Barbaro statue unveiled today at Churchill Downs

Louisville, Ky.

– Churchill Downs will unveil a bronze Barbaro Memorial Statue today during a dedication ceremony.The event commemorates the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner and marks its official memorial and burial site.

The bronze statue was created by equine sculptor Alexa King and commissioned by owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson to create a “larger-than-life” bronze of the racehorse. The 1,500-pound statue will showcase Barbaro and jockey Edgar Prado in mid-flight as they near the finish line in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. A horizontal bronze rail is said to support the statue, creating the impression that Barbaro and his rider are suspended in air.

“It is the first time that an equine statue of this size and scope has been presented in this manner, with all four of the horse’s feet off the ground,” Churchill Downs reports.

Veterinary surgeon Dean W. Richardson, of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, who cared for the colt following a 2007 breakdown in the Preakness Stakes, will be in attendance along with Barbaro’s owners.

The memorial will be located outside Gate 1 at Churchill Downs, track officials say, which is near the entrance to the Kentucky Derby Museum. Barbaro’s ashes will be interred beneath the bronze.