Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro had another restful night and his vital signs are normal, the racehorse's trainer said Tuesday.
"[Barbaro's] a fighter. He's doing the best he can," Michael Matz told Associated Press. "They're doing all the best to save the horse. That's all we can do. That's all we can hope for is what's happening right now."
Barbaro is in stable condition at the University of Pennsylvania, where veterinarians are treating his surgically repaired right hind leg and a life-threatening case of laminitis in his left leg.
Barbaro is examined by Dr. Dean Richardson in a July 13 photo.
(Sabina L. Pierce/Associated Press)
Matz said Barbaro's veterinarian, Dean Richardson, told him he was "very happy with the X-rays yesterday of both hind legs."
Barbaro was hurt on May 20 when a misstep during the Preakness Stakes left him with a shattered ankle. Richardson spent six hours operating on Barbaro, inserting 27 screws to fix the fractures. At the time, he said the horse's chances for survival were "50-50."
But last week, Barbaro's condition turned for the worse.
The three-year-old colt developed a case of laminitis, which is brought on by uneven weight distribution in the limbs. Laminitis can be so painful that horses who develop the condition usually must be euthanized.
Last Thursday, Richardson described Barbaro's chances of surviving the effects of laminitis as "poor."
To treat the laminitis, 80 per cent of Barbaro's left hoof wall was removed. He was also fitted with a fibreglass cast and a sling to prevent sudden movements.
Richardson said that cast would be changed frequently for treatment of the hoof, which will take at least five to six months to grow back.
The cast on Barbaro's right hind leg has been changed at least four times in the last two weeks.
With files from the Associated Press
