Even if Barbaro fully recovers, I doubt he'll ever race again.
They didn't go into surgery expecting he'd race. They fused the ankle. If he makes it, he'll walk oddly at best, but maybe the mares won't care.
A race horse can never "fully recover" from this injury. It was known at the race track that Barbaro's running career is over. It was also doubtful this AM that he would even be able to cover a mare. This "prancing back" is very, very good news. He needs to be carefully mobile during his recovery; enough to promote blood circulation and not enough to over-strain the ankle.
Race again???. Its doubtful he'll even survive. The chances are greater that I will run in next year's breeders cup than Barbaro.
We can always count on you to pour cold water on any good news.
True but his genes will live on in all the foals he sires.
the issue was never about him racing again - it was life or death. However, if the outcome is life, it's a life of going to stud. We should all be so lucky...
The horse is done for racing. They can only hope for stud now.