For the third time in less than a week, Barbaro underwent a third surgery due to an infection in his injured leg. After the Kentucky Derby winner had a high fever for several hours, the titanium plate and the 27 screws in his right leg were replaced.

“Barbaro had developed some discomfort and a consistently elevated temperature so we believed it was in his best interest to remove the hardware and thoroughly clean the site of the infection. We also applied a longer cast on that leg for additional support”, Dr. Dean Richardson explained.

According to Richardson, the main fracture is healing well but he is concerned about the pastern joint, which was stabilized with new implants and a fresh bone graft. Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro’s owners, visit the horse twice a day.

“I think we're in for tough times right now. I think we're going to have some tough days ahead. I'm being realistic about it. When a horse has a setback like this, it's a problem”, Dr. Richardson added.