So Long, Stud...

by Knorr the Interpreter

I've only been throwing this thing against the kitchen wall for six months, but I'm already burying a contributor. Barbaro got put down this morning after his doctors, trainers, and owners determined that he would never see another pain-free day.

For some reason, I'm really broken up over this. I really liked Barbaro - his spirit, his drive, his honesty - qualities you just don't see in elite professional athletes these days. That and I had Jonathan Ray Keller in the IbK Dead Pool...

Here I will republish Barbaro's piece from August 11. Next time you flick a fly away, think of him, will you? Thanks.

So Long And Thanks For All The Oats

By Barbaro, 2006 Kentucky Derby Winner

Hey, Humans! I wanted to make sure I could thank you one more time for all your support before… well… you know. My doctors are more somber these days, so I can’t ignore the worst possibilities. If I beat this, however, my future career as Mega-Star Stud is a lock, so I’m fighting like hell to get better. Were you to know the long-term reward would be getting paid fat coin to nail hot fillies left and right for the rest of your natural life, you’d try to ignore the short-term pain, too!

Thank you all so much for all the cards and letters and notes of hope and support – I feel like the luckiest horse in the world… except for the hoof thing, of course. I wish I could tell you I’ve read them all, but the truth is that I can’t read. (It is my secret shame, but one more common than we professional athletes would like to admit.) My handlers *do* read all of them to me, however, and their voices are always cheery and positive. I truly appreciate all these warm sentiments from the human community - in those times where I’m too medicated to conjure up my smoking studding fantasies, mail call is the ray of sunlight breaking up my cloudy days.

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your well-wishing. With good luck and hard work, maybe I’ll get a chance to meet some of you on my stud farm and thank you in person… between my regularly scheduled, million-dollar three-ways with a leggy bay and apple-bottomed Appaloosa. Homina homina homina…