Barbaro's tragic breakdown in last weekend's Preakness Stakes was a horrific outcome for both the horse and his connections and also to the millions who followed the race worldwide. Not surprisingly, the result has also prompted the time-old debate about racehorse soundness.

There was a very interesting article in the The American Eagle that people may be interested in. The article goes on to state:

"Arthur Hancock, who bred Kentucky Derby winners Gato del Sol and Fusaichi Pegasus and owned Derby winner Sunday Silence, said there's another factor at work: the use of legal drugs in thoroughbreds that race in the U.S.

Veterinarians commonly administer drugs such as the anti-bleeding drug Salix, formerly called Lasix, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone, commonly known as Bute, a pain reliever.

"We're breeding a chemical horse," said Hancock, who owns Stone Farm in Paris, Ky. "Nobody really knows the long-term effect of what those drugs will do. ... It's weakening the breed and it's dangerous".