Barbaro: "Stable and Happy"

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) - May 24, 2006 -- Barbaro enjoyed a restful nap and a few crunchy treats Wednesday, another small step toward recovery from a shattered hind leg for the Kentucky Derby winner.

The 3-year-old bay colt broke bones above and below his ankle at the Preakness on Saturday, ending his Triple Crown bid and racing career.

"Probably he has as many carrots as the doctors allow and as many apples as the doctors allow because he's received enough to feed the whole hospital," said Corinne R. Sweeney, executive hospital director at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

Fans have delivered "expressions of apples and baskets and stuffed animals and religious statues," Sweeney said. "It's just amazing the depth of the concern and the warmth that comes out."

Dr. Dean Richardson, who performed the six-hour surgery Sunday, called his famous patient's condition excellent, though he has cautioned that Barbaro remains vulnerable to infection and other life-threatening complications.

"He is stable and happy," Richardson said Wednesday afternoon.

Barbaro's pastern bone was shattered in more than 20 pieces. Doctors inserted a plate and 27 screws to repair the severe damage.

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