He went to the post in the sixth position at the 131st Preakness Stakes, the undefeated thoroughbred, winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby, to take a shot at horse racing's prestigious Triple Crown.
He wedged into the starting gate, beside Brother Derek, two stalls apart from Bernardini, shrouded in a buzz of hope that had collected at the Pimlico Race Course in Maryland.
Barbaro, sired by Dynaformer, with La Ville Rouge.
Not since Assault won by eight lengths at the Run for the Roses in 1946, had a horse won the Kentucky Derby in such impressive form. A seven-length victory, perfectly crafted, where Barbaro separated from the rest of the field down the backstretch, poised for greatness as he sped to victory.
The next American "superhorse."
He was primed for the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, to become the next great champion. With a flood of adrenaline, Barbaro jumped the gates early at Pimlico, breaking through the barrier before the start signaled.
The crowd at the grounds held their breath, fearing Barbaro could be injured, as the American hero ran unaccompanied down the track.
Then the race was on again, with Barbaro back in his stall. This time, he got out of the gates well positioned, in the front of the pack, as expected.
Then, a misstep.
"Barbaro, Barbaro," said Tom Hammond, the announcer whose voice will always color our memory of the tragedy. His voice rose with a sense of shock and awe. "He's pulling up! Barbaro is being pulled up!"
Slow-motion replay showed Barbaro's leg collapsing, as it awkwardly struck the track without finding solid foundation.
A freak occurrence, especially for such a graceful athlete.
The leg broke in three places, grotesquely dangling as jockey Edward Prado skillfully pulled Barbaro to a halt. Prado, in perfect jockey form, became Barbaro's fourth leg, supporting the animal with tender tugs at the reins throughout the gradual let up.
A stunned crowd mostly quieted after a collective gasp, though many at the course hadn't even noticed the astonishing development, and continued following the race around the track. As did Hammond, dutifully calling the race positions to the finish as a true professional.
Nobody remembers the finish. They remember seeing the shot of Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz, as he raced from his family at first hint of the injury, straight to the dugout to see to his horse.
As Matz darted out of the frame, the camera focused on the woman in red who had been by his side. Her mouth agape, covered by a gloved hand, tears in her eyes.
The camera returned to Barbaro, his nose jerked to the sky. Trainers and medical staff tried to calm him, as the lens focused in on his right, rear leg. Barbaro suspended the leg in the air, trying to kick away at the pain.
In the background, as the cameras followed the action, a man could be heard shouting, "Get those cameras out of here."
The worst had happened. In horse racing, a broken leg, especially a hind leg, almost assures death, and a great champion had just been put to rest.
But nobody could imagine it was over. We could all see in our minds what was supposed to happen. Barbaro was to have started the race slow, in solid position, but not expending too much energy on an early lead.
He would have challenged for the lead after the first half -mile, readying for a burst of power down the final stretch. Then, as he approached the finish line, he would have kicked in the afterburners, willing himself to victory in front of thousands of endearing fans - a true people's champion.
Barbaro showed courage, even after the tragic race. A horse with Barbaro's injury normally would have been put down on the spot after the race, but owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson were determined to save the life of the colt, if he could live pain-free.
America showed its support, daily raining flowers and get-well cards at the horse's hospital.
We kept the Barbaro dream alive until Monday, when finally, after months of failed rehabilitation, the champion horse was euthanized and forever reserved for memory.
Barbaro, son of Dynaformer, American racehorse.
Reach the reporter at: tyler.w.thompson@asu.edu.
