Barbaro Updates: 1390 – 1423

Posted January 31, 2007

Update 1423: Here is the second glimpse of Barbaro from John Hennegan. This clip is actually is in the documentary “First Saturday in May”: Michael introduces his son to Barbaro.

Update 1422: It is taking me a while to read through the discussion board (nearly 3,000 posts in the last 2 days), but I found this news report very heart warming regarding Barbaro’s legacy already at work: Barbaro “Euthanized” … and saves a horse

Update 1421: I just got off the phone with Gary Stevens, one of the best jockeys we have seen in the US for many years. I asked him a few questions.

Me: Your thoughts on Barbaro:
Gary: An outstanding racehorse who will be remembered more for his battle to survive and will to live than for his Kentucky Derby victory.

Me: Your thoughts on Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby win:
Gary: It was the greatest Derby win I have seen, one of the largest margins of victory, and the ease with which he did it …

Me: Your thoughts on Horse Slaughter in the US:
Gary: Its a travesty that they have been doing it all these years. Horses should not be slaughtered for human consumption.

Update 1420: Some of many articles recently published:

Barbaro’s death: Equine beauty meets harsh reality
Barbaro’s Surgeon Has Empty Feeling
A ‘Bottomless’ Heart
One Horse Dies
Richardson: ‘Still Hard to Deal With’ Barbaro’s Death
Barbaro, The Heart In the Winner’s Circle
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro euthanized

Update 1419: Sue McMullen just sent this e-mail from the UK:

It is testimony to Barbaro’s position on the world stage that he made the mainstream ‘heavyweight’ newspapers in the UK, including The Times, The Guardian and The Independant, in addition to the Racing Post, our only dedicated racing paper and Horse and Hound, our main equine magazine. I’m certain there was other coverage that I have yet to see. There might be some follow-up stories, and I have been asked to do one of them.

News of his death didn’t break here until it was too late to make certain ‘print’ deadlines, but the story was posted on the online versions. The first UK outlet to break the news was Turftrax, a racing website, and they had it first as, having visited here and seen the devastating news, I sat in shock and sent a text message to their editorial director saying simply ‘he’s gone. The fight is over. 10.30 am this morning’. I didn’t have to say any more than that. He knew exactly who I was talking about and what it meant. At that point I couldn’t phone.

Clive Brittain is one of the UK’s leading, most highly respected and long serving Flat trainers and was one of the first to take horses to the US. It was his filly Pebbles who won the BC Turf at Aqueduct in 1985 and Bold Arrangement chased home the ill-fated Ferdinand in the 1986 Derby. He is a tremendous character and a great horse lover. Needless to say, he has been following the story and today he spoke warmly of Barbaro and his loss to the sport, and beyond:

“It is tragic to lose such a horse. There is no such thing as a bad Derby so the way he skipped away from the field showed he was something exceptional. He may well have become the horse of the century. He was truly a superstar and the way he coped for so long with his terrible injuries indicated the type of horse he was. It is really very, very sad. Let’s hope all the good he generated continues.”

Praise indeed from a man whose judgement you just have to respect.

On a personal note, I’m deeply sad that my first post here for 2007 is to address something that many of us refused to contemplate as we had begun to think him invincible. On Friday morning I visited hospital for a routine screening that although not painful I knew was going to be very uncomfortable. As I sat and waited, feeling some dread at the prospect, I looked down at my Barbaro bracelet (that Sharon kindly sent to me) and thought of all he had gone through, demonstrating his indomitable spirit and unfailing courage. I suddenly felt my fears were utterly pathetic and wondered how many others had faced much worse and drawn comfort from that colt’s great spirit.

In common with so many people I have spent the past eight months with the same daily routine, logging on wherever I have been just to see he was doing ok. Sometimes I had no time to read more than ‘Barbaro spent a comfortable night’ and that was enough. I could go on with whatever it was I had to do. I feel bereft and still can’t quite believe he’s gone so how those close to him are feeling, I just can’t imagine. I had a fantasy that when he was discharged from NBC, there would be a celebration party somewhere for as many fans as possible and I had resolved to attend. It seemed almost ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.

I’m still wearing the bracelet. I can’t take it off yet. We have lost a tremendous life force, a magnificent, imperious, galloping creature, a fighter on and off the track, who became such a focus for good. May this continue and become his legacy.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,379-2575211,00.html
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/horseracing/story/0,,2001545,00.html
http://sport.independent.co.uk/general/article2198433.ece
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/108015.html

A “Fan of Barbaro”, Elizabeth Laban, wrote this: Barbaro taught her about the love of sport.

Update 1418: Dr. Richardson interviewed on CBS, broadcast this morning, interview was yesterday: Veterarian remembers Barbaro.

Mike Jensen wrote this: Barbaro inspires idea for a museum which discusses some potential plans afoot for a Barbaro inspired museum. The article also notes Barbaro was cremated.

No doubt about it, it was COLD this morning at Fair Hill. Fortunately I only had four to ride. Hawty Creek out first, and she really trained well. She galloped about a mile and a half on the Tapeta carpet she felt great. Chesapeake City Slew went to the gate, Tim was with me on Quick Quest. We galloped out of the gate pretty alertly. Nice to see the gate crew at work today! We did discuss the Larry King Show last night. Nonpariel galloped around the track upsides Tim on Grandma. Finally I rode Flash, and at that point I was cold.

I saw Kathy Anderson as I was leaving. She had just returned from a conference in Mexico last night. We hugged, she (and I) was visibly upset. She said she was glad to be out of the country when the news broke. Kathy then asked me what we were planning to do with the site. Lets hope we are able to help support Barbaro’s legacy.

It was great to see Dr. Richardson and the Jacksons last night on Larry King Live. Mrs. Jackson made a strong case for pushing the anti horse slaughter bills through, so I hope we can take that signal and follow up by calling our own congressman and senators.

Posted by Alex at 3:46 PM | Comments (780)
Barbaro Updates: 193
Posted January 30, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1417: John Hennegan (First Saturday in May) left a comment (timestamp: 3:13 am) to alert us that he has provided the first of a few outtakes of Barbaro on youtube: Barbaro in Boynton Beach, FL, March 2006.

John and his brother Brad may have more footage of Barbaro in training than most and the couple of times I have met John I have asked him about making some of their content available for everyone to see. John called me yesterday afternoon (after we had had lunch) and we discussed the best way to do this. I hope you enjoy the short glimses of Barbaro in his prime. I will post each as they are published, in an update. This first one is of him relaxing in a round pen.

Update 1416: A couple of the many articles today:

Barbaro’s gallant battle is over, excerpt:

Hollendorfer said Barbaro stood out even in a talented field.

“He was a very impressive looking horse and his composure was second to none,” Hollendorfer said. “There are horses that come there that have outstanding records and you can tell that maybe they aren’t at their best, but he was one of the ones that stood out. He looked like a star and he turned out to be a star.”

Harry J. Aleo, owner of Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Lost in the Fog, who had to be euthanized last year after developing cancer, was also moved by Barbaro’s passing.

“I really feel badly for those people (Gretchen and Roy Jackson). They are very good people, and they sent me hand-written notes every week after Lost in the Fog was diagnosed with cancer,” Aleo said. “They’ll think all the time about that horse, just like I think about Lost in the Fog. It’s heartbreaking.”

Derby winner Barbaro is euthanized, excerpt:

“At least he can rest now,” said Peter Brette, assistant trainer to Michael Matz, and the man who exercised Barbaro every morning. “He’s been fighting long enough.”

Update 1415: Jennifer Rench just called to let me know that Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Richardson will be on Larry King Live tonight, 9 pm (CNN). Dr. Richardson will also be on the CBS Early Show with Debbye Turner tomorrow morning (7 or 7:30 am, not sure).

Edit: You can e-mail your questions to Larry King Live.

Posted by Alex at 11:35 PM | Comments (475)
Barbaro Updates: 192
Posted January 30, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1414: Just back from grazing Hawty Creek, it continues to be cold outside! I called Peter Brette, the first time we have spoken for a couple of days. Peter appeared fine given the circumstances. I could however tell in his voice that things had been tough for him, but he won’t reveal that directly for sure! He did thank me for the site and all it has done … that was nice. I asked him how Chelokee and Round Pond were after their most recent works, and they appear to be well. Chelokee may be back in the entries soon.

There are many many articles out there, and it will take me a while to get to them, but I like this as it quotes a couple of other trainers: We’ll always remember Barbaro’s battle, relevant excerpt:

“I think we all will remember Barbaro as one of the best 3-year-olds we’ve seen, and remember his courage for fighting the past several months,” Albertrani said. “This is the first time I’ve been around to see a horse fight for his life for so long, and have had so many obstacles in his way … he was a fighter. To see that in a horse, well, actually no one’s ever seen that before.

“I think he would have been a great stallion. You normally hope those traits are passed down generation to generation, or at least hope they are to maybe one or two of his offspring. That would have been something special.”

Fellow trainer Graham Motion has an interesting perspective on Barbaro and the late colt’s stoic trainer, Michael Matz. Both championship-level trainers work out of the secluded northern Maryland training facility at Fair Hill, which was Barbaro’s home for much of his racing career.

“Michael keeps his thoughts close to him and shows very little emotion,” Motion said. “I realized early this morning when I talked to him just how grave things must have become from the changed tone in his voice.”

“Barbaro was every trainer’s dream from a racing perspective,” Motion added. “And while it’s a sad day for everyone involved — the Jacksons, the people at New Bolton who worked so hard for so long to keep him alive — it has to be especially sad for Michael. What had to be the best day of his professional life, winning the Kentucky Derby, has turned out to be associated with the saddest of memories with the very same horse. Michael can’t ever again recall the happiness of the Derby without the sadness associated with Barbaro’s fate.”

Update 1413: I went over to New Bolton at Lunchtime. There are some nice flowers displayed in the lobby area. There were also some flowers placed on the outside fence line. There are still some media there and we went to lunch. Actually six of us went to lunch, but only three of us stayed and ate lunch! Jeannine Edwards, John Hennegan (First Saturday in May) and I had some nice conversations about Barbaro, horse racing in general and John’s documentary.

When we returned to New Bolton I asked Jeannine and Mike Jensen what is was like to cover a story like Barbaro, and both have covered it pretty extensively. Both agreed yesterday was a hard day for them. Jeannine noted that it was tough to have to ask questions of people who are clearly grieving when on a personal level she has a lot of empathy for their situation, and I think, quite frankly likes the horse like any of us and is very sad about this outcome!

I also ran into Kathy Freeborn and Jennifer Rench of New Bolton. If they are reflective of the entire staffs’ mood for the sad loss of Barbaro, then New Bolton is a sad place today.

Dr. Richardson sent me a nice e-mail this morning thanking me for the work we have done on this site, and I hope we continue. He noted he had read the site, if not very often!

Update 1412: It was Fair Hill as usual this morning, but of course it was not usual. The atmosphere was a little subdued, and I suspect quite a few people simply had nothing to say. A few riders offered their thoughts, as did a couple of trainers. Mostly they were just sad that this had to happen to such a wonderful horse who had shown great talent determination and will. Many of us have memories of Barbaro from the good days, when he was a runner. We may have watched his final work before the Preakness (he did not look like he was working, just galloping); or simply watched him graze, without a care in the world, in one of Michael Matz’s paddocks two days after destroying the field in the Kentucky Derby. Anyway, I am sure we all remembered our moments and memories this morning.

I rode six, my usual six. They all went well, although it was a bit of a blur. My cell phone rang quite a lot, I talked to a few media people who are becoming friends. Perhaps I should interview them on their attachment to Barbaro. As I was grazing Hawty Creek at the end of the morning a “Fan of Barbaro” stopped by for a chat. It was nice to share a few thoughts.

Off to New Bolton for an hour or so to see how things are over there.

Update 1411: Wide media coverage on the internet of yesterday’s very sad news. Likely I will highlight a few throughout the next few days, but here are a couple of the articles to start:

Thoroughbred Times: Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro euthanized, excerpt:

“We were really lucky, really lucky,” Gretchen Jackson said. “I just appreciate the heck out of him, and I think he knew it. He was well loved. Such luck; at least he’s out of his damn stall, and running around with Secretariat, I hope.”

Philadelphia Inquirer: Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro euthanized, excerpt:

“It is rough, but not to be there is rough,” Gretchen Jackson said of being in the stall at the end.

“He’s been a friend or whatever, everything to us… I think we’ve been concerned about him for a while. We just wanted the right moment where he’s still himself. I think it had reached the point where it was timely.”

There will be more activity at New Bolton today I think. I know Jeannine Edwards is planning to return and Good Morning America is planning to do a piece on Barbaro. Flowers were starting to arrive yesterday afternoon at New Bolton. I remember seeing one young girl with her father, they came to deliver some flowers and good wishes. After Fair Hill I will likely return to New Bolton and see how things are.

Off to Fair Hill, it looks like another chilly morning.

Posted by Alex at 10:49 AM | Comments (889)
Barbaro Updates: 191
Posted January 29, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1410: Here is today’s news conference from NTRA: Barbaro euthanized after long ordeal.

Update 1409: Just returned from a bite to eat with Jennifer Rench and Kathy Freeborn from New Bolton. We were somewhat subdued, trying to go over events over the last few days without really taking it all in. As we were finishing up a few of the AP reporters came to join us. I left shortly thereafter and on my way home chatted with Ed Fountaine. A couple of observations of the day; Barbaro will be missed, Barbaro can help us make a difference.

Update 1408: While the press conference is over, things are now starting to wind down with post conference interviews, reports from media for local news stations, wire services etc. I talked to a couple of reporters and also WJZ out of Baltimore for their 6 o’clock news. Tom, the Jacksons farm manager, just called and we chatted about Barbaro. Now off out for a drink with a few of the New Bolton staff before I head home.

Update 1407: It’s 4:25pm, the press conference has just wrapped up. It’ll take me a little bit of time to write up the details of the conference but no doubt it’ll be reported upon heavily. My initial thoughts are that the three people addressing the press conference, Dr. Richardson and Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, were clearly devestated by this turn of events. There were times during some of Dr. Richardson’s responses that you could tell it was tough for him to maintain his composure. It was nice to hear from both Mr. and Mrs. Jackson acknowledging the support that they have received throughout this entire experience…whether it’s been the devotion of Dr. Richardson and his staff, Michael Matz, Peter Brette, or the public at large. Their overwhelming hope appears to be that the positive good that Barbaro represents and has highlighted becomes his enduring legacy. It was also nice to see Mr. Jackson acknowledge not only the developments in veterinary medicine that will come out of this episode but the heightened focus on anti-horse slaughter issues and issues of backstretch workers etc. I’ll add a further update with regards to the press conference shortly.
updated 4:40pm

Update 1406: Busy here at New Bolton Center. The mood is obviously very somber among the staff. Jeannine Edwards is doing another “Outside the Lines” piece for ESPN at 3:20pm this afternoon. It will focus on Barbaro’s legacy.
updated 3:10pm

Update 1405: I am now heading back to New Bolton for the press conference (I returned home when the news was reported). I am starting another update so as to allow for more of your thoughtful comments. I am leaving comments open on the previous update.

Posted by Alex at 6:26 PM | Comments (848)
Barbaro Updates: 190
Posted January 29, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1404: The press conference will be held at 4 pm this afternoon at New Bolton.

Update 1403: Barbaro was euthanized, at about 10:30 am this morning. Mike Jensen spoke with Mrs. Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Richardson were all in attendance.

Update 1402: OK, I am heading over to New Bolton. I will attempt to provide updates once I am there.

Update 1401: Jeannine Edwards just called to let me know New Bolton Center is planning a press conference for some time later today.

Posted by Alex at 4:47 PM | Comments (1151)
Barbaro Updates: 189
Posted January 28, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1400: While I am sure there will be persistant media coverage over the next few days, I did want to alert you that Jeannine Edwards will be on “Outside the Lines” at 3 pm today on ESPN. She will also be on ESPN News following that broadcast.

It was a chilly morning this morning at Fair Hill, bright sunshine, but a wind that made the temperatures pretty low. I ended up getting on six, five of which went to the Tapeta track. I was actually first on the Tapeta track this morning on Hawty Creek. The track continues to be very good despite the weather. Hawty Creek did two turns at a jog / light gallop. I rode Chesapeake City Slew for Tim, and then three more to the track. One of the keys to keeping warm is wearing plenty of layers (I just counted, nine in my case) … and jogging to and from the racetrack. Anyway, gate day was canceled today due to the weather, I cannot imagine why a gate crew does not want to come out on a lovely day like today and stand around for a few hours!

OK, likely I may head over to New Bolton at some stage today, but lets keep all our thoughts positive for Barbaro!

Update 1399: The AP is reporting Barbaro did not have a great night: Barbaro has another setback. Relevant excerpt:

When asked Monday morning at the New Bolton Center if Barbaro had a good night, Richardson said, “No, not a great night.”

Update 1398: Additional media coverage from saturday’s surgery.

NPR’s “All Things Considered”: Derby Winner Barbaro Still at Risk from Injuries. Allison Keyes interviewed Dr. Richardson (not live), and reported from the interview that Barbaro was bright-eyed, eating carrots out of people’s hands yesterday (sunday). She also noted the new brace is likely to be needed for approximately 6 weeks.

CBS News interviewed their vet / reporter Dr. Debbye Turner: Setback in Barbaro’s recovery. Interesting but no new information, she does discuss his fighting spirit.

Sandra McKee of The Baltimore Sun: Barbaro receives new foot brace after ‘significant setback’. Sandra spoke with Mrs. Jackson for this story on sunday:

“You wish it wasn’t happening,” Gretchen Jackson said. “But it is.”

Jackson said Barbaro’s initial injury has resulted in changes in his right leg and in the way he walks on it.

“I guess it has to be an issue,” she said. “He has to learn to live with his new leg, and they’re trying to help him live with it. But it has created problems. Horses are horses and things happen.”

Jackson again said the most important thing is for Barbaro to be pain-free.

“As long as that is the case, we’ll go forward,” she said. “I visited him twice [yesterday] with a friend, and his eyes were bright and he is still trying to bite you. He’s still interested in life.

“They’re taking good care of him, and we are staying positive. That’s really all you can do.”

Richardson said Barbaro “remarkably” continues to have an “excellent attitude and appetite.”

Mike Jensen, Philadelphia Inquirer updated his story: Surgery leaves Barbaro at risk after talking to Mr. Jackson on sunday:

After visiting Barbaro yesterday, Roy Jackson said last night: “He appears to be fairly comfortable. He had his three buckets of grass, and is doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.”

At this point, everybody involved is just taking things “day-to-day, hour-to-hour,” Jackson said. One positive that he could find about the latest surgery: “If this had happened two months after the [Preakness], the fractures would not have healed enough to do something like that. Thank goodness there’s a chance.”

And of course this latest setback is news around the world.

Update 1397: Richard Rosenblatt, of the AP, wrote this article today: Barbaro Has Another Significant Setback that includes quotes from Dr. Richardson and Mrs. Jackson:

“When things start to go bad, it’s like a house of cards,” he said Sunday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “If one thing fails, that puts more stress on another part. And if that fails, then you’re stuck with managing two problems. That’s why these are difficult cases.”

and

“No one is interested in putting the horse through any type of misery,” Richardson said. “We’re going to treat him the best way we can as long as he stays comfortable. And we’re going to stick with that no matter if his chances are 1 percent or 90 percent.

“If he gets to the point where we just don’t think it’s reasonable to go on, we will not go on.”

Gretchen Jackson spent time with Barbaro on Sunday, and said her colt is “still bright-eyed and still eating.

“It’s not over ’til it’s over,” she said. “I’d say he’s comfortable and being treated very well. As long as he’s comfortable … Dean knows our feelings. We trust him.”

Mrs. Jackson’s words are very comforting I think.

Posted by Alex at 11:39 PM | Comments (647)
Barbaro Updates: 188
Posted January 28, 2007

updates are now here.

Update 1396: A quick summary of Jeannine’s interview on ESPN News. She explained the current situation as per the press release from New Bolton. She noted that a vet acqaintance confirmed the procedure to add the “stabalizer” is not unusual / not unheard of. It is a last resort attempt to stabalize the situation and keep him comfortable. She stated the current prognosis is not good, very very serious. She had just got off the phone with Michael Matz. Michael was very down and very subdued. Michael’s comment (paraphrased): “How many times can a boxer take a punch and get back up”. She was unable to contact the Jackson’s, and presumed they are devastasted.

Jeannine did mention this site and the support you as “an amazing group of people” are providing.

I will not be posting an update for a few hours (traveling) unless something serious occurs.

Update 1395: Jeannine Edwards will be featured on ESPN News in a live telephone interview at about 1:50 pm. It is scheduled to run for 4 – 5 minutes.

Update 1394: Mike Jensen interviewed Dr. Richardson this morning, after New Bolton’s release. His article includes content from both: Barbaro undergoes more surgery. Excerpts from his interview with Dr. Richardson:

Richardson issued all that in a statement. In a telephone interview, he said, “The big thing is we NOT see anything bad happen at this point for awhile.”

And Richardson made it clear that there are real risks involved.

“The major risk of the external skeletal fixation device is that the bone bearing the weight can fracture,” Richardson said. He added, “The other thing — we’ve been really struggling … it’s one thing to have (problems with) one foot at a time, but to have two hind legs, it means he’s really going to overload his front feet. Clearly, laminitis in his front feet is a strong concern. The best way to describe this, it’s essentially like a house of cards. When one starts to go significantly awry, then more can happen.”

Of the risk involved, Richardson said, “Unfortunately, we felt we needed to take this risk because this approach offered our only hope of keeping Barbaro acceptably comfortable.”

Richardson and Barbaro’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, talked in advance about the procedure, as they always do, but there wasn’t any debate on whether the procedure was worth trying.

“This is a logical thing to try under the circumstances,” Richardson said. “There was no reason not to try it under the circumstances. This is not something that makes a horse real uncomfortable. Typically, when you put a fixer on, it makes him more comfortable.”

Update 1393: An update from New Bolton: Update from Dr. Dean W. Richardson on Barbaro’s condition:

On Saturday, January 27, Barbaro was taken back to surgery because we could not keep him comfortable on his right hind foot. That foot developed a deep subsolar abscess secondary to bruising when he went through a period of discomfort on the left hind foot. It is not laminitis but the undermining of the sole and part of the lateral heel region are potentially just as serious. We attempted to manage the right hind foot in a cast and then in a custom fabricated brace but it was impossible to have access to the foot for treatment as well as acceptable stability and comfort. We elected to place his right hind in an external skeletal fixation device in order to provide the foot a chance to heal. This means that two steel pins have been placed transversely through his right hind cannon bone. These pins are connected to external sidebars that in turn are connected to a lightweight alloy foot plate. This results in the horse eliminating all weight bearing from the foot; the horse’s weight is borne through the pins across his cannon bone. There is significant risk in this approach but we believed it was our only option given the worsening of the right hind foot problem. The major risk of the external skeletal fixation device is that the bone bearing the weight can fracture. Unfortunately, we felt we needed to take this risk because this approach offered our only hope of keeping Barbaro acceptably comfortable.

He had a perfect recovery from anesthesia and has been in and out of the sling since then. His left hind foot appears to be stable at this time. We remain concerned about both front feet. Remarkably, his attitude and appetite were excellent overnight.

We will continue to treat Barbaro aggressively as long as he remains bright, alert and eating. This is another significant setback that exemplifies how complex his medical situation remains because both hind limbs have major problems. Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center. Updates will be provided when new information is available.

Update 1392: The Sunshine Millions showcased the return to racing of Lava Man who made it a winning return now he is back in California: Lava Man goes over $4-million in earnings in Sunshine Millions Turf. Sweetnorthernsaint seemed to be cruising with a quarter to go in the Classic, but then came up empty quickly: McCann’s Mojave steals Sunshine Millions Classic spotlight. Bordonaro met two that were faster in the Sprint, one of which looked earily like Lost in the Fog: Smokey Stover bursts onto scene with Sprint upset. It was good to see racing return to network TV.

Michael Matz had a nice winner earlier in the day at Gulfstream, Crusader Rabbit, paying $130.40! Both Chelokee and Round Pond worked yesterday. Peter was happy with both works.

I will endevour to get an update on Barbaro later this morning, early afternoon. Mike Jensen updated his story: Owner: ‘It’s not a good day for Barbaro’

Update 1391: Two articles today concerning today’s events, both include quotes from the Jackson’s:

Barbaro’s comfort concerns doctors

Barbaro has procedure on right hind leg

Update 1390: Today (saturday) was another tough day for Barbaro. He did undergo a procedure, the nature of which I am not aware. I did speak to Peter Brette later this afternoon and know that after the procedure Barbaro was comfortable and standing and I think they were pretty comfortable with what had occured. Keep your thoughts positive for Barbaro.