Introducing Big Brown

He's raced only twice and has brittle feet, which hasn't kept a major buzz from developing around a 3-year-old colt named Big Brown. "Talent like he has makes up for a lack of experience," his trainer, Rick Dutrow, said. "He's that good." On Saturday the son of Boundary will get a chance to prove that in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

After debuting with an 11 1/4-length runaway on the Saratoga turf, separate cracks in each front hoof sidelined Big Brown. All that Dutrow could do in January was walk him around the stable area, and it wasn't until March 5 that Big Brown reappeared at Gulfstream in a mile allowance that came off the turf. He turned a lot of heads that day in a 12 3/4-length romp that convinced HRTV's Jeff Siegel, a very savvy handicapper, to make him No. 1 on his Kentucky Derby list.

"When he turned for home at the quarter pole, it took my breath away," Dutrow said Tuesday. "He does things effortlessly, like the good ones do."

Two-time Derby winner Kent Desormeaux rode Big Brown three weeks ago, and Dutrow said the Cajun Hall of Famer was gushing after a workout Tuesday. "Kent told me, 'Man, I've got goose bumps. This is so exciting. He's got one of the longest strides of any horse I've ever been on.' "

Although Big Brown is stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, moving into stakes company and coming back in only 24 days, Dutrow said he's not concerned. "He's never done any of these things," he said, "but I feel very confident going into the race. We feel extremely strong about his chances."

If not for Curlin's unprecedented rise last year from unraced unknown in late January to Breeders' Cup Classic winner nine months later, there would be much more skepticism about Big Brown. Robby Albarado, Curlin's rider, said he wouldn't dismiss the chances of any green colt with great potential.

"Curlin exceeded everyone's expectations last year by breaking his maiden in February and going on to win the Classic and be Horse of the Year," Albarado said Tuesday. "He proved that it could be done. It's rare, but in this 3-year-old crop, there's no real superstar right now outside of Pyro. So anything is possible with a lightly raced horse if he's good enough."

There never were durability issues with Curlin, so even if Big Brown can compete with the best of his generation, can he withstand the Triple Crown grind? Don't be surprised if he wins as the favorite Saturday, because he doesn't have much to beat. Yet how he comes out of the race, not where he finishes, will mean more in the long run.