The statue will be part of the beloved racehorse’s official grave in front of Gate 1 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
More than 100 artists applied to create the Barbaro statue. The horse was euthanized in January 2007 after he struggling with a broken leg suffered in the Preakness Stakes.
Alexa King says she will use 500 to 700 pounds of wax clay to create a 1,500-pound statue of Barbaro striding toward the Derby finish line. The statue will be cast in Colorado after she carves it.
King says she hopes to have the statue in place at Churchill Downs before next year’s Kentucky Derby.

