Shattered Dream
by American Way Staff[dl] Misc.
In My Guy
Barbaro, jockey Edgar Prado gives the inside
story of how the pursuit of Triple Crown glory with Kentucky Derby
winner Barbaro came to a sudden, tragic end. By
Kristin Baird Rattini
It's the first commandment among jockeys in horse
racing: Don't get too attached to any one horse. Veteran jockey
Edgar Prado knows that rule as well as anyone. He has ridden
hundreds of horses to almost 6,000 victories after all. But when he
first saw the bay colt Barbaro, Prado couldn't help himself -- the
Peruvian jockey was smitten with the beautiful, powerful
thoroughbred.
Prado's love affair became the nation's when the duo
left their competition in the dust at the 2006 Kentucky Derby. It
was the first time in his seven Derby rides that Prado had ever
finished higher than third. And suddenly, Barbaro seemed like the
best bet in a generation to win the Triple Crown. But at the
Preakness two weeks later, Barbaro shattered his right hind leg, an
injury that ended his racing career and, eventually, led to his
death.
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