Very interesting post alm. Though do you have any objective basis upon which to believe that an issue with a condylar condition was actually known to Matz? Can you develop that point at all?

What we do know is there was very carefull handling and an unusual striding action. But you are talking Olympian, Hero, Family Man. I don't know for certain, but I am skeptical of Matz letting such a serious condition go. I don't see it in his character. Now if you were talking one of the Supertrainers, who would doubt it?

Barbaro was clearly hyped up. He was tough to handle in the post parade I am told and he popped that Gate. He didn't look right to me after the Gate Pop. He had an odd look. I think he injured that leg when the gate broke open by his weight shifting suddenly upon it with all the force he exerted to pop the gate. I don't have any evidence for it, but I'm pretty sure thats where it happened. It was immaterial to the outcome in my opinion.


alm Wrote:
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> It's not likely Barbaro's condylar fracture was
> caused by a bad step, but that it caused a bad
> step itself, which resulted in his secondary
> fracture below the ankle.
>
> The condylar bone fractures following a process of
> reforming and flattening in the ankle socket, so
> to speak, and the process takes place through the
> heavy pounding of training and racing. This
> occurs before bones harden to the point that they
> are fully formed (ie: to young horses for the most
> part.)
>
> The soft tissue that protects the bone and the
> ankle wears away prematurely and bone hits bone.
> A significant period of rest and maturing can save
> the bones and the horse, but a horse caught up in
> the Triple Crown is more likely to be encouraged
> to go on because of the money involved.
>
> Think back to Tale of the Cat, who some vets
> consider the poster boy of a horse who benefitted
> from being taken off the track when his condylar
> issue became apparent. He went on to a very nice
> career.
>
> The point of this is that a horse with a condylar
> problem can't hide it. He or she goes gimpy on
> the sore joint. What is done about the problem is
> the key. Barbaro was too good and the Triple
> Crown is there only for 3 year olds, so they hoped
> to get through the series before his issues worked
> their way into a bad injury.
>
> Charismatic had the same problem, but racing in
> California when he did, only a limited number of
> pain killers were permitted to be administered
> during his early career. During that period
> Kentucky was far more permissive and he became a
> different horse when he was legally medicated for
> his races there and couldn't feel the bone
> crushing on bone. The rest is history. He
> finally fractured the condylar in New York and
> gave us a preview of the Barbaro incident by a few
> years.
>
> The aggravated reforming of condylar bones happens
> to many, many horses and many of them break down.
> It doesn't take a bad step for this to happen. If
> you watched the reruns of the Preakness I defy you
> to spot Barbaro's initial bad step because there
> wasn't one. He didn't swerve until Prado heard a
> loud crack and the hind end buckled.
>
> This wasn't about track maintenance or racing
> luck. This was about covering up a serious
> condition in the hope that the horse would get
> through the worst of it. Horseracing is all about
> hope.
>
>