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Year Later, Memories of Barbaro Still Resonate at the Preakness
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"I've run some horses at Pimlico since it happened. It's finished and that's it," Matz said. "I'm sure it's going to be in the back of everybody's mind, but in a memory way; I don't think in a nervous way. We know it happened there last year, and it's something . . . it's a bad memory."
The plight of Barbaro triggered an outpouring of charitable contributions for the study of horse-related injuries. The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will distribute more than $1 million in research grants this year, including for the study of laminitis, the hoof malady that led to Barbaro's demise. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association Charities -- Barbaro Memorial Fund raised more than $230,000 selling $2 blue "Riding With Barbaro" wristbands at tracks around the country Kentucky Derby week. In February, Barbaro's owners Gretchen and Roy Jackson donated $3 million to the New Bolton Center to endow a chair in the name of Dean Richardson, the chief of surgery at the hospital who cared for the colt.
"The money is coming in like crazy," Zipf said.
The Jacksons are expected to present the trophy after the Barbaro Stakes, possibly to Matz, and the Maryland Jockey Club will honor Prado and Richardson at the annual Alibi Breakfast on Thursday in the track's dining room.
"When one is talking about the Preakness card or NTRA charities raising money, one can't help but thinking about the horse," Pimlico President Lou Raffetto said. What we're trying to do is move beyond that. We don't want to dwell on the negatives and move forward."
Preakness Notes: Circular Quay, sixth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher, is being considered for the Preakness after working four furlongs in 48 2/5 seconds yesterday at Belmont Park. The top finisher of Pletcher's five Derby entrants, the late-running Circular Quay won the Louisiana Derby earlier this year.
Pletcher already has committed Santa Anita Derby runner-up King of the Roxy to the Preakness . . . Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense galloped 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs yesterday and will arrive at Pimlico on Wednesday afternoon.
"I feel good about him. This is a tough race, though," trainer Carl Nafzger said. "This is going to be one of the best Preaknesses we've had in a long time."
As the new field assembles for the 132nd running of the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, the race will be haunted by what occurred a year ago.
