Barbaro's long attempt at recovery was punctuated by a series of problems and medical maneuvers to prevent and correct them.:

MAY 2006
6: Barbaro wins Kentucky Derby by 6A lengths, his sixth straight win.
20: He shatters three bones in right hind leg at the start of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
21: During more than five hours of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, Dean Richardson and his team insert a stainless steel plate and 27 screws into the ankle. Richardson calls chance of survival a "coin toss."
27: A special horseshoe is glued onto Barbaro's left hind hoof to reduce the risk of laminitis, an often fatal disease triggered by uneven weight distribution.

JUNE
13: The cast is replaced for the first time, and Richardson says the leg appears to be healing nicely.

JULY
3: Cast is replaced again; two bent screws are replaced and three new ones are added.
5: Cast is replaced again because of discomfort. A small abscess on sole of the left hind hoof is treated.
b Surgeons treat infection in the broken leg and replace the plate and some screws. A longer, more
supportive cast is applied.
10: Cast replaced again.
12: Severe laminitis in left hind foot necessitates surgery to remove most of the hoof wall.
13: Richardson calls Barbaro's survival "a long shot."
17: Casts on both feet are changed.

AUGUST
9: Barbaro leaves the intensive care unit for the first time to graze outside.
17: Barbaro is taken off pain medications and no longer needs a sling to support his weight.

SEPTEMBER
26: Richardson says right hind leg is nearly healed and says the left hind hoof wall is growing back.

NOVEMBER
6: The cast on the right hind leg is removed.

DECEMBER
13: Richardson says Barbaro may be able to leave the hospital "in the not-so-distant future."

JANUARY 2007
3: A new cast is put on the left hind foot to realign the coffin bone.
10: Laminitis in the left hind foot flares again and more tissue is removed.
13: Another section of the left rear hoof is removed, and a new cast is put on the right hind leg for additional support.
24: After slow improvement, a custom brace is put on the right hind leg.
27: An abscess on his right hind leg requires risky surgery to attach an external brace that would take all weight off the right hind leg.
29: After showing signs of laminitis in his front hooves, Barbaro is euthanized.

SOURCES: University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Associated Press, staff reports

Photos by Associated Press, Graphic by The Washington Post