This afternoon, I sat in front of the TV, anxious to see the running of The Preakness, the second horse race in the Triple Crown. I, like many others, were hoping to see Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro win and take the second step toward being the first Triple Crown winner I can remember. There have only been three Triple Crown winners in my lifetime (Secretariat in 1973, Seattle Slew in 1977, and Affirmed in 1978), all before I was old enough to know much about horse racing.
But instead of seeing Barbaro race to victory, I witnessed what was a career-ending injury, perhaps a life-threatening one. As a cruel twist of fate, while thoroughbred racehorses are powerful and beautiful and fast, they are also fragile. Something as simple as a broken leg can end a horse’s life. I’m praying that this isn’t the case with Barbaro, who broke his right hind leg in two places during today’s race before he even made it to the first turn. It’s so incredibly sad. And even if they can save him and put him to stud, what might have been a wonderful career is over.
May 21st, 2006 at 4:16 am
I posted about the same thing today… so, so, so sad. And an awful thing to watch.
Poor Barbaro.
May 21st, 2006 at 8:07 am
Wasn’t that the most heartbreaking thing to watch? I was whimpering in sympathy. Poor Barbaro.
May 21st, 2006 at 12:07 pm
But, dude, what would you rather do all day?? Eat a bunch and have sex with hot mares or run run run run run sweat run run?
Ok, probably more levity than you expected, but this is me.
May 21st, 2006 at 7:59 pm
He’s such a magnificent horse, and he loved to run so much, it was a great pleasure to watch him. Unfortunately, even if he survives, he won’t get all that hot sex. He’ll never be able to cover a mare.