ON THE FAN REACTION: It was all over the television. He was such a great horse, with a lot of talent and power and the ability to become the greatest horse in America. After being on such a high from winning the Kentucky Derby, and then two weeks later struggling for his life … People just really wanted him to make it.

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS: I have pictures of Barbaro in my mind and my heart. No one can take those away. He stays with me every time I hear a couple of songs I used to play at the time he won the Derby. There's one in particular I like very much -- Gloria Estefan's ["Reach ,"] the song she made for the Olympics. Because that is what Barbaro did; he went and he tried his best.

THE DAY WORDS FAILED HIM: When I heard the news [of Barbaro being euthanized], I was speechless, especially since the last news I'd heard was that he was doing well and was going to be relocated to Kentucky or Florida. [When] I found out, I was in Peru. I couldn't talk. I was devastated. Then I realized: He was an example for people too. Hope is the last thing you want to lose. You have to try hard, do your best. Sometimes things don't come easy. He fought every step of the way, every single day.

THE HARDEST WORDS TO WRITE: Honestly, I didn't want to talk about it. But a friend convinced me to tell my story. Someone else was making a movie, but they didn't know the whole story behind it -- about how it felt riding him, being on top of such a great horse. I thought people should know about Barbaro from the inside -- the way he fought, how smart he was. He leaves behind a great legacy as a racehorse, a patient, and a fighter.