Barbaro. Final tally: 76 percent.

Yep: He finally made it. Now we don't have to nominate him every year. Somewhere, Rick Chandler, who was the spearhead of the Barbaro story in the first place, is smiling. Congratulations, ya old horse. Once, and for all: Affirmed.

Anyway, congratulations to all Hall of Famers. To recap, here are the current members of the Deadspin Hall of Fame, with their year of election:

2006
Carl Monday
Kyle Orton
Clinton Portis
Run You Stupid Fucking Dinosaur, Run
Renee Thomas And Angela Keathley
Viking Sex Boat
You're With Me, Leather

2007
Ned

2008
Buzz Bissinger
Will Leitch
Isiah Thomas
Marques Slocum's Fuck Lion

2009
Barbaro
Charles Barkley

Way to go, all. See you next year.

(Plaque by "Law And Order" star Jim Cooke.)

To remind, here are the vote totals for Barbaro in the first three years of Deadspin Hall of Fame voting:

2006: 31.1 percent.
2007: 74.6 percent.
2008: 73.7 percent.

So close, so far. Will he get his Joe Gordon on this year?

You decide. Seventy five percent is the threshold for induction. Vote below: Polls will be open through the weekend.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien reports:

In fact, newly arrived - he just got here at 12:30 p.m. – Barbaro Canizares might possibly be one of the worst defensive players the Braves have had on their major league roster in quite some time, based on what I've heard of the 29-year-old Cuban rookie first baseman.

"I heard he can't run, can't throw and can't field, but the sumbitch can hit," is what one Braves player told me this morning.

A good glue guy, one might say. Pitcher Tommy Hanson, a former Gwinnett teammate, also noted Barbaro's cinderblock of a glove, saying his defense "needs work." "I wouldn't expect Gold Glove performances," Bobby Cox tells the AJC, beating a dead horse.

Canizares gets call - and Andruw's No. 25 [AJC]

Below is the video that will launch a thousand heroic couplets. Affirmed.

Fans of Barbaro Can Smile [NYT]
Nicanor Breaks Maiden in Stunning Fashion [BloodHorse]

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.........

8.......Halos......Two Hearts......Connected In
Love......Divine Love.......

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

Affirmed Prayers.......
God And The Angels Are With You.......
Jesus......

Barbaro's Angels
His Rainbow Of Love.......

Affirmed

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.