Barbaro: The Year After

Saturday will mark another running of the Kentucky Derby. I hate that horse racing has become nothing but a sport run by gambling. I enjoy watching the “big” races (Triple Crown, Breeder’s Cup, etc.). The horses are truly a thing of beauty to watch.

However, I understand that they are just horses! While watching a video of Secretariat’s Belmont victory might be a thing of beauty, it is still just a horse race.

Barbaro was supposed to be the next “super-horse.” He won the Kentucky Derby, but then, infamously broke his leg in the Preakness. After months of rehab and surgery, he died earlier this year. Last Sunday would have been his fourth birthday.

I totally understand that people get attached to pets. Some get attached to other animals as well, including racehorses. But the outpouring for Barbaro–that still continues though he is dead–is beyond me.

ESPN.com is running a story about this fascination, and you may read it by clicking here.

We need to keep in mind that humans are the only creatures with a soul, and we need to be far more concerned with the souls of men and women than with the remains of a dead horse. We can be thankful for the good races he ran, but we need to get our heads on straight again.

Enjoy the race Saturday (without betting!), but remember…it’s just a horse race!