PHILADELPHIA — The complication that ails Barbaro is as dangerous as ever — as potentially lethal as ever — but as of late Friday afternoon, the Kentucky Derby winner remained in good spirits and was officially listed in stable condition.
"His vital signs, including heart rate and pulse, remain good," Dean Richardson, chief of surgery at Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, said in a statement. "He continues to respond well and is acceptably comfortable."
After suffering multiple catastrophic fractures in the May 20 Preakness Stakes, Barbaro has battled infection in his injured right hind leg in the last week, developed a case of laminitis in his left hind foot earlier this week, and continues to be treated aggressively, Richardson said.
The potentially deadly ailment, caused by putting too much weight on the previously healthy "other" foot, now makes Barbaro's odds of survival "a long shot," Richardson said Thursday.
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"We monitor his condition very closely, because signs can change quickly," Richardson said Friday. "However, it's important to remember that Barbaro's treatment could easily continue for several weeks, and if all goes well, even months."
Earlier in the day, Barbaro received a visit from an old friend, jockey Edgar Prado, who stopped by to see the horse before riding at Belmont Park later in the day.
"He looked much better than I thought he would," Prado told a reporter at Belmont Park. "He is very smart, and he knew me right away. I fed him, walked with him, and he put his head on my shoulder and fell asleep."
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