Edited NTRA release

The emotional scene at the New Bolton Center as Barbaro recovered from a serious injury suffered during the Preakness Stakes has been voted the 2006 National Thoroughbred Racing Association “Moment of the Year.”

Barbaro's connections, and those of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, will be honored at the Eclipse Award Dinner on Jan. 22 in Beverly Hills, Calif., with the "NTRA Moment of the Year" award. Balloting was conducted at the NTRA Web site, ntra.com, and offered voters 10 different images illustrating a wide range of human emotions as well as outstanding displays of equine athleticism.

The images and events that fans chose from were:
--Barbaro wins the Kentucky Derby by a whopping 6 ½ lengths
--Barbaro is injured in the Preakness as Bernardini wins impressively 
--The racing world keeps vigil as Barbaro fights for his life at the New Bolton Center
--Lava Man wins the Pacific Classic; becomes first to sweep Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic, all grade I, in same year
--Trainer Todd Pletcher breaks Wayne Lukas's records for most stakes wins and graded stakes wins in one year
--Street Sense rolls to victory in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) by a stakes-record 10 lengths
--Ouija Board displays her dominance in capturing a second Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
--Invasor defeats Bernardini in a thrilling Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge
--Discreet Cat equals Easy Goer's track record in taking the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile at Aqueduct
--Jockey Russell Baze breaks Laffit Pincay Jr.’s record for most career victories

Barbaro-related moments swept the first three places in NTRA Moment of the Year balloting. The winning entry received 29% of the votes cast. The runner-up was Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) victory (27%). Finishing third in the vote with 22% was the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) that saw Bernardini roll to victory following Barbaro’s injury. Russell Baze’s record-breaking 9,531st career victory, which moved him past Laffit Pincay, Jr. on the all-time list, finished fourth with 7%.

"The NTRA Moment of the Year award is a great way for the fans to play an active role in the Eclipse Awards ceremony," said Keith Chamblin, NTRA senior vice president of communications. “The voting affirms that, in the eyes of horse racing fans, 2006 was the year of Barbaro, and we are delighted to salute his gallant struggle to recover as the latest NTRA Moment of the Year.”