Edited press release
Horseracing fans will have an opportunity to see Barbaro's struggle for life through the eyes of Dr. Dean Richardson when HRTV’s “Inside Information” program looks back at the saga through a series of interviews conducted with the surgeon during his eight-month treatment of the colt.
The special show will air June 3 at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Following Barbaro's severe injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the well-documented injury gripped the racing community and the nation until Barbaro lost his battle and was euthanized in January. Throughout the process, Richardson was not only the lead physician in Barbaro's hoped-for recovery, but also the conduit to the racing world and concerned public.
“Inside Information” will delve into the ebb-and-flow and emotional struggle as it evolved over the months, through the introspective thoughts, and words of caution conveyed by Richardson in interviews conducted by HRTV during that period.
“Dr. Richardson granted us a series of four interviews over the course of Barbaro's struggle,” said Amy Zimmerman, HRTV's executive producer. “The first was in August, the next in October, the third in January and the last in early February. What ultimately happened to Barbaro came as a shock to a lot of people, but in fact, Dr. Richardson was brutally honest since the beginning as to what a tough fight this was going to be.
“In reviewing the interviews, he was almost prophetic in his statements. We want to portray what an uphill battle this was, how remarkable his recovery was despite the tragic end, and how true both Dr. Richardson and (owners) Roy and Gretchen Jackson were to their promise to let the horse decide what his final fate would be.”
In another HRTV programming note, Southern California-based trainer Ted H. West will be the featured guest on HRTV's weekly “Across The Board” show, which will air May 30 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The segment will take a look back at some of West's top campaigners over the years, including Budroyale, as well as his thoughts on growing up as the son of a trainer.