Horse racing news from http://www.boston.com/
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro has developed ``potentially serious" complications to his injured right hind leg, and underwent surgery to treat a new infection. Late Saturday, the 3-year-old colt, who shattered his leg at the start of the Preakness May 20, had a titanium plate and a number of screws replaced after developing discomfort in the leg and a consistently high temperature. The surgery was performed by Dr. Dean Richardson at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center, where Barbaro has been recovering in the intensive care unit. In a statement yesterday, Richardson emphasized that the complications are potentially serious. ``Barbaro had developed some discomfort and a consistently elevated temperature so we believed it was in his best interest to remove the hardware and thoroughly clean the site of the infection," Richardson said. ``We also applied a longer cast on that leg for additional support." It was the third procedure in less than a week . . . Steve Asmussen, North America's leading trainer in 2004 and 2005, was suspended for six months by the Louisiana Racing Commission, after his horse, No End in Sight, tested positive for mepivicane after a March 24 race at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La. . . . Slim Down, driven by James Hardy, set a world trotting record of 1:48.1 for the unusual distance of 15/16ths of a mile in the $12,000 Rock Trot Invitational at Rockingham Park.
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