Some progress noted for Barbaro

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro appears to be making some progress in his recovery from a shattered right hind leg and severe laminitis in his left leg.

The 3-year-old colt remains in intensive care at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center veterinary hospital, but an update the university issued Friday included a positive assessment from its chief surgeon, Dr. Dean Richardson, who changed Barbaro's right hind cast on Wednesday night.

"We took new radiographs, and they look good," Richardson said. "No problems were evident."

The colt's left hind cast, which protects his laminitic foot, is being changed daily so the hospital team can treat the foot and monitor it for signs of infection. Richardson removed about 80 percent of Barbaro's left hoof wall earlier this month after the colt developed laminitis, a hoof disease often related to excessive weight-bearing.

In a Thoroughbred Times online report Friday, Richardson noted that the left hoof appears to be slowly regrowing. He also said that "there were no signs of infection" in the colt's right hind leg.

"His prognosis remains very guarded, but we're not even remotely considering quitting on him right now," Richardson said. "The horse looks too good."