June 30, 2009: LATICRETE, a global leader in the manufacturing of innovative systems for the installation of tile and stone, provided DeGrella Tile with LATAPOXY® 310 Stone Adhesive to adhere 10’ x 4’ granite slabs over a poured concrete substrate as the base of the Barbaro Memorial Statue at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The three-quarters of a million pounds bronze statue was sculpted by Alexa King to commemorate Barbaro’s decisive victory in the 2006 Kentucky Derby, the 132nd “Run for the Roses” held each year on the first Saturday of May. Wearing his signature No. 8 saddle cloth, Barbaro recorded the most dominating Derby win since 1946, finishing a full six and one-half lengths ahead of his nearest competitor.
Barbaro, born on April 29, 2003, was owned and bred by Gretchen and Roy Jackson at Leal Stables in West Grove, PA. Sadly, the beloved thoroughbred suffered a severe leg injury just two weeks after his Kentucky Derby win while attempting to take the second leg of the famed “Triple Crown” in the Preakness Stakes. Despite several surgeries Barbaro never made a full recovery and was put to rest on January 29, 2007. In keeping with the long-time tradition of burying the head, hooves and ashes of a true racehorse, Barbaro was interred beneath the statue of his likeness in full-stride at the Gate 1 entrance adjacent to the Churchill Downs Museum.
The life-size Barbaro Memorial Statue was unveiled on April 26, 2009 at the major entrance to the world’s most famous racetrack in a ceremony attended by over 500 fans of the legendary horse. The fabrication of the statues armature was done by Jeff Sime of JeffWorks in Verona, WI, and the granite installation as the base of the memorial was done by LATICRETE MVP (Most Valued Partner) DeGrella Tile and project manager Jeff Jolliff. LATAPOXY 310 Stone Adhesive, a two-component epoxy for the spot-bonding of large-format stone, ensures the permanent, problem-free installation of the massive granite slabs adhered to the Barbaro Memorial Statue.
“The job turned out very nice,” said Jolliff, vice president of DeGrella Tile. “The granite was pretty heavy but it worked just fine. We’ve been using LATICRETE® products for a long time but that was the first time we used the LATAPOXY® 310 Stone Adhesive product. I like it, it worked great. It definitely did its job.”
LATICRETE International, Inc. is a family owned business dedicated to innovative, high quality tile and stone installation systems. Based in the USA, the 50-plus year old company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers in its field. It’s well known brands LATICRETE®, LATAPOXY® and SpectraLOCK® are manufactured and sold worldwide. USA /Canada: 1.800.243.4788, outside USA: +1.203.393.0010, www.laticrete.com.
