A bittersweet ending without Barbaro around
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No matter what happens – even on the biggest day in thoroughbred racing – Bernardini seems destined to remain shadowed by Barbaro.
The Kentucky Derby winner is recovering from a devastating misstep at the start of the Preakness in what has been a bittersweet year in racing.
“It’s wonderful that Bernardini came along, but it’s taking awhile to get over Barbaro,” longtime horse owner Cot Campbell said.
The Breeders’ Cup, where nearly all the top horses in the world compete to determine the best of the best, features eight races worth $20 million at Churchill Downs on Saturday. All eyes will be on one race and one horse – the $5 million Classic featuring the sensational Bernardini.
The 3-year-old colt is the sport’s brightest star after six straight victories, and he’s the overwhelming favorite to win and be voted Horse of the Year.
The Preakness sealed the Bernardini-Barbaro connection. The result left Barbaro fighting for his life at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., his right hind leg shattered, and Preakness winner Bernardini trying to prove himself a worthy champion, too.
“It would have been a great race between them,” Bernardini’s trainer Tom Albertrani said. “It’s just unfortunate what happened to Barbaro. I think it could have been a great rivalry, like Affirmed and Alydar.”
And it could have happened in the Classic, with Barbaro taking on Bernardini and top contenders Invasor and Lava Man.
“That would have been certainly interesting,” Barbaro trainer Michael Matz said. “After Bernardini got real good, there was really no one that could challenge him. Whether these older horses do that, we’ll see on Saturday.”
Barbaro’s jockey Edgar Prado has a chance to defeat Bernardini aboard 30-1 long shot Premium Tap, but he would prefer to be back on his Derby winner.
“That will have to be a fantasy race,” Prado said. “It will be in the memories of all the fans.”
In racing, timing is everything. And it seems that whenever a popular horse is no longer able to race, there’s always another ready to step up.
This year, it’s Bernardini in for Barbaro.
Barbaro is not the only Derby winner to be injured or retired before the Breeders’ Cup, and probably won’t be the last.
Giacomo, the 2005 Derby winner, missed last year’s Classic with an injury but is back for Saturday’s Classic. Smarty Jones, the 2004 Derby and Preakness winner, was retired after finishing second in the Belmont Stakes in his bid to capture the Triple Crown.
Each time, there was another horse to take center stage: Afleet Alex won the 2005 Preakness and Belmont; and Ghostzapper had an unbeaten 2004 campaign to take Horse of the Year honors.