Kentucky Derby-winning racehorse Barbaro was put to death last week after losing an eight-month battle to recover from a horrific injury sustained in last year's prestigious Preakness Stakes, a race watched by millions on TV [video].

Barbaro's death triggered an enormous amount of coverage in the U.S. media, most of which was focussed on the horse's bravery and the extensive veterinary care, but for many, his passing was just another heartbreaking reminder that horses continually suffer and die in the racing industry.

But there are millions of horses and other animals out there that do not have such a fan base. Most horses do not earn $2.3 million for their owners and their owners cannot afford elaborate surgeries to keep them alive for eight long months after breaking a leg.

The Metro West Daily News, February 5, 2007:

The only humans possessing adequate moral standing to praise Barbaro's bravery are those who publicly oppose racetrack cruelty, or for that matter, all animal cruelty so omnipresent in American society today.

The Free Liberal, February 3, 2007:

I've never understood how purported "horse lovers" can say the horse "loved to do this" when it takes a jockey beating him with a whip to make him run these races. Yes, he may have been a beautiful animal to observe running wild and free in a green pasture. That would be sheer joy to watch. But on a racetrack? I don't see any beauty in watching horses running at life-threatening speeds around a dirt track with little men on their backs whipping them on to the finish line.

The Washington Post, January 29, 2007:

The final line of the story above reads, The stirring attempt to save his life became one of the top sports stories of the year and focused new attention on equine medicine. It would be appropriate were it to read, Barbaros final, painful days brought new attention to the cruelty of using animals for entertainment, no matter the possible consequences.

The Daily Vidette, January 31, 2007:

However, we continue to question the absolute devotion an owner of a horse can have when they are forcing this animal into a life of racing and training, instead of allowing the horse to roam freely at a farm or on their land.

The New York Daily News:

“The thoroughbred race horse is a genetic mistake. It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks.”