Saturday, June 7, 2008
Belmont on race day
Have you ever wondered what race day is like at Belmont? Videojournalist Marc Serra takes you there in this video.
Reaction to Big Brown's defeat
What was your reaction to Big Brown's defeat at the Belmont? Vote here.
Complete coverage of the Belmont
Big Brown falls short of Triple Crown
Big Brown didn't deliver - at all.
Long Island's favorite horse failed miserably in his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years when he pulled up and finished last in a huge upset in the 140th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Da'Tara, a 38-1 longshot, was the wire-to-wire winner.
"Long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse," jockey Kent Desormeaux said.
Asked what went wrong, Desormeaux said, "I have no idea."
Big Brown's defeat was a bitter blow to his Long Island connections, which include both of his major co-owners from IEAH Stables, Michael Iavarone (Holbrook) and Richard Schiavo (Woodbury), plus trainer Rick Dutrow (Long Beach) and Desormeaux (Garden City).
On Friday, Dutrow said: "Big Brown will win - easily." He also called the horse's victory a "foregone conclusion."
Big Brown, a 1-4 favorite, became the 11th consecutive Triple Crown hopeful to fail to win the so-called "Test of the Champion." The last of the 11 Triple Crown winners was Affirmed in 1978.
The 3-year-old bay colt had previously won the Kentucky Derby by 4¾ lengths and the Preakness by 5¼. Big Brown was 5-0 in his career and had won by a combined 59 lengths. He was trying to become the second undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown; the first was Seattle Slew in 1977.
Big Brown ran the Belmont steroid-free. Dutrow had been giving Big Brown the steroid Winstrol every 15 days, but he said earlier this week that Big Brown would run the Belmont without the injection. Dutrow said Big Brown had not been given Winstrol since April 15 while he was stabled in Florida.
Big Brown raced with a slight quarter crack in his left front hoof. The injury, which was considered minor, was patched on Friday.
Desormeaux is winless in six tries at the Belmont. In 1998, riding Real Quiet with a Triple Crown in sight, he finished second by a nose to Victory Gallops.
Big Brown's chances seemed to get a boost early Saturday morning when Casino Drive was scratched after he re-aggravated a bruise on his left hind hoof. The injury was discovered Friday morning, and later that day his veterinarian said the colt might have stepped on a rock or kicked something.
Casino Drive was considered Big Brown's toughest competition. The Japanese colt had won its only two races in impressive fashion.
"This morning he was feeling well, so we took him to the track for a canter," said Nobutaka Tada, the spokesman for Japan-based owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. "He came back well to the stable, but later he started favoring his left hind again. It's not serious, just a small stone bruise, but the timing is terrible."
The Belmont, at a mile and a half, is the longest and toughest test of the three classics.
Long Island's favorite horse failed miserably in his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years when he pulled up and finished last in a huge upset in the 140th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Da'Tara, a 38-1 longshot, was the wire-to-wire winner.
"Long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse," jockey Kent Desormeaux said.
Asked what went wrong, Desormeaux said, "I have no idea."
Big Brown's defeat was a bitter blow to his Long Island connections, which include both of his major co-owners from IEAH Stables, Michael Iavarone (Holbrook) and Richard Schiavo (Woodbury), plus trainer Rick Dutrow (Long Beach) and Desormeaux (Garden City).
On Friday, Dutrow said: "Big Brown will win - easily." He also called the horse's victory a "foregone conclusion."
Big Brown, a 1-4 favorite, became the 11th consecutive Triple Crown hopeful to fail to win the so-called "Test of the Champion." The last of the 11 Triple Crown winners was Affirmed in 1978.
The 3-year-old bay colt had previously won the Kentucky Derby by 4¾ lengths and the Preakness by 5¼. Big Brown was 5-0 in his career and had won by a combined 59 lengths. He was trying to become the second undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown; the first was Seattle Slew in 1977.
Big Brown ran the Belmont steroid-free. Dutrow had been giving Big Brown the steroid Winstrol every 15 days, but he said earlier this week that Big Brown would run the Belmont without the injection. Dutrow said Big Brown had not been given Winstrol since April 15 while he was stabled in Florida.
Big Brown raced with a slight quarter crack in his left front hoof. The injury, which was considered minor, was patched on Friday.
Desormeaux is winless in six tries at the Belmont. In 1998, riding Real Quiet with a Triple Crown in sight, he finished second by a nose to Victory Gallops.
Big Brown's chances seemed to get a boost early Saturday morning when Casino Drive was scratched after he re-aggravated a bruise on his left hind hoof. The injury was discovered Friday morning, and later that day his veterinarian said the colt might have stepped on a rock or kicked something.
Casino Drive was considered Big Brown's toughest competition. The Japanese colt had won its only two races in impressive fashion.
"This morning he was feeling well, so we took him to the track for a canter," said Nobutaka Tada, the spokesman for Japan-based owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. "He came back well to the stable, but later he started favoring his left hind again. It's not serious, just a small stone bruise, but the timing is terrible."
The Belmont, at a mile and a half, is the longest and toughest test of the three classics.
Who scraped the track?
Times for the first three dirt races today at Belmont have been very fast -- 6 furlongs in 1:08.8; 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.70 and a mile in 1:34.88. Maybe in the Belmont I'll take the lead, improve my position and dazzle the figure guys.
Live blogging from Big Brown's stall
Big Brown here, and I'm kind of bored, waiting for my date with destiny that's only 4 1/2 hours away. Here's a good one: On the same day Icabad Crane is running against me in the Belmont, a horse named Washington Irving raced in the Epsom Derby over in England. Washington Irving didn't lose by a head -- he was up the track -- and neither will Icabad.
Enough with the literary references. I'm told that the animal-rights protestors on Hempstead Turnpike outside Belmont Park today had a sign that compared me to Barry Bonds. I guess just because it's "clear" that I'm going to "cream" the competition, they hate me. OK, a little Winstrol (it's legal in New York, by the way) has entered my system, but I wonder if any of those holier-than-thou folks are taking prescription drugs that also are legal.
Now I want to weigh in on the greatest issue of our times: Whether Joba Chamberlain should start for the evil Yankees or pitch the eighth inning. I can't remember a team babying such a huge guy so much by limiting him to a pitch count. What if my trainer said I would only run 1 3/8 miles in the Belmont because he's limiting me to a furlong count? Humans are a weak species. Too bad horses don't run the world.
Enough with the literary references. I'm told that the animal-rights protestors on Hempstead Turnpike outside Belmont Park today had a sign that compared me to Barry Bonds. I guess just because it's "clear" that I'm going to "cream" the competition, they hate me. OK, a little Winstrol (it's legal in New York, by the way) has entered my system, but I wonder if any of those holier-than-thou folks are taking prescription drugs that also are legal.
Now I want to weigh in on the greatest issue of our times: Whether Joba Chamberlain should start for the evil Yankees or pitch the eighth inning. I can't remember a team babying such a huge guy so much by limiting him to a pitch count. What if my trainer said I would only run 1 3/8 miles in the Belmont because he's limiting me to a furlong count? Humans are a weak species. Too bad horses don't run the world.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Brilliant!
Big Brown here. As you could tell by my workout Tuesday, my hoof isn’t bothering me. What is getting on my nerves is that I'm still not being consulted over marketing deals. If -- I mean when -- I win the Belmont for the Triple Crown, I’m going to be hooked up with some outfit called 16W Marketing. How come nobody consulted me and I had to read it in Neil Best’s column? And he didn’t even bother to call me for confirmation.
The star of the show is always the last to know. My agent, Scott Boras, dropped the ball on this one, so if I’m out of the loop, he’s off my payroll. I’ve arranged an independent deal that plays off my name and off the Irish heritage of the person who knows me best, Michelle Nevin, my beloved exercise rider. When I go off to stud, we’re going to have one teary hugfest. There’s nobody I’m going to miss more.
Anyway, Michelle and I are going to do a commercial for Guinness that I dreamed up. The narration: “Big Brown is a champion, and so is the big brown beverage from the Emerald Isle.’’ Michelle is from County Tipperary, so we’ll sing “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” as she hoists a Guinness and a bunch of leprechauns dressed in IEAH’s silks dance around. I can hear them now in the pubs of Dublin: “Boy-o, this champion harse is also a jane-yus.’’
The star of the show is always the last to know. My agent, Scott Boras, dropped the ball on this one, so if I’m out of the loop, he’s off my payroll. I’ve arranged an independent deal that plays off my name and off the Irish heritage of the person who knows me best, Michelle Nevin, my beloved exercise rider. When I go off to stud, we’re going to have one teary hugfest. There’s nobody I’m going to miss more.
Anyway, Michelle and I are going to do a commercial for Guinness that I dreamed up. The narration: “Big Brown is a champion, and so is the big brown beverage from the Emerald Isle.’’ Michelle is from County Tipperary, so we’ll sing “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” as she hoists a Guinness and a bunch of leprechauns dressed in IEAH’s silks dance around. I can hear them now in the pubs of Dublin: “Boy-o, this champion harse is also a jane-yus.’’
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