New Bolton Center's Dr. Dean Richardson was in the spotlight at last night's Eclipse Awards. Earlier in the day, Richardson was honored by the Turf Publicists of America with the group's Big Sport of Turfdom Award. The award is given to key non-media figures in racing who cooperate with or provide expert information to the press.
Today's Daily Racing Form has a nice article about the award and Richardson; here are a few salient quotes about Barbaro's current status.
"He has steadily improved," said Richardson. "He's eating great. He hasn't been in a sling in over a week. The fact that he bounced back, and quickly, is very encouraging. It's still disappointing that he had a setback, but these types of things are not unexpected."
"We've been able to decrease his pain medication," Richardson said. "He's not sedated. It's to address his hind foot."
"But this was a significant setback, so I don't think he'll leave for at least a month, and it could easily be longer," Richardson said.
"He's a smart, enduring, tough kind of horse," Richardson said. "I think this shows that a lot of horses can behave like this if given the opportunity. Most horses who make it this long go home. I'm hoping he's one of those.
"It's awkward getting an award like this because we're not done. We haven't finished the job. Trying to reconcile that, I hope the award is for the effort that has been made, and for the ongoing effort. I hope something good comes out of this. I'm just a small part of this. Barbaro is the biggest part."
Richardson said that if and when Barbaro is relocated to Kentucky, his care would be handed off, most likely, to Dr. Scott Morrison of Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic.
