop.
It’s been nearly a year since the Kentucky Derby winner broke down in the Preakness, but fans of Barbaro still visit Matz at Fair Hill Training Center. It’s where Barbaro spent many of his days before races, and where Matz carries on, training his horses and hoping another champion comes along.
His top 3-year-old is a colt named Chelokee, who missed the Kentucky Derby and won’t run in Saturday’s Preakness. However, Chelokee will run in the renamed Barbaro Stakes, the ninth race on the Preakness day program.
“It would be an honor to win a race named after a horse I trained,” Matz said of his colt who finished third in the Florida Derby.
Barbaro was unbeaten in six starts before shattering his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness. By mid-July, the painful disease laminitis struck and when it became impossible to control, Barbaro was euthanized on Jan. 29.
Matz has managed to push forward, winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Round Pond and nearly having another Derby shot with Chelokee, who will “take on the big guns later this year,” promises Peter Brette, Matz’s assistant.
The 56-year-old Matz still thinks about Barbaro, a lot.
“When you lose something close to you it’s very difficult,” Matz said. “I’d been with him just about every day ever since we received the horse - now that would be two years ago. It was a long year with him trying to recover and it just didn’t work.”
Matz wraps himself in his work so he doesn’t have too much time to think about the past.
“The more you stay busy and go on, you don’t think about it as much,” he said. “When things are quiet, you look back and say `Well, what if I had him in the Breeders’ Cup or to compete over in Europe? How good was this horse? That’s the question nobody will ever be able to answer.”
While Matz will try to win the Barbaro Stakes - formerly the Sir Barton Stakes - current Derby winner Street Sense will attempt to take the Preakness and set up a Triple Crown shot at the Belmont Stakes on June 9.
For the complete story, see the link above.
Thanks Alex~
Update 1907: Preakness draw and morning line:
- Mint Slewlep 30/1
- Xchanger 15/1
- Circular Quay 8/1
- Curlin 7/2
- King of the Roxy 12/1
- Flying First Class 20/1
- Hard Spun 5/2
- Street Sense 7/5
- CP West 20/1
Update 1906: My NPR piece I recorded this morning that was broadcast this afternoon: Fans of Barbaro Unite Against Slaughter .
Update 1905: USA Today ran this story today which also included responses from Fans: Assessing Barbaro’s impact a year down the road, excerpt:
Assistant trainer Peter Brette, who rode Barbaro every day, is content knowing he will be treasured as much as any horse. “People will forget my name,” he says. “They won’t forget Barbaro, which is really nice.”
Thanks Alex~
Update 1909: Channel 8 WGAL (NBC)'s piece on Barbaro last night (and I believe there will be a follow up piece tonight): Barbaro: A Look Back at the Legacy.
Update 1908: The Jackson’s recently donated $250,000 to The Belmont Child Care Association (Anna House) to establish the Lael Stable Fund endowment. Anna house is also hosting a benefit Bar B Que on June 3, Edgar Prado will be in attendance. For those in the area, it may be a fun event to support. Edgar’s birthday is forthcoming and Fans of Barbaro are planning a gift for Edgar (EDGAR’S 40th B’DAY TRIBUTE!) that will support Anna House.
Dr. Richardson was among the honorees at Pimlico this morning: Tribute Held For Barbaro At Alibi Breakfast.
Excellent Mike Jensen article: Barbaro’s owners to return to Pimlico but don’t want to remember Preakness, excerpt:
They do feel like caretakers of Barbaro’s legacy now, the Jacksons said. They talk of all the issues that have cropped up, regarding anti-horse slaughter and laminitis research and even safer racetrack surfaces. They recently donated $250,000 to the Belmont Child Care Association to start The Lael Stable Fund endowment, going toward helping backside workers. They hope the movement started at Belmont Park goes national.
The Jacksons also speak of preserving Barbaro’s legacy on the track.
“I think the whole injury really overshadowed what he did as a race horse,” Roy Jackson said.
Boiling down that legacy, Gretchen Jackson simply said, “Six and a half lengths,” referring to his margin of victory in the Kentucky Derby, the largest in six decades, accomplished without the need of a whip by jockey Edgar Prado. And she added that he was a champion on any surface or track condition. “Grass to dirt, slop, dry - anything. He could run.”
The entire article above is great. I loved the part where Mrs. Jackson says they have to becareful not to curse when watching their horses run!
The Washington Post wrote this story (thanks Steve Hendrix): [URL=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/18/AR2007051802089.html”]Out of Preakness Tragedy, a Legacy
Barbaro Is Gone, but Good Is Being Done in His Name, short excerpt:
“In the spirit of Barbaro, I recently bought a neglected 3-year-old who the owners were going to send to a low-end auction,” reads a letter to Brown from a California participant. “Barbaro’s spirit lives on in horses such as this. Without him, they would be either dead or living a terrible life.”
Wow, that was a great article! Liked the last article VB posted, too.
It’s going to be tough watching the Preakness, though…nightmares of sorts, you know?
It was really tough. Especially when in the race immediately following The Barbaro Stakes, Mending Fences snapped an ankle. So sad.
However the happiness of watching Michael in the winners circle with Mr/Mrs Jackson was wonderful.
Does anyone know where to find the Run for the Roses video that was done on Barbaro. It was a wonderful tribute but it looks like youtube has removed it.
VB did that happen on the track? It was almost surreal having Michael Matz win the first Barbaro race…He is watching…
Ivy, Mending Fences broke down in the Dixie Stakes on the turf. It was very sad…he just tumbled head-over-heels when his ankle broke. His jockey (Castro) scaredme, too, because he was lying there for so long, but I was very glad when he got up & walked to the ambulance. Still, it gave me chills and brought those memories flooding back even more…
Thanks to Alex~
The following are all excellents articles on the Barbaro Stakes yesterday:
Chelokee and Matz take Barbaro Stakes
Yesterday at The Barbaro Stakes
Laur
Laurierace was kind enough to take these yesterday! Wonderful photos!
All from the Barbaro Stakes~
Great shots! Does anyone know how big Chelokee is?
