If this horse was a $5,000 claimer, he'd be on someone's dinner table in France.
He won the Kentucky Derby. That makes him worth mucho millions. His sire, Dynaformer stands for $100,000 a live foal. He didn't win the Derby. Let's assume Barbaro survives and stands for $100,000 a pop. Covers 200 mares a year for 20 years. You do the math.
http://www.stallionregister.com/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1049059&origin=singlesearch
YOU hit the nail on the head. No way the insurance money on this horse comes anywhere near what he could make in stud fees.
"If this horse was a $5,000 claimer, he'd be on someone's dinner table in France."
I gotta admit, that was funny.