Simple xrays don't reveal condylar problems as they are under the bone, which sits in a socket at the top of the hoof.

So Barbaro's xrays were probably normal looking and he was very insurable.

However, the trainer knows when a horse is gimpy and it is possible to study the problem through a procedure called nuclear scintigriphy. Also, it is very expensive.

Most trainers will just tell the owner the horse is a little sore and use pain killers to keep training and racing them. It's done all the time, every day. It's part of the business.

If the horse is valuable, you can ease off them and wait until the bones harden and form normally. If the horse is a Triple Crown athlete, it's a tough call, because you can only enter once. I think that's what happened to this horse.

In fact, it's possible Prado was warming him up as much as he did to try to work through the gimpiness before the race. Gary Stevens commented on it and was surprised.

I'm not trying to blame anyone. I'm only saying it's a shame that such a good horse was put in the position this horse was, due to the nature of his quest. Given six months off he would have retained his quality and had a much longer career.