Kentucky Derby (G1) winner BARBARO (Dynaformer) was resting comfortably on
Monday, one day after having major orthopedic surgery at the University of
Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center to repair multiple fractures in his right hind
leg. The three-year-old colt suffered the life-threatening injuries during the
early running of Saturday’s Preakness S. (G1).
“He’s doing all the things a horse should do, including eating and nickering
at the mares near him,” said Dr. Dean W. Richardson, chief of surgery at
New Bolton Center. “While we are optimistic,
we remain cautious about his prognosis and are watching for signs of infection
at the surgical site, laminitis and other possible after effects of the
surgery.”
Barbaro sustained fractures to his cannon bone above the fetlock joint, to
the long pastern bone below the fetlock joint and to a sesamoid bone behind the fetlock joint
itself. The long pastern bone was shattered into more than 20 pieces. The
fetlock joint, or ankle, was dislocated.
Richardson said the six-hour procedure to fuse the fetlock joint “was about
as difficult as such an operation
could be.”
Barbaro now faces a long and difficult road to recovery.
“Realistically, it’s going to be months before we know if he’s going to make
it,” Richardson told CBS’ “The Early Show.”