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Transcript of Press Conference at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center on May 23, 2006 at Kennett Square, Pa. regarding Barbaro with Dr. Dean Richardson and Roy and Gretchen Jackson.
Dr. Corinne Sweeney: Thank you very much and welcome to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. And you're at the New Bolton Center Campus, and we are in the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals.
In the past few days, we've received hundreds of well wishes for Barbaro. And you can see they've come in many forms. We have flowers, and there are some of them right up here. They're in the lobby; they're up in the ICU with Barbaro. They're all over the hospital. We've got carrots, apples. And we've been sure - everybody's making sure that he's not getting all the apples because if he had all of them that would be too many. So they've been shared with his hospital mates. We've received e-mails. There's just a stack of some of the e-mails. And many, many cards and kind notes, and some of them are up here.
I'd like to announce now that you can now send messages online to Barbaro. And that will be at the Web site www.vet.upenn.edu.
We have a special announcement being made. That was one of them. There's a second one even that's more important. We have an anonymous donor that has given a gift ((inaudible)) Barbaro Fund that supports the Widener Hospital. And this fund gives money for the hospital, not to Barbaro's (specific care).
We have some very special people here and I'll introduce our guests up here. First I'd like to Dr. Dean Richardson, Chief of Surgery here at the New Bolton Center and Barbaro's surgeon.
And I think, Dean, we're going to ask you first to give an update.
Dean Richardson: OK. Barbaro's doing very well. He's actually better today than he was even yesterday, and he was - he was pretty good yesterday. I'm a little upset. This is the first I heard about the e-mail because we actually don't have a keyboard in his stall yet. So I don't know how that's going to work out. But he's pretty agile. He's - I was telling Roy and Gretchen that he's done a couple of things that should - that manifests his level of comfort, one of which is he actually was scratching his left ear early with his left hind leg, which is his good leg. So - and he tries - when I was in working with him this morning he was - he kind of waved at me with his left hind leg, which is his good leg. So he's feeling pretty - he's feeling very good. He's walking very well on the limb. He's got absolutely normal vital signs today. All of his - his temperature, pulse, respiration, attitude, appetite. We have no shortage of volunteers to go out and hand-pick him grass. So he's grazing at a distance. So he's doing very well.
One other point I did want to make because I'm afraid that I may have misspoken on a couple of things previously, one of which I made a big point about how he's - the optimal outcome for the horse is that he be salvage for breeding. And some people are taking that the wrong way. I want everyone to understand that if this horse were a gelding these owners would have definitely done everything to save this horse's life. So this - these - I've know the Jacksons a long time. They - this horse could have absolutely no reproductive value and they would have saved this horse's life. So I don't want to make it - I said something about the horse being salvaged as a breeding stallion. That would be great. I think everyone would recognize that if you were an intact male horse you might prefer to do that if you had your options. So the only other minor correction is I was pretty tired after the surgery the other night and I said there were 23 screws. I think my resident or somebody told me there were 27. I kind of lost track. OK? So thank you.
Dr. Sweeney: The Jacksons (Roy and Gretchen)
Roy Jackson: Just a couple things that I would like to say. I would like to thank Dr. Sweeney and Dr. Richardson and the whole staff here that have made it possible to jump the first big hurdle.
I'd also like to publicly thank Edgar Prado for the job he did in pulling the horse up, the wonderful job that the (out-riders) did at the Preakness, the wonderful job that vets did there.
I'd like to thank Michael and Peter for all their work in trying to get him stabilized and back to the stable. I'd also like to thank the management down there.
I'd like to thank particularly Dr. (Scott Palmer) that just happened to be in attendance there as a spectator and rolled up his sleeves and helped and was in communication with Dean.
I'd like to also thank the State Police and the Baltimore Police for getting him out of there in a hurry and up here. I probably left out somebody, but I'd like to thank everybody that had a connection with him.
Just another word, I guess. We've run through the gamut of emotions from the Kentucky Derby, the euphoria to the devastation of the Preakness in our family and Gretchen and I. I think, you know, we've gone through our own personal feelings. I think the sad part is that in Barbaro's case that the American public won't get a chance to see him continue his racing career. I think Edgar and Peter and Michael and all of us thought that he probably, even though he ran so well in the Kentucky Derby, we probably didn't see his greatest race. But that's water over the dam. We're just glad that we've jumped the hurdle here so far. We ask for your prayers and thoughts. We appreciate them all. We hope he goes through the hurdles. And we hope that someday all of you here will be able to see little Barbaros or will be able to cover them running around the track.
Dr. Sweeney: We'll now take questions from our listening Media:
This is Stephanie Church at "The Horse." Please go ahead.
Stephanie Church: Dr. Richardson. What are you doing to try and prevent laminitis in the opposite limb? Is Barbaro wearing any special support shoes on the unaffected limb?
Dean Richardson: Horses have problems - we mentioned this previously. Horses do have problems with breaking down in the opposite foot, the foot that's bearing the most weight. As long as he's comfortable this is less likely to occur. In terms of what is being done to help prevent this, when he came in his racing shoes were removed altogether and he is - his left hind foot was shod with a special glue-on shoe that had special padding. It also raises his foot up a little bit so that his limb length is equivalent to the cast limb on the right hind. So he has a special shoe in place.
Jay Privman of "Daily Racing Form."
Jay Privman: This is for Dr. Richardson. Is there anything that can be gleaned in terms of his prognosis from the fact, either positive or negative, from the fact that this is a hind-leg injury as opposed to a front-leg injury? Is there anything percentage-wise that helps or hinders the process?
Dean Richardson: The question was is it - does the fact that this is a hind limb make it appreciably a better prognosis than if it's a fore limb. It's a pretty commonly asked question. The answer in my experience would be no. It's about the same as - the problems with fore limbs that sometimes are a little more common, and some problems in the hind limbs are more common. I will say that hind-limb problems are potentially more problematic when the - if we get to the point where Barbaro enters the breeding business because he has to mount the mare. So that could be a problem. But that's a long way from now. We're not worried about that now.
Bill Finley from ESPN.com.
Bill Finley: Dr. Richardson, we've been told that a window of about two months has to go by before he's clearly out of the woods. Could you just take over what the next few hurdles might be and, at least in the short-term, what will you be looking for in the next week or so and what has to go right in the next week or so and what could possibly go wrong.
Dean Richardson: Kind of a long question. (That's the) last question apparently I was told. Summarizing the question, it's basically what are we looking for over the next few weeks and what could go wrong. I've tried to emphasize before that bad things can happen anytime with horses with these kinds of injuries. Good things take a long time to happen. It will be a few months before we know if we have this thing even close to being healed.
The things that we look for, probably the most - the single most important thing is that we are able to maintain his level of comfort on the fractured limb. If we can keep him comfortable on his right hind limb that is - that is the most important thing in a horse in terms of healing a catastrophic fracture. So that's the most important thing we look for. We obviously look at indications of infection in terms of blood work, any kind of local heat, pain or swelling. We will be changing his cast on a regular basis. You know, we're - we basically are just doing good solid nursing care for the next few months. He is - there are many, many things that could still go wrong. And so far nothing really bad has happened, but I - as I've emphasized over and over again, horses - there are a lot of things that can go wrong.
Media: Mrs. Jackson, can you tell us about your association with the hospital? Are you on the board of overseers? Could you tell us about that?
Gretchen Jackson: I'm fortunate - I'm lucky enough to be on the board of overseers, which is - gives me an opportunity to know intimately all that the University of Pennsylvania Vet School is doing and how they have continually been on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine. And when the choice - I don't really think anyone thought should we send Barbaro here, Barbaro there, it was definitely Barbaro's going to New Bolton Center because that's the best there is, especially for his injury with Dean Richardson.
Media: What's your reaction to the public reaction?
Gretchen Jackson: It's overwhelming. I don't know how Roy and I could participate in responding their loving kindness throughout his career and also the support during his injury in any other way but possibly promoting the Barbaro Fund.
Media: Mrs. Jackson, as a horse owner has anything like this happened before? Do you have other animals who had injuries like this? And did they recover?
Gretchen Jackson: One of the things that one is supposed to do when one becomes a horse owner - or race horse owner is to not fall in love with the animal because it's so painful, it's so painful when something like this happens to you. Yes, we've experienced this before to a greater and lesser degree. It's part of life. There are losses and there are births again, and with each loss we have to pull ourselves together and look for the future of another good race horse. No, he will not come back to our farm unless he is not in pain and cannot stand as a stallion. Number one, not in pain. He has to be living a good quality life.
Media: Is it safe to say that you have fallen in love Barbaro?
Gretchen Jackson: Oh, yes.
Media: 10, 15, 20 years. Obviously everybody's thinking about Ruffian in 1975.
Dean Richardson: 1975 is a long time ago. Yes, I mean, I think there's a number of things. I mean, the actual specific surgical techniques that we use, the implants that are used are all things that have actually been designed and developed over that interval. The other thing that's important to keep in mind is that actual expertise and experience on handling more and more difficult injuries develops over time. So, you know, it's really more a matter of just normal evolution of medical practices.
It's not any different in veterinary medicine than it is in human medicine. I guarantee you that there is - some of the - some of you old geezers out there, you know, probably can roll up your pants and see big incisions on your knees that nowadays would be done through arthroscopic techniques. The same thing is true - it's an evolution of technology. I mean -
Media: I mean, how recently would you have attempted this kind of surgery?
Dean Richardson: We would have tried to save this horse 20 years ago if we were given the opportunity, because that's why I'm a veterinarian. OK? I mean, we - usually you try to save animals' lives. And I guess the point I would make is I think I'm better at it now than I was 20 years ago. At least I hope I am.
Media: Mrs. Jackson, you were describing your love for the horse. What do you love so much about Barbaro and what is your hope for the future in terms of Barbaro?
Gretchen Jackson: What do I love the - well, I love (Alex Matz's) remark that he wins his races. That was very clever. I think he's a - he's a beautifully confirmed horse, and so he's striking. And also he's sensible. He's always done the right thing at the right time, what the trainers ask him or expected of him. My hope for him is that he lives a painless life. And whether that means he'll be able to be a stallion and we're lucky enough to see little Barbaros, that would be a supreme hope for him. But - and for us. But also it must be a pain-free life.
Media: How much more optimistic are you today than you were at the time of the Preakness?
Gretchen Jackson: You know, I couldn't believe it at the time of the accident. I thought he'd just done a suspensory or something. And then it obviously became more evident that it was in fact life threatening. I think each day as he shows signs of wellness and is behaving himself in that stall it's encouraging.
Media: This is for Mrs. Jackson. And admittedly ((inaudible)) regarding whether or not Barbaro is insured?
Gretchen Jackson: He's insured.
Media: Do you know for how much?
Gretchen Jackson: No.
Media: Is it for life ((inaudible))
Gretchen Jackson: There couldn't be enough money in the world.
Media: Is it for both life and reproductive?
Gretchen Jackson: I don't know. Do you know?
Roy Jackson: Is it for both life and reproductive.
Roy Jackson: There, is insurance for his life and there's also some insurance if he can't stand as a stallion.
Media: Dr. Richardson, what's the next step for him as far as more x-rays, changing the cast? Can you just give us a little synopsis, a chronology of what's next in the next couple weeks?
Dean Richardson: Recognizing that it could change, the plan would probably be to - at the earliest I would estimate that we might change his cast - excuse me - early next week. That would be my initial thinking. And at the time - every time the cast is removed we take radiographs.
Media: What would be put on after that?
Dean Richardson: Another cast.
Media: Same type?
Dean Richardson: He absolutely will remain in a cast for quite a while. The internal fixation, the plates and screws, in this particular case are not - for this fracture are not adequate to allow him to bear weight without the cast. There are many types of surgical repairs that we do that the plates and screws are enough to hold things together. In this case this is far too complicated a fracture for that. So we need to keep him in the cast as well.
Media: How often will you change the cast?
Dean Richardson: Yes, the question - it's a good question about, you know, is it - every time you change the cast is it - is it scary to wake him back up. We will see how he does with the techniques that we use to change the cast. Generally speaking for this type of a case we will try to change his cast with Barbaro actually supported partially in a sling and heavily sedated. So that way he can't kind of slip, stumble, fall while I'm changing the cast, but at the same time he won't be placed completely under general anesthesia. If for some reason Barbaro takes exception to that, he will be placed under general anesthesia just the way he was before and woken up in the swimming pool again. So that will be my judgment at the time.
Media: Mr. Jackson, were you and your wife able to visit with Barbaro? And if you were, could you tell us how that went?
Roy Jackson: Yes, we just - we haven't seen him yet this morning, but we saw him yesterday. Gretchen gave him some carrots, I gave him some mints. He was very glad to have those and he seemed to be doing fine and comfortable.
Media: What was that like for you to be able to - to be in the stall with him and to see him like that, being comfortable and - like that?
Roy Jackson: It was great. It was a great relief. We just stayed away on Monday - I'm sorry, on Sunday, I guess, from here because we wanted to stay out of Dean's hair and let them do their job. But we were - we were - you know, we were very happy to see him yesterday.
Media: How long will Barbaro stay at the New Bolton Center?
Dean Richardson: He will stay here until we're good and ready to let him go home, I guess. He's - I mean, Mrs. Jackson's comment is that he's got to be comfortable. He won't leave here until he is, you know, a happy, walking horse that can, you know, be comfortable. So he could - he probably will be here at least for a few months. He will not be out of the wood until he's healed. OK? And long does it take to heal? Months.
Media: Dr. Richardson, just out of curiosity. In our quest for speed in horse racing are we breeding a less sturdy horse?
Dean Richardson: Categorically no. No. I think really when you - really, look at thoroughbred race horses. I mean, the incidence of injury in thoroughbred in racing is not any higher than it ever was. It's still a risky endeavor. Horses are going fast. These are massive animals running fast. There's no evidence whatsoever that the prevalence of injury in thoroughbred racing is increasing.
Media: You said that Barbaro wouldn't be released until the time is right; the horse is good and ready. How great will the danger of breeding be even if the horse is good and ready to be released from the hospital given the hind leg ((inaudible))?
Dean Richardson: Well, thoroughbred horses are not bred until the spring of the year. So I don't think he's going to make this spring. OK? So he - if he's doing well it's conceivable - he's doing well enough it's conceivable he could - if everything goes well that he could possibly be breeding mares next year. But that - you know, we're way ahead of it. I mean, he's not - we're two day post-op.
Media: Mrs. Jackson where were you - what was your vantage point during the race and have you spoken to jockey Edgar Prado?
Gretchen Jackson: We were right by the finish line. And, yes, we have spoken to Edgar.
Media: What kinds of things have you discussed?
Gretchen Jackson: I just asked him how he was doing. And all of us that have been connected with that horse have broken hearts. And his little child (Louis), he said his little boy was very sad and he wants to come down sometime this week and see the horse. He doesn't know what his schedule of rides will be as yet, but if he's down in this area I think we're going to see him over here.
Media: One more time for the record if you don't mind Dr. Richardson, would you please state once more that Barbaro did not injury himself when he broke from the gate at the false start?
Dean Richardson: There's no evidence that I can see looking at the race. Looking at the replays, looking at the injury, I think it exceedingly unlikely that the horse injured itself breaking from the gate. I mean, early from the gate. I think that's very, very unlikely. I know there's a lot of conspiracy theorists out there, you know, but it's pretty unlikely. The horse jogged back to the gate, broke out of the gate well. This is - you know, this is not - this is something that is probably associated with a single catastrophic misstep. It's an accident.
Media: Putting - conspiracy theories aside, are you - are you - do you have a question about that Mr. Jackson?
Roy Jackson: No. In talking with Edgar last night, Edgar said he was fine after he broke through the gate. There was no problems at all. Edgar just thinks, as Dean Richardson said, that it just happened somewhere in the area of maybe 50 to 75 yards after he left the gate. There was just a - his coming down the wrong way on that leg and just one of those things that happens in racing.
Media: What sort of pain killers for Barbaro?
Dean Richardson: He's on fairly low levels of analgesics right now, yes. He was originally on - he was originally actually getting epidurals right after anesthesia. But that's been discontinued.
Media: Mr. Jackson, look around here, and how would you explain why this horse has captured the imagination of so many people?
Roy Jackson: I wish you could answer that question for me. Just in talking with a reporter from "The New York Times" yesterday, he said their story in Sunday - and Monday were read more - or twice as much as any other story that they covered. I've been asking myself the same question, and I really don't have an answer why he's sort of captured the popularity or whatever you want to say of the American people. I don't know. I just think it's a wonderful thing, it's a positive thing for racing, and if some good can come out of it that has certainly been a good thing.
Media: Are you really surprised and shocked?
Roy Jackson: Yes. Yes, I just, you know, don't have an answer for it.
Gretchen Jackson: My hope - I hope there's some knowledge now that owners and trainers and jockeys care. It's not about money and it's not about limelight. It's more about the horse. And the beauty of it and the integrity, in a lot of levels it does exist in horse racing. And it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing when it's at this level. And maybe that was what the public captured because Michael Matz is such a wonderful, wonderful man and he spoke so eloquently about this horse at all the times, and the training. He was open sharing the experience with everybody. He loved the horse so much and I think it came out. And what's better than love? I don't know.
Male: More specifically are there things that you want to see from this?
Gretchen Jackson: I think just both Roy and me - both of us want to know through Dean that he is comfortable. That's everything.
Media: Doctor, how physically, emotionally and mentally draining was the five-hour surgery on you emotionally, what was your reaction?
Dean Richardson: Why, you saying I didn't look good?
Media: You said you were exhausted.
Dean Richardson: Yes. No, my wife watched that press conference and she told me I looked like crap. But she's kind of brutally honest. I was very tired. It was a very, very difficult surgery. But to be honest, I mean, I work - I would have worked that hard on the same case if it were a $5,000 gelding. I mean, we did a somewhat similar procedure, actually, just a couple weeks ago on a gelding that just was - I mean, I think Gretchen's answer to that question is very important. There are a lot of people who do this just because they love the animal. I mean, we did a very, very expensive salvage procedure on a gelding. I mean, they're not being saved just for monetary purposes. People love their horses. Yes, I was tired.
Media: When people have this kind of accident afterwards, is there sort of some sort of aid to help him out of the stall and start walking around ((inaudible))
Dean Richardson: Ask me that in a few months. Until he's healed we don't worry about, you know, that type of physical therapy.
Dean Richardson: Well, this is a - this is an elite athlete. OK? He can afford to - I mean, he dead fit right now. So he's - you know, he's not happy to be in a stall in a sense that, you know, he wants to get out and run. But he'll - horses adapt. I mean, he'll be fine in that regard. Yes, he's going to lose condition, but - I mean, think about yourself. I mean, everybody in here has had an injury at some point where if he - if you're in bed for a few weeks or a month or whatever, or even if you're on crutches, I mean, you're pretty weak when you get out of it. It takes a while to get back. I mean, it's to be expected. But he's a great athlete. He'll get back.
Media: the cost of treatment and recovery?
Dean Richardson: It's a lot. I mean - no. How about - it's expensive, but it's - I'll tell you this since you want to - you want to push a button here. It's one heck of a lot less than a much more minor procedure would be in you. OK? One heck of a lot less. I mean -
Media: How does the risk to Barbaro change as each day goes on? Is it less in a month or is it less ((inaudible)) it is now.
Dean Richardson: It's an excellent question. And, yes, every day the risk diminishes. OK? So every day that goes by is - makes me happy, you know, if he has no complications. So it is better - if we had this press conference in two weeks and I was still saying the same redundant phrases over and over I would be happy. OK? But, I mean, I'd be happier. So every day that goes by is - where things are still the same is very good. So it definitely diminishes over time.
Media: Doctor, this might sound like a silly question but something really special about this horse besides just the fact that he's a great race horse. His heart and will, something like that. I know in a patient that's operated on for any (period) of operations, you know, something like that, the attitude of the person. You know, in my case it is the attitude that helps quite a lot. How much - you know, maybe - does his athleticism and what's special about him the way they talk about ((inaudible)) and everything. How much did that help him in surgery do you think?
Dean Richardson: I think it - again, he's a special athlete and you can - I can tell you - and I talked to Michael about this - I mean, even though he had kind of a - a little bit of a scary recovery at times, I was more confident with him because of how agile and athletic this horse is that he would get up - get up without injury. So, yes, you take a horse that's, you know, a really, really great athlete, I think it's more likely that he's got - you know, he's got - he's starting with a lot more. OK? He's starting with a lot more. So I - I'm happy to work with on a horse of this - you know, to start off with a horse of this kind of athletic ability, has strength.
Dean Richardson: He seem - he actually is so far a very good patient. OK? His mental attitude - his attitude is great. He's - you know, he's very active, inquisitive, bright type of a horse. He's - you know, he's sort of a perfect three-year-old colt. Looks just the way he should look.
Media: Dr. Richardson, as a human being we can ask, how do you feel today? How do you evaluate how the horse is doing.
Dean Richardson: Oh, well, we walk in and say how are you feeling, where's it hurt. We look - we look for objective signs. OK? Objective signs of problems such as whether or not the horse is eating, you know, normally, whether or not his heart rate is normal, his temperature's normal, whether or not he's moving around his stall voluntarily, manure production, urine production. All the things that you would think, objective signs. Looking at - I mean, we do look - you know, you look at the horse's eyes. Anybody who's a horse person knows that you can look at a horse and see if it's - you know, if it's bright, happy, alert. I mean, I think anybody who's around animals knows that you can catch a gleam of something in an animal's eyes whether or not it's feeling good. So it's not - that's not - that's not hard. That's not the hard part.
Dean Richardson: There one other thing I was thinking when (Gretchen) said that - you know, that (Alex Matz) said the best thing about this horse is that he wins all his races. I mean, I think that encourages me, because this is - you know, the race of healing this fracture is going to be one that we really would like him to win. I mean, that's like probably the biggest race. Right?
Roy Jackson: One last thing. I think all of us - I think I speak for Michael and Gretchen and myself. We'd all like to thank you for being respectful and supportive both in the good and bad times. Thanks a lot.
Dr. Sweeney: And I'd like to - before we all break down - thank - for all of you out there and those of you who are on-line, thanks to Roy and Gretchen Jackson and Dr. Dean Richardson for providing this opportunity to meet with them. And I know the question you all have is when you're going to hear from us next. And now I refer you once again to the Web site where we update, and there will also be updates on when we would gather if needed. And there will be information about the Barbaro Fund. Thank you very much.
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