Fare thee well, Sweet Prince...

Such a great loss... such a sad day...

So many people felt a stake in Barbaro's recovery. They imagined his pain, grimaced each time he faltered, took heart as each day passed and he was still alive, making painfully slow progress. The 2006 Kentucky Derby winner's fight for survival was their fight, a symbol of strength, courage and comfort — and, more than anything else, a source of inspiration. He was, after all, winner of the world's most famous race, in a sport desperate for a superstar. For months he seemed, remarkably, to take everything that came at him: good and bad. Finally, it was too much. Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his gruesome breakdown at last year's Preakness, ending an eight-month ordeal that made him even more of a hero than he was as a champion on the track. [yahoo news]

...and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.