This is the third annual SHOTY tournament. The first winner died, and the second one may have tried to kill himself, maybe. So it's quite the honor.

The voting itself will begin next Monday, but, as always, we ask for your nominations for the 16-human bracket. (In the comments, or emailing me, Mr. Emeritus, at will@deadspin.com.) Pairings, and Mr. Jim Cooke's arty brilliance, will be unleashed upon an unsuspecting planet then.

So hit it up. SHOTY 2008 Fever ... CATCH IT.

Honestly, if he doesn't make it this year, I plan on putting him up for nomination as long as the site exists anyway. Why not? Don't we kind of have to?

But is he a Hall of Famer? Seventy five percent is the threshold for induction. Vote below: Polls will be open until next Monday afternoon. Vote as if tomorrow does not exist.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

"God's Wonders In Rainbows"

From God's Loving Heart
The Most Beautiful Rainbow Barbaro
His Wings Of Love
Eight Belles God's Glowing Angel
Her Wings Of Love
Angel Erin God's Precious Angel In The Sky
Her Wings Of Love
Our Angel Horses
Big Brown
God's Divine Protection
God's Light Of Love
His Wings Of Love
Casino Drive
His Wings Of Love
Glowing
In Rainbows
Barbaro's Famblee Of So, So So Beautiful Angels
Here
Your Wings Of Love
Angel Alex And Angel Wendy
Your Angelic Hearts Of Care
Angel Tim
Your Wings Of Love
Angel Maribel
The Wings Of Prayer
Angel Lou Ann
The Most Beautiful Rainbow Birthday Glowing
Barbaro's Halo Is Glowing So, So So Beautifully
All The Colors Of The Rainbow
The Circle Of Love
In Hearts
In Roses
In Halos
In Wings
In Rainbows
Divinely
The Circle Of Angels
Barbaro's Angels
The Brennan Famblee
Our Angel Horses
Angels All Around
The Wings Of Divine Faith
God's Light Of Love
Beautiful Visions
Beautiful Creations
Receive Many Special Blessings
Divinely Inspired
Glowing.........

8.......Halos.......Two Hearts......Connected In
Love.......Barbaro's Rainbow Shining On You......
....

Affirmed Rainbows......
Sacred Prayers.......

Affirmed Prayers.......
God And The Angels Are With You........
Jesus........
Angel Barbaro.........
Angel Eight Belles........
Angel Erin.........
Angel Windchill........
Angel Secretariat.......
Barbaro's Angel Frens With You........

Affirmed Knowing........
Barbaro.......
Divine Miracles.........

Affirmed

Posted by: Dee Mirich at June 5, 2008 5:21 PM

Too much here to actually process. Just remember, Will, that wherever you go from here on out, Barbaro's rainbow will be shining on you; and should you ever develop laminitis, don't be surprised if it magically melts away. And, you know, 8 halos, or something.

Alex Brown Message Board

There are some hints, though. He appears to be athletic, is put together well and has a good disposition. He also seems curious and intelligent. Like Barbaro, he has a habit of taking in the scenery when he goes to the track in the mornings. He will peer at his surroundings before he tells his exercise rider that he is ready to go.

As the Times article states, the odds of Nicanor being good enough to win the Kentucky Derby like his older brother are astronomical. But it doesn't matter. All that stupid horse has to do is sprain an ankle, and we'll all be deluged with horse poetry for the remainder of the century.

Barbaro's Little Brother Nearly Ready To Run [New York Times]
Dee Mirich Cranks Out The Classic Of All Classics [Deadspin]

How do I know that her latest is destined to be a classic? Because the word "rainbow" is mentioned no less than seven times; a record. Also there are five angels, and even Jesus himself makes an appearance. So sit back and cuddle a loved one or your favorite alcoholic beverage, and enjoy "Music In Rainbows."

"Music In Rainbows"

From God's Loving Heart
The Most Beautiful Rainbow Barbaro
His Wings Of Love
Eight Belles Glowing Angel
The Heart Of The Rainbow
Barbaro's So, So So Beautiful Angels Here
Musical Notes In The Sky
In Halos
Churchill Sounds Singing
Barbaro's Halo Is Glowing So, So Beautifully So
All The Colors Of The Rainbow
The Circle Of Love
In Hearts
In Roses
In Halos
The Circle Of Angels
Angel Mothers
Caring Hearts
Reaching Another
Inspiring
The Rainbow Of Music
So, So Beautiful Songs
The Words That Mean A Lot
Joy.........

Posted by: Dee Mirich at May 10, 2008 7:37 PM

Alex Brown Horseracing Message Board
There's Something About Mirich [Deadspin]

Such an ugly turn of events. As Unsilent Majority wrote on Saturday, it was rather disarming to watch all the smiling faces in the winner's circle celebration while a few yards away, a horse lay dying. NBC defended itself by saying that it didn't want to upset viewers by showing the dying horse on camera; but the loud gunshot during the Gabriel Saez interview was a dead giveaway.

Meanwhile, horse fans over at the Alex Brown Racing message board are furious.

I want to throw up still. Thank God I have all of you in my living room via the net. That innocent smokey gray creature with her adorable striped tube socks on her legs lying on the track still wanting to run is stuck in my head and I can't go to sleep. This is what nightmares are made of. Afterwards, these lady horses are forced to have sex with different men horses they don't know that well so they can become pregnant only for their baby to be taken away is sad. I will never see the Kentucky Derby as a festive wonderful event. We need to respect these creatures. Judgement day will come for us. — From: csantovena 2:07 am

So racing fans are not happy. PETA is on the warpath. And the Washington Post is asking the musical question, is horse racing on its way out? (I blame the blogs!).

But thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it. Twice since 2006, magnificent animals have suffered catastrophic injuries on live television in Triple Crown races, and there is no explaining that away. Horses are being over-bred and over-raced, until their bodies cannot support their own ambitions, or those of the humans who race them.

But at the end of the day, I think we're all left with one fundamental question. All of this animal suffering, and yet Wizard Cat does nothing?

Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself To Death? [Washington Post]
Death Looms Over Churchill Downs [Deadspin]
PETA Wants Eight Belles Jockey Suspended After Horse's Death [SF Gate]
Alex Brown Racing Message Board

Yes, it has been a year since 2006 SHOTY winner Barbaro galloped off this mortal coil. Actually, Barbaro's not gonna be buried; he has already been cremated, and the ashes will be interred — that's a verb you only use when referring to ashes — outside Gate 1.

We've learned so much in the last year; it seems as if it were only yesterday. How young we were back then! How little we knew!

Seriously: This is downright weird. (And by "weird," we mean, "awesome.")

The press release states that the statue, being installed courtesy of the Kesting Gallery, will depict Barbaro "in the winner's circle, on his back, with his number 8 saddle cloth draping his belly, and hooves in the air, representing his inability to stand on his feet due to the debilitating laminitis which followed the shattered ankle he suffered in the 2006 Preakness Stakes."

The statue is planned for a location in Central Park where a carriage horse ran into a tree and died after "being spooked by a street musician's drum" last September, according to the release. The carriage horse, named Smoothie, will also be memorialized by an Edwards statue that will be displayed at the Kesting gallery.

You know, there's no better way to represent an inability to stand on one's feet than having a sculpture be of Barbaro with his hooves in the air. Sculpt, dude, sculpt!

Barbaro Statue For Central Park [Bloodhorse]

There's intense debate about where his ashes will be buried, but worry not, young fretters: They're close to a decision. We don't know where the ashes have been for the last year, or what has taken them so long. We assume they will be placed just outside Churchill Downs, while an eternal flame burns.

Decision On Barbaro's Ashes Close [Bloodhorse]

"All Rainbows For Our Angel Horses And Angels Here.

Special Words Of The Day: All Rainbows
God's Treasures....Here....Appearing.....God's Divine Love........

Barbaro (8)
With You........

The Circle Of Love........
His Halo Is Glowing........
All The Colors.........
No. 8........

The Wings Of Prayer........
Praying Hands........
Sacred Prayers........
Sacred Letters........
Write........
The Wings Of Love........
Angelic........
The Heart Of Love........
The Rainbow Of Support........
Famblee........
The Rainbow Of God's Treasures........
Halos........
More Angels........
God's Stars........
Shining Beautifully........

Affirmed

Posted by: Dee Mirich at December 4, 2007 3:54 PM"

I felt that it was almost starting to make sense until "Famblee."

Alex Brown Racing Message Board

The artist seems to be making some sort of "statement" — which, proving his status as a true artist, he explicitly describes in the auction — but that won't matter if this is on your wall. All that matters it that it's Michael Vick, riding Barbaro.

Paint another one, dude: We know what we want for Christmas already.

Michael Vick Rides Barbaro [eBay]

Frankly, we kind of like that it's difficult to break into the Hall of Fame. (Honestly, there are a couple choices from last year we're not sure will last the test of time.) It is the Hall of Fame, after all; it should be special and difficult to enter. That said, we were pretty surprised Barbaro didn't sneak in; right there is the plaque we had set up for him. We think he'll probably stay on the ballot, every year, just for fun. (Obviously, with no copy.)

If you're still disappointed in the results ... there is always the SHOTY ... just a few months away.

And if you're wondering who we voted for, we went with Ned, Barbaro, "Lemme Know," 02/01/07 and the ESPN Memo. But the glory of it is that we, like everybody else, have but just one vote.

Deadspin Hall Of Fame

Our other two films so far, both made on behalf of Ned, are here (by Proffessor Jerkwheat) and here (by Chad Sexington). We had no idea there was such filmmaking talent amongst the comments, and it's clear that at some time in the near future we're going to have to have a Deadspin Film Festival.

Barbaro, Champion Of Greatness [YouTube]

Since then, he not only was almost on the cover of Vanity Fair, taken the form of a Cheeto and, oh yeah, won Deadspin's 2006 Sportshuman Of The Year award. His qualifications would seem to be self-evident. But last year: 31.1 percent. Bruce Sutter never even made that upward leap. Of course, Bruce Sutter is still alive, and never saved America.

But is he a Hall of Famer? Seventy five percent is the threshold for induction. Vote below: Polls will be open until next Monday morning.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

GRAYDON Carter doesn't believe in flogging a dead horse. The Vanity Fair editor-in-chief said neigh to the idea of putting Barbaro on the August cover. Instead, "Transformers" star Shia Labeouf got the nod. Sources say Barbaro - the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner who captured hearts after he shattered a hind leg in the Preakness and struggled for months to survive - actually market-tested higher than Labeouf. But Carter vetoed the equine cover. So Shia is featured, saving the actor from being beaten by a dead horse. A VF spokeswoman said, "We don't comment on covers."

Please, silly young movie star, you overly flatter yourself if you think you can even slightly compare to the international superstardom of Barbaro. You can act, actor, act, all you want ... but we're talking about immortality here.

Meanwhile, In Other Popularity Contests Across The Country [Jossip]

You've sat through "The Sopranos," waiting for them to just settle the whole matter already so you can stop seeing ads for it. You ordered HBO for one reason only. And the night you've been waiting for is among us: It's the HBO Barbaro Documentary.

And it's tonight. 10 p.m. ET. If you aren't watching, you have no soul.

Barbaro: HBO Sports [HBO.com]

(All together now ... Affirmed.)

Barbaro Zepeda (he chose an excellent last name for himself ... I bet all the other horses are jealous) lost a decision in San Jose last night to Eloy Perez, dropping his career record to an uninspiring 8-13-1. Gone are the glorious mane, the speed, and all the fur, but on the bright side ... he can stand upright and ejaculate, although I don't think the going rate is as high on the latter as it was for the previous incarnation of the big bossy boy.

James Toney headlines Fight Night at the Tank in San Jose [Sharkspage]
Barbaro Zepeda [BoxRec]

I couldn't eat him. It wouldn't be right. Everybody loves Cheetos, but we love Barbaro even more. I don't know what made me look at this one before I ate it, know it sounds crazy, but I'm sure I heard Barbaro neighing in my ear. He sounded a little horse, but it was loud enough for me stop eating and look at him. The rest is history and now we can share him with the world! Please do not bid unless you are serious about taking care of Barbaro. Barbaro probably would like to hang around a while longer—NEIGH, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER! So its up to you to make it happen. He needs to be mounted in a place of honor in a good, stable home.

Well — and this probably shouldn't have surprised us — one Deadspin reader who wishes to remain anonymous won the auction and, last week, mailed us the sacred finger food. We are proud to report that we can feel the spirit of Barbaro in the Cheeto, and that he will live on, safely, with us. We will never let harm befall him. Unless we run out of Bagel Bites, in which case, anything goes.

But yes: The Barbaro Cheeto has been secured. Crunch, hoof, crunch!

Barbaro Lives On Through Snack Food [Deadspin]

(Close up shot of the Cheeto after the jump.)

Officially, it's Maker's Mark, which is officially bourbon, we suppose. (It's the Dewar's of bourbon!) And it's being sold on eBay right now, for $99, with $15 shipping, which is also a lot.

It is not yet known if any part of Barbaro is actually in the bourbon, but there's really only one way to find out. Drink it, and then see if you are stronger, more powerful, possessing the ability to fly.

We can't quite read what that plaque says, but if it doesn't end in "Affirmed," we don't want any.

Maker's Mark Barbaro Kentucky Derby Bottle [eBay]

But, the good news is that we have been getting sporadic reports from Zach, live at Churchill Downs. Here's some of what he's sent us so far:

So far the only cool thing I've seen is cleavage. Lots and lots of cleavage.

I'm in the grandstand. This place is a Republican's dream—all the white people are in suits and all the black people are employees. As for me, I'm in a khaki suit with cufflinks, double fisting a Bud and a mint julip.

Apparently telling people "I'm going to puke" does not get one to the front of the line for the men's room.

If you stare at seersucker long enough, you'll see a dolphin jumping at you in 3D.

Local news coverage started at 6 a.m. At around 9 a.m. they interviewed folks in the infield who smuggled in a zip lock bag full of grain alcohol. They followed that up with an interview of security guards.

Oh. And OJ is near section 118.

Anyway, right now I am in the University of Louisville's parking lot, in line for the Anytime Portable. Which is overflowing.

The Louisville folks are taking a lot of pride in their Orange Bowl victory. Banners abound. I want to remind them that it was against Wake Forest, but am afraid I'l get locked in the port-a-potty.

The only celeb I saw was Michael MacDonald. But that's probably because Tom Brady was busy nailing The Queen..

Here's to hoping that Street Sense gets through the Preakness without getting into a fatal crash, like that great horse, Dale Earnhardt.

OJ, you say? So there is a chance that a horse will die this afternoon. That's great news.

Anyway, I'm about done with the Derby for the day. I just can't watch this for another hour ... in all the excitement of the year of Barbaro, I had forgotten how boring, inhumane, and silly this whole thing is. If we get more updates from Zach, though, they'll be right here.

For our horse racing analysis here on Deadspin, we turn to New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr. From Steve Zipay at Newsday.com:

I'll give you my picks for Saturday's Kentucky Derby tomorrow, but decided to ask Jagr at practice if he even knew the name of any horse in the running.

"Barbaro" he said.

When reporters told him that Barbaro was dead, he asked: "Does that mean he can't win?"

"Not unless he's got a great jockey," I said.

Then the Rangers' captain replied: "There's only one horse: It's me."

So that's who I'm going with ... Jaromir Jagr. He might as well win it. Honestly, I think the best thing that could happen here is for another horse to die, hopefully a photogenic once. Pretty soon, people are going to get over Barbaro, and they'll need another cause.

And for more Derby stuff, I encourage you to browse through the links below, including Unsilent Majority's breakdown at Name of the Year.

HNOTY: Barbaro, Schmarbaro [Name of the Year]
Ahmad Rashad with Barbaro: The lost interview [The Sports Hernia Blog]
Kentucky Derby Infield [Kentucky Derby]
Paul Lo Duca Presents: Kentucky Derby Winners! [Bugs and Cranks]
Horses and courses... [Blue Notes]
Did Merv Griffin's horse get the bute or the boot? [Steroid Nation]

Today's gem comes from ESPN's Wright "No Worries, It's On Me!" Thompson, who hangs out with the blue hairs and comes out feeling refreshed and clean. Our favorite is the interpretive dancer Martita Goshen.

"Barbaro was in many dimensions," she says. "He looked at the whole picture. That's why he had that stumble at the Derby. He was ahead of the moment. The Zen of that. That's dancing. For the rest of my life, I'll be working to move with that innocence." Many years ago on a voyage off the coast of San Diego, she came face to face with the eye of a whale. She saw all of humanity in that eye, the rise and fall of civilizations, love, hate, power, glory, ugliness, beauty, lies, truth. This realization has taken her all over the planet, trying to help save the creatures she holds dear by raising environmental awareness. ... "[Barbaro] a great messenger," she said. "He's the greatest dancer I've seen since Baryshnikov or Nureyev."

"I was just as terrified when I met Barbaro as when I met the Dalai Lama," she says.

We know these are wonderful characters, perfect candidates for rich, florid prose. We're glad to see they've been granted their moment to bask in the light. But, you know, just to remind you: They're all batshit insane. Not that we wouldn't give Goshen a quarter on the subway. It seems the least we could do for someone who has seen "the fall of civilizations, love, hate, power, glory, ugliness, beauty, lies, truth" in the eye of a freaking whale.

The Church Of Barbaro [ESPN]

Expect, in the next week, Madison Square Garden to be haunted by the ghost of a rather pissed Barbaro; the overtime in the Rangers-Sabres game yesterday caused the Barbaro documentary to be postponed and rescheduled for the vastly unworthy CNBC this Friday. Jeez, why don't you just put the damned thing on Versus? CNBC? Maybe Jim Cramer can host.

The cancellation didn't affect the weepy tributes.

Deb Gratton of Fort Bragg, N.C., Patti Boprey of Rochester, N.Y., and Lenny Hall and Yvonne Splichal, both of Las Vegas, felt like old friends when they met for the first time this weekend. [At Delaware Park] "It feels like we've known each other for 10 years," said Splichal. "With Barbaro as our link, it wasn't hard to bond."

We do hope that April 29 will remain a national holiday, and those with cat-hair-littered sweaters will still gather from miles around to "bond." It's the Horse Woodstock!

Barbaro Hates Hockey [Foul Balls]
Remembering Barbaro [Delaware Online]

We're totally getting this tattoo, by the way ...

Today, of course, is Barbaro's birthday, and I would like to mark the occasion with a moment of silence ... I'm not sure how to do a moment of silence on a blog, other than to just run a giant artist's rendering of a sad horse. I think I'm just going to ask you to silently ponder this piece and think about what it means to you. Do this until the Barbaro special starts at 5:00 on NBC.

In other celebrations across the country, "Barbaro Day" was held at Delaware Park, and included a remembrance vigil and a barbeque. Everyone agreed that Barbaro was delicious.

And lest you think that it's only lonely housewives who continue to mourn the passing of Barbaro, that's not the case at all. The Conner High School track team used Barbaro as inspiration to carry them to victory in the Conner Cougar Invitational. Coach Jeremy Fisher wore a blue Barbaro wristband and credits the dead horse with lifting his team.

"For the past year, I've used Barbaro as my inspiration," Fisher said. "I know it sounds really strange, but this one's for him. Barbaro represents everything we are as a program. It's a group of people who fight through pain and have put the team ahead of everything, especially themselves."

Senior Elena Lampman finished second in the hurdles event, and tragically had to be put down after the loss.

Remembering a champion: Barbaro [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Barbaro inspires victorious Cougar boys [Cincinnati.com]

Friends, we are only three days away from a historic day: The big fourth birthday party for Barbaro. Nevermind that Barbaro is as aware of his birthday party right now as he would have been had he been alive; it's time to lament the passing of a non-sentient legend.

"Just be warned," said fan Sharon Crumb. "It's going to be very emotional. I don't think there's going to be a dry eye.

"I can't let Barbaro go," a choked-up Crumb said. "I won't let Barbaro go. ... "We went through a lot of tears together online. "I just have this vision of us being together for one great big group hug. And I hope we heal. I don't want people to say goodbye to Barbaro. I hope we become stronger."

Oh, man, Sunday — which is also when the NBC documentary is airing — is gonna be the greatest. We're gonna talk to MJD and see if he can observe a Deadspin moment of silence. Because by going through this together, we all become stronger.

Big Celebrations Planned For Barbaro's Birthday [Deadspin]
Barbaro Documentary To Run Sunday [BloodHorse]

His mother (La Ville Rouge, who I've heard is a total whore) and father (Dynaformer, who is well-hung, even for a horse) welcomed Barbaro's full brother into the world at 2:08 a.m. on Friday. It was a c-section.

However, the 148-lb. bundle of joy doesn't have a name yet. I hate to suggest the obvious, but if it was up to me, I'd just abandon any illusion of the horse trying to have his own identity, and I'd call him Barbar-bro.

Maybe that puts a little too much pressure on him, though. I'd hate for him to succumb to all the expectations and end up as the Roger Clinton of the family. You know, he runs away after his first birthday, become addicted to smack, and years later, his family will find him drunk and high, accepting a 75 cents for a stud fee in a filthy back alley in Louisville during Derby Week. I'd hate to see it come to that.

So if you've got any name suggestions, I'm sure the family would love to hear them.

Barbaro's full brother born [Fort Wayne]

America, get your hankies ready.

NBC Sports presents "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse," a special one-hour documentary look at the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, who touched the hearts of horse racing fans and animal lovers around the world last year with his fight for life before finally succumbing to injuries suffered at the Preakness Stakes. "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse" looks back at the thoroughbred's impressive six and a half length win at the Derby, his dramatic injury and his amazing will to live that captured the imagination of the public. The film also examines Barbaro's legacy and impact on the future of horse racing. "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse" premieres at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, April 29 on NBC, on what would have been Barbaro's fourth birthday.

"It's extremely rare that an athlete stirs the depth of emotion among people that Barbaro did," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics and executive producer, "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse." "We were lucky enough to have a front row seat to witness the rise of this remarkable horse to win the most prestigious event in thoroughbred racing, the Kentucky Derby. Sadly, we were also there for his devastating fall at the Preakness Stakes; and we were there to document why his subsequent struggle to live touched so many people."

We find it incredibly touching that the documentary is scheduled for Barbaro's fourth birthday; surely, he would have appreciated that, had he possessed sentient thought. We smell Sports Emmy!

Barbaro Documentary Airs April 29 On NBC [The Horse]
(Oh, by the way, T.J. Simers points out today that you can interview Barbaro's saddle. Sign us up!)

You know, we mocked the Barbaro message boarders when they claimed that Big Boss Horse was appearing to them from the afterlife. Yeah, we had a good laugh over that. But then a reader got to looking closely at our Jesus bowling post from last week, and made a startling discovery. Just look at the image above, without clicking on it, and tell us that you don't see Christ morphing into the ghostly head and neck of everyone's favorite three-legged racehorse (complete with mane).

Jesus, Barbaro and bowling. God's trifecta. (Actually we think it more resembles this than anything).

And now we have this news. Clearly Jesus-Barbaro has shown up for a purpose.

Spare Me, Oh Lord [Deadspin]
Think You Can Avoid The Legend Of Barbaro? Go Ahead, Try [Deadspin]
Area Bowlers Busted For Illegal Steroids [SooEveningNews]
Barbaro Lives On Through Snack Food (But Not In The Way You're Thinking) [Deadspin]

Fortunately for interested bidders, the item still smells of jockey crotch and horse sweat. Imagine how wonderful that would be in your living room.

Proceeds from the sale are going to the Permanently Disabaled Jockeys Fund, which benefits, as you may have guessed, permanently disabled jockeys. That's fine, I suppose, but I'd rather see the money go to something a little more worthwhile... like dead horse-resuscitation research, horse leg transplant research, or just a 900-foot gigantic bronze statue of Barbaro to replace the Statue of Liberty.

Barbaro's Derby saddle being sold [FOX Sports]

Two months after he cantered off of this mortal coil, further proof that the Barbaro phenomenon is still bigger than all of us.

Michael Matz could have another horse for the Kentucky Derby this year, yet nothing can replace his memories of Barbaro. The trainer made that perfectly clear Thursday morning outside his barn at Palm Meadows training center, when he pulled an envelope from his car and shared a letter sent by a young boy from Namibia. "He's 10 years old, he's an orphan, and he has AIDS," Matz said, his voice cracking with emotion. "He knew about Barbaro."

If Barbaro had lived just another year longer, we're convinced we would have achieved world peace. Oh, and there's still a Barbaro message board in operation at Tim Wooley Racing, by the way, where things have gotten very, very weird lately. It's like with Barbaro gone, there's a vacuum out there, with all these different factions of crazy vying for supremacy. Thank God for baseball season.

Matz Is 'Never Going To Be Over Barbaro' [MSNBC]
Barbaro Lives On Through Snack Food (But Not In The Way You're Thinking) [Deadspin]

In an eBay auction that, if there's any justice, won't be pulled, a man has discovered the spirit of Barbaro alive in his bag of Cheetos.

Quoth: I couldn't eat him. It wouldn't be right. Everybody loves Cheetos, but we love Barbaro even more. I don't know what made me look at this one before I ate it, know it sounds crazy, but I'm sure I heard Barbaro neighing in my ear. He sounded a little horse, but it was loud enough for me stop eating and look at him. The rest is history and now we can share him with the world! Please do not bid unless you are serious about taking care of Barbaro. Barbaro probably would like to hang around a while longer—NEIGH, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER! So its up to you to make it happen. He needs to be mounted in a place of honor in a good, stable home.

We couldn't agree more: The bidding is currently five bucks. He deserves better.

Barbaro Alive In A Cheeto [eBay]
Conspiracy Theorists Insist Barbaro Still Alive [The Onion]

We are less than two weeks away from the release of the most-anticipated literary venture into the mind of a horse since Seabiscuit, or at least Sex And The City. It's Barbaro: A Nation's Love Affair, which, fortunately, is only a metaphorical love affair.

It's an "up-to-the-minute book" — those are the best ones — about how Barbaro's " unlikely fight back from almost certain death from a shattered leg and ensuing complications captured the hearts of a nation who responded with a stunning display of love." The authors are Pamela K. Brodowsky, the mind behind several entries in the Staying Sane While Dieting series, and Tom Philbin, writer of The Psychic in You: Understand and Harness Your Natural Psychic Power.

We obviously cannot wait.

Barbaro: A Nation's Love Affair [Amazon]

So far the results are encouraging, but it's close; and the northern precincts have not yet checked in, where voters are decidedly anti-horse. So if you want to make sure that Barbaro goes first class instead of coach for all of eternity, get in on this now. By the look of the poll's message board, it's anyone's horse race at this point.

• In the book of Joshua, I think, it mentions that the lion will lay down with the lamb in heaven. I take that to mean that there is an afterlife for animals. God bless Barbaro, what an amazing race horse! — hphaynesjr

• Sorry, when the lion lays down with the lamb it is not talking about heaven; it's talking about the 1000 year millenium period on earth, directly after the tribulation period where there will be peace on earth for 1000 years as Christ sets up His kingdom. — Walkersugar

• "The lion shall lay down with the lamb, but the lamb won't get much sleep." - Woody Allen.

• Thanks for this post. If any horse goes to heaven, I'd say it would have to be Barbaro. And he'll go straight to heaven. No purgatory for him. — FairnessFCPS

• This is so ridiculous. You have to have a soul to go to heaven. And in the bible it says you must confess with your mouth that Jesus is who He says He is. And also you have to repent of your sins. How many horses (besides Mr. Ed) talk? So I think this is a no-brainer... Whats sad though is people really believe that animals go to heaven. — SMH

• Christpher Reeves is riding Barbaro in hell. — Woo74

Poll: Will Barbaro Go To Heaven? [Lexington Herald-Leader]

Today, friends, let's remember Barbaro, who'd have wanted to watch the Super Bowl. Or, much like your Aunt Judy, he'd have liked to be in the presence of the glowing box with the bright and colorful images while people around him ate Doritos and drank Coors Light. He deserved that much.

Which is why I thank the anonymous television reporter responsible for this exchange with Colts tight end Ben Utecht:

Ben Utecht was approached by a television reporter.

"Are you going to win this one for Barbaro? Are you dedicating this game to him?" the reporter asked, not smiling.

"Barbaro?" Utecht said, not playing along.

"Yeah, you know, a fallen colt?" the reporter asked earnestly.

"What you have there is a tragic situation," Utecht said. "We're just going to go out there and do the best we can."

Asked about it later, Utecht said it was the stupidest question he ever has been asked.

Super Bowl briefs [Salt Lake Tribune]

Just 75 miles from where Barbaro first captured the nation's attention with a remarkable run in the Kentucky Derby, a young colt, a baby in many ways, spends much of his day frolicking in a large paddock at Mill Ridge Farm. He is just one among thousands of yearlings living on thoroughbred farms throughout Kentucky, and all of them are still months away from their first chance at showing what they might amount to on a racetrack. Still, there will always be something special about this brown colt. As yet unnamed, he is a son of the sire Dynaformer and the dam La Ville Rouge. That makes him Barbaro's full brother, the only full brother that he had.

(Somewhere in Indiana, Dee Mirich raises her head suddenly like a deer alerting on a strange noise).

Meanwhile, La Ville Rouge and Dynaformer have produced another full brother to Barbaro who is set to be born in mid-April. After delivering that foal, La Ville Rouge, who is 11, will again be bred to Dynaformer, who is 22 and does not have too many years left as a stallion.

It can't be avoided; Barbaromania, Round II, shall commence sometime in the spring of 2008, when his brother is ready to begin racing, and every two years thereafter for a decade or so. They're being produced like Baldwin brothers, so those weary of this saga are just plain out of luck. Christianity has lasted for more than 2,000 years despite concerted efforts to kill it, and Barbaro's story will live at least as long. Get used to it.

So to pass the time until spring '08, let's give Barbaro's brother a name. What we've got so far are "Eli Manning," and "Steve." We're sure you can do better.

And while you're thinking, please enjoy this.

Can His Kid Brother Follow In Barbaro's Huge Footsteps? [New York Times]
Bad Reporter By Don Asmussen [SFGate]

If the Jacksons agree to put him there, Churchill Downs shares could hit an all-time high price. The high for the stock came on July 29, 2005 at $46.60. My take on the horse racing business is that it's a very bad business because of a variety of factors, but Churchill Downs has the prime properties. A great Barbaro burial site is an awesome money generator. I'm sure they could even build some sort of mini-museum.

As your broker, we'd advise you to take it. It's two minutes to closing, Barbaro fans. What do you want to do? Decide.

Barbaro May Be Buried At Churchill Downs [Forbes.com]
Betting On Barbaro: Bears Cashing In [CNBC]

(By the way, if you haven't read the Mighty MJD's letter from the dead Barbaro, you probably should.)

But some refuse to believe that Barbaro is watching wide-screen hi-def TV in the afterlife, with special hoof-friendly remote. They insist on making this a religious thing, while dragging out their Michael Bolton CDs for elaborate YouTube tribute soundtracks. And the action on the Barbaro message boards, of course, is going pretty much the way we expected as well.

• When I listened to Gretchens news conference tonight, near the end she asked us all to say a prayer for Barbaro. Which of course I have and will do. But it reminded me of something Jackie Kennedy asked the whole nation to do on the night that JFK was assassinated. She asked everyone to light a candle (electric) and put it in your window tonight to guide his spirit home. For some reason this gives me great comfort, as though I am able to do one last thing for Bobby. This is just a suggestion for anyone who would like to do it for Bobby. I want to know that he is over the Rainbow Bridge. — 4Barbo [Tim Woolley Racing]

• I can't describe the awesome whirlwind of emotions I've felt over the last eight months—you've given all of us so much strength. I plan to name my first child Barbaro, in hopes that he has half the heart that you did. —Michael Sambuceti, 24; New York, NY, USA posted on 2007-01-29 14:25:18 [UPenn Message Board]

• These were the first six songs that played on my ipod in shuffle mode after I heard about Barbaro: 1) The Fallen 2) Let the Four Winds Blow 3) Shine It All Around 4) You're the Reason I'm Leaving 5) All the King's Horses 6) Thank You. Completely random? Somehow, I think there is a connection...It's not the lyrics of the songs that struck me so much as the titles...Trying not to cry as I write this. — jsrice [Tim Woolley Racing]

Meanwhile, the Palestinians called a cease-fire just a couple of hours after Barbaro was put down. We thought that was nice.

Barbaro Message Board [Penn Veterinary Medicine]
Adjusting To Life Without Barbaro [Deadspin]
Cease-Fire Starts To Take Hold In Gaza [MSNBC]

We do fear that the Sportshuman Of The Year tournament might be cursed; come December, we're going to pick our nominees extremely carefully. We also feel bad that the Barbaro Message Board has been down all day. They really should have put together some extra bandwidth for this.

But mostly, we just wanted to salute Barbaro for all the good times he gave us. We hope he was able to fit in some solid siring before he hobbled off to that great dirt oval in the sky.

Goodnight, Sweet Prince [Deadspin] (graphic by the great Jim Cooke)

As for us, we cut live to the scene unfolding on Deadspin One, the private plane afforded us by Gawker Media.

(All credit to "El Jefe de San Antonio de Bexar.")

A sad day, everyone: The Thoroughbred Times is reporting that Deadspin 2006 Sportshuman Of The Year Barbaro has been euthanized.

Barbaro, winner of the Kentucky Derby whose battle to overcome injuries suffered in the Preakness Stakes attracted worldwide attention and a legion of fans, was euthanized on Monday morning at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

Gretchen Jackson, who owned and bred the Dynaformer colt along with her husband, Roy, said that Barbaro's front feet were beginning to become affected by the limited ability of both his laminitic left hind foot and his fused right limb that was shattered in the Preakness Stakes to bear weight.

In heaven, he will hoof on, forever.

Deadspin Barbaro Coverage [Deadspin]