KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is progressing so well he might not have the cast on his severely injured right hind leg changed for several weeks.
Dr. Dean Richardson, the surgeon who repaired Barbaro's shattered bones after the colt broke down at the Preakness Stakes on May 20, said Tuesday the prized patient has had an "incredibly good week - far better than I would have ever hoped so far, so far, so far."
Richardson said the fiberglass cast on Barbaro's leg will be assessed daily, but there's no urgency for a change.
Meanwhile, jockey Edgar Prado paid his first visit to Barbaro since the Preakness, and was relieved by what he saw.
"It was very emotional," he said. "I was happy to see him doing so good, feeling so good, looking so bright. He's not out of the woods yet, but it was really good to see him making progress."
After Barbaro's surgery May 21, Richardson had said the prospects of recovery were "50-50."
That has changed slightly:
"I was going to call a news conference to say it's officially 51 percent," he said, smiling. "Seriously, every day that goes by is a big day, and in terms of some of the complications, some of them were more likely to rear their head in the earlier stages in the convalescence (such as infection within 10-14 days).
"...Things are definitely better eight days post op. But it's still a long, long way from being discharged from the hospital," he said.
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