Things Still on Hold with Big Brown. There's nothing new to report today about Big Brown's quarter crack--or if there is, no one's talking.
A patch will be applied after farrier Ian McKinlay is clear that no further drainage is building up under the crack. Big Brown isn't expected to work out until after the patch is applied.
Trainer Rick Dutrow continued saying today there are no worries.
As talented and physically imposing a presence as Triple Crown contender Big Brown is, trainer Rick Dutrow seems just as impressed by the colts personality and intelligence.
Hes just a very cool customer, said Dutrow Friday morning after the colt galloped over Belmont Parks main track in preparation for the June 7 Belmont Stakes, the final race of the Triple Crown. I think he knows things other horses just dont get. Hes just way ahead. Hes just an absolute pleasure to be around.
"Theres no way in the world theres any horse thats doing any better than Big Brown. Its impossible. He is just shiny, so proud of himself, hes just everything you want to see in a racehorse. Hes beautiful to watch train, hes beautiful to pet, beautiful to be around.
Dutrow reiterated he did not think any of the anticipated Belmont Stakes runners were the equal of Big Brown, and he predicted nothing could stand in his way.
A wet track? He would love it. It would work to our advantage. He would absolutely love it.
The quarter crack? Not an issue.
Post position? I dont seven care about the post.
Anything? If they said, 'Rick were going to run the Belmont on the grass this year, Id say Thatd be fine', he said. We dont need to worry. He will handle things.
Rose knows Big Brown - and the Belmont
By JAY PRIVMAN
As the only jockey to have ridden Big Brown, attempted to beat him, and won the Belmont Stakes, Jeremy Rose is in a unique position heading into the 140th Belmont Stakes next Saturday at Belmont Park. Big Brown is going for the Triple Crown, but Rose will be a triple threat.
Rose picked up the mount on Big Brown when he made his debut Sept. 3 at Saratoga after Edgar Prado, who was scheduled to ride Big Brown, was injured two days earlier. Big Brown won by 11 1/4 lengths, though Rose knew he was just pinch-hitting that day.
"The competition is so good at Saratoga," Rose, who is based at Delaware Park, said Saturday morning en route to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where he was to catch a flight to Cleveland to ride in the Ohio Derby on Saturday afternoon. "They said to stay with the field before you start to widen. At Saratoga, that's usually not an issue, because there's so many good horses around you. But we found out why they said that to me. He's very, very talented."
Since then, Big Brown has gone on to win an allowance race, the Florida Derby, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes, all with Kent Desormeaux. Rose rode against Big Brown in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness on Icabad Crane, who finished third, 5 3/4 lengths behind Big Brown. Icabad Crane will come back for a rematch in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.
"He got stopped at the quarter pole," Rose said of Icabad Crane. "To get stopped the way he did and come back on and finish, it was an excellent race. The more distance for him, the better. A lot of horses in the Belmont don't want to go that far. You weed them out by the top of the stretch.
"Hopefully we won't have the kind of problems we did in the Preakness. To get stopped and pick right up is difficult to do. But he's a tough little horse. He's very relaxed, very laid back."
Icabad Crane, trained by Graham Motion, was scheduled to have his final work for the Belmont on Monday at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland.
Rose knows what it takes to win the Belmont. He did it three years ago with Afleet Alex, who was third in the Derby, then overcame a bad stumble after being interfered with by Scrappy T to prevail in the Preakness. In the Belmont, Afleet Alex romped by seven lengths.
"He was much the best in there," Rose said. "It was a lot nicer than clipping heels at the Preakness. I just had to sit on him to the quarter pole. By the quarter pole, the ones who couldn't get the distance were out of the way.
"I actually think the Belmont is the easiest of the Triple Crown races to ride. Everybody makes a big deal about the mile and a half. But it's easy to ride. You just want to keep your horse relaxed early, just sit on him, and find a spot. Saving ground is a big key at Belmont. You don't want to lose ground."
Big Brown gets new sutures, may breeze Tuesday
Big Brown galloped 1 1/2 miles over Belmont Park's main track a couple of hours after hoof specialist Ian McKinlay replaced the stainless steel sutures in the quarter crack on the colt's left front foot. McKinlay said that it was just a routine change and it helped tighten things up around the quarter crack.
"It's doing great," McKinlay said. "They say he's traveling beautiful. That's all we can ask for."
It was the fourth straight morning Big Brown galloped after missing three days of training due to the quarter crack and then jogging on Tuesday.
"Best day he's galloped since he's been here," trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said.
McKinlay, who was not expected to look at Big Brown on Sunday, is likely to put an acrylic patch over the quarter crack on Monday. Dutrow said he would breeze Big Brown either Monday or Tuesday, but seemed to be leaning toward Tuesday.
"If I do it Monday I'll get a little bit better breeze in him; if I do it Tuesday it'll be all basic, basic stuff, so I'll most likely do it Tuesday," said Dutrow, noting it would be a five-furlong move. "As long as the track and the weather are good."
The rain that made Belmont's main track sloppy for the races held off Saturday morning during Big Brown's training session. He went to the track following the renovation break. After coming through the paddock tunnel, Big Brown stood at the finish line while he watched a bunch of horses go by on a busy morning.
After about five minutes, Big Brown broke off into his gallop and definitely seemed strong as exercise rider Michelle Nevin kept a tight hold of her reins.
"He really trained good this morning," Dutrow said. "He took a hold of Michelle. He's ready to do what we want him to do."
Dutrow said he is very happy with the condition of Belmont Park's main track. He said he met with New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward and racing secretary P.J. Campo last week after Big Brown developed his quarter crack. Dutrow, who on May 23 had a horse run seven furlongs in 1:20.70 - just 0.53 of a second off the track record - said he asked if it was possible to make the track less hard.
"I didn't tell them what to do, I just suggested maybe we could use a little more cushion on the track if it's possible," Dutrow said. "It's only gonna help our horse get there the right way. They seemed to agree with us 100 percent. The track the way it is now, I wish it was like this every day until Belmont closed down for good because it was excellent this morning."
John Passero, NYRA's director of racing surfaces, said that the track has about another quarter-inch of cushion because he has graded the track less and harrowed it more in the last week.
"Instead of grading it every day or every other day, we made sure it was every third day," Passero said. "It's a natural process. I never added more cushion, I just let the cushion fall down naturally."
Prior to the Wednesday of Florida Derby week, I never had occasion to interview Rick Dutrow Jr. We knew each other, of course, but the relationship didnt go much beyond whats known as the racetrack wave.
Hello, nice to see you, goodbye.
Obviously, I knew more about the reputation than the man; getting ruled off the for abusing cocaine, a handful of suspensions related to the use of permitted medications, and empirical visuals that most of his horses run too good.
But midway through our interview inside his Palm Meadows barn this winter, I was getting good vibes off the guy. That means something to anyone born under the sign of Pisces.
Dutrow looks you in the eye, answers questions directly, saying that he deserved some of the penalties he received, but not all of them. There wasnt even a hint of trainer-speak from Dutrow. He was a breath of fresh air.
In those 30 minutes, I developed a newly found respect for him as a horseman because of his game plan, the confidence he showed in his approach to training, but with enough humility to call his Hall of Fame buddy, Bobby Frankel, not so much for advise but as a sounding board.
Frankel told him to have confidence to do just what he was doing, that no one knew what the horse needed better than his trainer.
That was minutes before I met and fell in love with the coolest, neatest and friendliest Triple Crown aspirant ever to look through a bridle.
As the Triple Crown chase gained momentum, so did Dutrows confidence. He knew what he had, he assessed the competition accurately and made a physical and emotional commitment to one of about 200 horses under his care.
Even with the re-emergence of a quarter crack--not a serious ailment but popping up at a serious time--Dutrow has not been deterred from speaking his mind about Big Browns chances to become racings 12th Triple Crown champion.
A forgone conclusion, he said.
Confidence is a block upon which you build. And Big Browns trainer has become a poster boy for confidence. But when does confidence become over-confidence? At what point does good will turn into negative energy?
Dutrows remarks about the connections of Smarty Jones, saying that John Servis over-trained him for the Belmont, and that Stewart Elliott over-rode him to an 11½-length victory margin the Preakness were indelicate, at best. At worst they were way over the line.
But as far as taking stock of Casino Drive when he came off the track Thursday morning, saying that in no way could the Japanese star beat Big Brown given what he saw, Dutrow has earned the right to express that opinion.
Dutrow is not expressing any opinions that differ from what you could hear any trainer standing at the rail over their early morning coffees. Only most wouldnt say on for the record.
Of the seven deadly racetrack sins, jealousy wins by open lengths every time.
While Dutrow might not have incurred serious wrath from most racing and casual sports fans, he is starting to turn good karma into bad. Because of his achievements and personality, fans have warmed up to Big Brown, pulling for him to make history. But if Dutrow keeps this up, that could change.
Sometimes Dutrow thinks very well on his feet. When asked whether he thought a rival jockey would sacrifice his chances just to get the big horse beaten, he said he couldnt imagine why any jockey would do something like that. Cmon.
Apparently Dutrows forgotten Jerry Baileys glaringly aggressive ride on Eddington in Smarty Joness Belmont, or might not be old enough to remember seeing Angel Cordero Jr.s exhibition aboard Shake Shake Shake in the 1978 Travers, won by Alydar via disqualification.
Should Big Brown fail to make history, seeing Dutrow get his comeuppance would be a satisfactory emotional hedge for many. And thats too bad. Despite all of this, theres still something about Dutrow that doesnt offend me the way trash talking in any other sports do.
I realize that I probably wouldnt feel this way if I hadnt met Dutrow because a horse named Big Brown, at a time when a two-race wonder was trying to make history by winning the Florida Derby from post position 12.
Meanwhile, my 92-year-old Sicilian nana is rooting for Dutrow to win the Triple Crown because she appreciated the fact that he turned his life around. That alone is good enough for me.
But hes already been good for racing. Do you think, for instance, that radio sports talkers Mike Francesa and Chris Russo would have spent two hours on horse racing a week in advance of the Belmont if Dutrow werent a hot button issue?
But let me give Big Browns trainer some advise when he meets with the media this morning outside Barn 2 at Belmont Park. Try to keep ancillary damage to a minimum. Enough already.
Tomcito Out of Belmont Stakes. Tomcito has been withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont Stakes. He was third to Big Brown in the Florida Derby and seventh to Casino drive in the Peter Pan, those races sandwiched around an off-the-board finish in the Grade II Coolmore Lexington at Keeneland.
Trainer Dante Zanelli said the son of Street Cry was suffering from a reaction but did not specify what caused it. Its very depressing, he said.
Tale of Ekati Breezes Six. Although he faced a muddy track when the time came, Tale of Ekati, fourth in the Kentucky Derby, breezed this morning at Belmont Park for trainer Barclay Tagg, right on schedule. He was clocked in 1:11.80 for six furlongs.
The work was more energetic than his most recent one, when Tale of Ekati went six furlongs in 1:18.80 (1/3) six days ago at Belmont, and more solid than a four-furlong work in :46.80 two back.
Tagg, who five years ago guided New York-bred Funny Cide to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was less than happy with both those works.
This was the move I was hoping for last week, Tagg said. Now, you can only hope that it wasnt too much for him. Everything seems to be going well now, and were back on schedule.
In the Wood Memorial, Tale of Ekati stalked 2007 juvenile champion War Pass and then powered to the victory in the lane. In the Kentucky Derby, he finished fourth, beaten 11 lengths by Big Brown after a troubled trip.
The Belmont is a tough race, and Big Brown is a tough horse, Tagg said. But if youve got a horse that is doing well, you have to take a chance. Were back on schedule today, and this horse loves Belmont Park (He's 2-for-2 at Belmont). I hope he runs his race.
Eibar Coa will maintain the mount for the Belmont Stakes.
Big Brown: Moving Forward, Breeze Set for Tuesday. Big Brown went out for another gallop this morning at Belmont Park under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, drawing applause from the Breakfast at Belmont crowd as he passed by the grandstand.
He was very cheeky, reported Nevin. He had a basic gallop again today. He felt good. He knows something is going on because all these people are around him all the time, clapping for him in the grandstand.
Nevin confirmed that Big Brown will have an acrylic and fiberglass patch placed on the small quarter-crack on his left front foot tomorrow, and that he's scheduled to breeze Tuesday morning.
The stainless steel sutures in Big Brown's front left hoof were replaced yesterday.
Equipped with the new wires to hold together a small quarter-crack, Big Brown also galloped yesterday morning.
We have time, and we want to keep the patch off as long as possible to let the crack heal naturally, Michael Iavarone of owner IEAH Stables said.
Added trainer Rich Dutrow Jr.: The final call will be up to Ian. The little crack looks like it's in pretty good shape. It's not bugging the horse in any kind of way. Ian is very happy with it. We're right on course, right on target.
Ian McKinlay, who has been monitoring the five-eighths inch-long crack since last Friday, said things looked beautiful.
The little spot up top (on the coronet band) just keeps getting harder and harder, said McKinlay. By Monday it should be in fabulous shape. Theres no sense in taking any chances, he added. The only thing that can go wrong is rushing. If we dont rush it, were good. When you push on it now, he doesn't even feel it.
McKinlay said he intensified the solution of alcohol and iodine used to prevent possible infection. "We changed the solution and made it a little stronger," McKinlay said. "By Monday, it should be in fabulous shape."
Prosective Field Grows to 10; Ready's Echo Works. Big Brown could face as many as eight opponents in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.
Ready's Echo is a go for the Belmont Stakes now. He went five furlongs on the training track, rated fast, in 1:00.80 (5/14) today at Belmont Park. Were very happy with the way he went, said trainer Todd Pletcher.
We thought his Peter Pan was a good race, said Pletcher. He seems to be an improving horse. So we decided to take a shot.
Pletcher said a rider hasn't yet been determined yet.
Da' Tara is a new possible name now. Behindatthebar, another one that's been mentioned for the race, is all but out of it now.
According to New York Racing Association stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes, definite starters include Anak Nakal, Big Brown, Casino Drive, Denis of Cork, Icabad Crane, Macho Again, Tale of Ekati and Tomcito.
Byrnes said that the Nick Zito-trained DaTara, who Thursday worked four furlongs over the training track at Saratoga in 49.60 seconds, is also a possibility for the race, which would bring the field to 10. Zito also trains Anak Nakal.
DaTara, a Tiznow colt owned by Robert V. LaPenta, was the pacesetter in the Barbaro Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day. He reluctantly giving way to Roman Emperor in the final strides of the mile and a sixteenth race.
Everything is fine with both horses, Zito said. Anak Nakal will work on Monday. He will blow out a little bit and ship down on Wednesday.
DaTara is getting better. One thing is, when these things are good, youve got to run them. He was good in the Barbaro on Preakness Day, and he was a lot better than a lot of the horses in the Preakness. Hes still a longshot. But hes good and hes a terrific horse.
Zito said he would name riders in the next day or so, adding: Somebody good will be on their backs.
Of the 11 Triple Crown winners, none has faced more than seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes.
Seattle Slew (1977) and Citation (1948) had seven challengers; Assault (1946) and War Admiral (1937) took on six; Affirmed (1978), Secretariat (1973), and Omaha (1935) faced four others; Whirlaway (1941) and Gallant Fox (1930) had three rivals, and Count Fleet (1943) and Sir Barton (1919) defeated two.
Denis of Cork, Anak Nakal, Icabad Crane All Set; Macho Again Jogs
Denis of Cork. This morning at Churchill Downs, Denis of Cork put in his final pre-Belmont Stakes workout, breezing four furlongs in :48.60 (20/46) on a track rated fast. Robby Albarado handled the workout.
It was the third workout at Churchill since the Kentucky Derby for the David Carroll-trained son of Harlan's Holiday. He's owned by William K. Warren, Jr.
Denis of Cork covered the first quarter-mile in :24.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.
I was very, very happy with what I saw today, said Carroll. Robby was very careful not to go too fast early. Hes very deceiving. He can go fast because he covers a lot of ground, so he was under wraps the last eighth. He just let his head out and he just immediately accelerated, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Were excited.
It was a good work, said Albarado. He went really well. Hes showing improvement and hes doing everything that Davids asked him to do.
Denis of Cork and Macho Again will be flown to New York from Louisville on Wednesday instead of tomorrow as originally planned. The horses are scheduled to load onto vans at Churchill Downs at 11 a.m. ET, and the flight is scheduled to leave Louisville International Airport at Noon.
Macho Again. The colt was on the track this morning at Churchill for a two-mile jog under exercise rider Kenny Bourque. After walking the shedrow on Saturday after his Friday workout, he jogged yesterday as well. Trainer Dallas Stewart said Macho Again will gallop tomorrow.
Were just trying to be a little careful, said Stewart. Hes doing great. Hes on his toes and looks awesome, so were just hoping to go up there with a lot in the tank.
Anak Nakal. Anak Nakal, last seen running seventh in the Kentucky Derby, made his final move for the Belmont Stakes today at Saratoga, capping three works at the track since the Derby.
Nick Zito sent out Anak Nakal to breeze four furlongs, which he accomplished in :49.60 (8/14). The trainer said yesterday he expects to ship the son of Victory Gallop owned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds to Belmont Park on Wednesday. Accompanying him might be Da' Tara, owned by Robert LaPenta.
Icabad Crane. At Fair Hill Training Center, Icabad Crane breezed four furlongs on synthetic track, going in :48.60 (1/2). The New York-bred was third in the Preakness Stakes after winning the Frederico Tesio at Pimlico. A son of Jump Start, Icabad Crane is owned by Earle Mack and trained by Graham Motion.
Big Brown to Work Without Hoof Patch. What's this? Steve Haskin at Bloodhorse.com reported last night that trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday afternoon Big Brown will not be fitted with a patch today as originally scheduled and will work on Tuesday without one.
Im going to breeze him just the way he is and give him more time to let Ian put the patch on the day before the race, Dutrow said. The longer we wait the better. As long as he gallops and trains like he did today thats exactly what were going to do."
The New York Times reported today that hoof specialist Ian McKinlay said he will wait and apply the patch the morning of the race, but a source at Belmont said McKinlay would in fact apply the patch on Friday.
Casino Drive to Have Traditional Workout? Nobutaka Tada, spokesperson for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, said Casino Drive would likely have a more serious move on Wednesday than his recent walks, jogs and gallops around the Belmont backside and track.
The Mineshaft colt, whose dam, Better Than Honour, is also the dam of 2006 and 2007 Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, has been training daily with a long walk under tack on the horse paths, a trip to the track and another hour-long, vigorous walk.
We will have to do something a little faster on Wednesday, and then he will be ready, Tada said.
On May 7, three days before winning the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Casino Drive worked five furlongs in :59.80 (2/26), handily, at Belmont Park.
Belmont on Ready's Echo Radar Since April. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Ready's Echo came out of yesterday's five-furlong work of 1:00.91 in very good order. We are pleased with his progress, the Pletcher said.
Readys Echo launched his career at Saratoga last summer, finishing second to Z Humor in a 5 1/2-furlong race in which he bucked his shins. He returned to action on March 5 at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden with a 3 1/4-length win over seven furlongs. He then was second by a neck in an April 12 allowance at Keeneland on Polytrack before running third in the Peter Pan on May 10.
We kind of had the Belmont on our radar ever since the race at Keeneland,' Pletcher said. ``And we got more serious about it after his performance in the Peter Pan.
There are 14 investors in the group that owns Ready's Echo, Lets Go Stable. The stable is managed by Kevin Scatuorchio, the son of prominent owner James Scatuorchio, and Bryan Sullivan, Scatuorchios son-in-law.
Although not expected for the Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Lexington winner Behindatthebar worked a half-mile in 48.91 on Belmont Parks fast training track for Pletcher this morning.
Beyer Speed Figures have been made for the last 18 runnings of the Belmont Stakes, the first one being a 111 for Go and Go in the 1990 Belmont.
The average winning figure is 106.5 over the 18-year span, with 114 the highest and 95 the lowest.
The 107 earned by Rags to Riches last year was right on par with the average.
Stevens Blames Ride, Too. From the Idaho Statesman: Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, an Idaho native who got his start at Les Bois Park, blamed jockey Kent Desormeaux for Big Brown's poor performance in the Belmont Stakes.
Desormeaux should not have held Big Brown back early in the race and instead taken him right to the front, Stevens said on KTIK's "Idaho Sports Talk" with Jeff Caves and Statesman sports columnist Brian Murphy on Monday.
Stevens said he told his son that Big Brown would lose as soon as he saw him hung up early in the race. Stevens attended the race.
"It's the first time I have wanted to have had my boots on since I retired," said Stevens, who won eight Triple Crown races during his storied career and now serves as a race analyst.
DAN PATRICK: Let's start with the pre-race. Did you notice anything with Big Brown?
KENT DESORMEAUX: Absolutely not, Dan. That horse was in perfect condition and he never took one bad step.
DP: When you were in the gate with this horse, were you thinking anything different than previous races?
KD: No, I was hoping for a nice, clean, pure break and I didn't get that. He slipped up front and kind of scrambled away from the gate and had already given up a length. That first quarter of a mile, that first turn could have been my demise. I had to rein him in, he was a little aggressive. Maybe it was too much time off. If he would have broke smart, my intent was to just wire the field. I thought the track was fast. I was hoping to break running and that didn't happen, I already had to call an audible. I reined him in. I actually was quite happy to get that position I was in, after we rounded into the first turn. But it took a lot of work to get it.
DP: If I said you could have a do-over with that horse, what would you do differently?
KD: Given the situation I was in, there's nothing I could have done differently. I would have only hoped to break smarter. If we do it over again 100 more times, he's probably going to leave three in front and all they would have seen was his tail. Unfortunately, you now, the race track lost its ability. They lost water for probably two hours. The track that usually a horse can get a hold of had dried out and gotten powdery. So it wasn't normal to say the least.
DP: Steroid factor -- did that have anything to do with that horse and how it ran or did not run on Saturday?
KD: No, absolutely not. You know, what steroids do is make a horse hungry and aggressive, and if you watch the race, he was definitely aggressive. And he never came out of the feed trough since they put him in the barn. All he does is eat. So I'm absolutely certain that steroids had nothing to do with it. The slippage, the first step out of the gate, probably was his demise.
DP: If you look at this horse, still the best horse you've ever ridden?
KD: By a hundred miles.
DP: You're still going to continue to race this horse, right?
KD: Absolutely. I think they've got two races in mind. They want to run him once before he attempts to win the Breeder's Cup Classic.
DP: So, two races that you know of that they'll race him, are you going to be the jockey for those two races?
KD: Yes I will, Dan. There's definitely no one pointing a finger in my direction. In fact, I've been complimented by the trainer and the owner. Believe me, I was spanking on him, encouraging him to run until I was last. Icabad Crane came inside me, bumped me out of the way, and proceeded on his endeavor to win the race, but at that point I was already like seventh and backing up fast.
I love horses, they have given me everything that I have. There was no way that I was going to beat this horse up to be last by then. Why not just be last in an easy fashion? It didn't make sense to me at all and at that point, when I couldn't keep up with the last place horse, I thought, Listen, let's take this home, get him home safe, and recharge his battery.
DP: Were you under any instructions to be careful of injuring this horse?
KD: Absolutely not. It was never a thought in our minds. The only instruction I was given was, 'If he can't win, take it easy on him.'
DP: But if you look at this though, Kent, and you have a horse that's invincible, and when I saw you in New York City earlier in the week, and just talking to you, there was no way you thought that horse could possibly lose. How does that happen?
KD: Well, you know what, it just allows me to have a deeper admiration for the eleven that have won the Triple Crown. I mean, you have to understand something, these horses that are winning the first two legs of the race have got to be doing it at a gallop, just toying with their competitors. There's no other way you can win three races in five weeks against the best horses in the world. And, you know, in hindsight, I think you have to realize that the horse ran out of his skin in the Preakness, and they do that by offering you a great effort. So, you know, though it was easy, it was easy because the horse put his best strides forward.
DP: But how does that happen, that, at what point does a horse say I don't have it today or I don't feel like running?
KD: Well, you know what, when you encourage them to go and they say, "No, I'll see you next week," that's something that's tough to explain in layman's terms, but they just don't want to get into that fight. They just go for a gallop. They don't fight. There's no competitive spirit in them. And for whatever reason, it could be because I slowed Big Brown down and he decided, "You know what, I like going slow." That is something that I can't answer, that's just the horse.
DP: If you ran this race 10 more times, how many times are you winning?
KD: Nine.
DP: So you would allow that you would still not be 100 percent sure that you would win every race?
KD: I always allow that, I think you gather that from me in conversation. They still gotta open those gates and turn us loose. If they could talk we'd know what they're saying, but the reality is, Dan, that they don't talk and we can only, as humans, try to understand them from our viewpoint. And hopefully the signs they tell us from their everyday life is all we can gather to decide whether they're doing well or not. Whether they're eating, whether they're spirited, whatever they're doing ... that's how we have to train if they're happy. And the guy that trains 'em is one of the best at understanding if a horse is happy.
DP: What did it feel like when you got off Big Brown on Saturday, when you dismounted?
KD: Oh, I was sick man. I was frickin' noxious. I was gut wrenched. I felt like I had been just run over by a trash truck. I don't know, it was hard. It was hard. I felt so sad for the people, I felt like I had let all the horse racing fans down. I felt I had like I had let racing down, you know, I was hopeful to get this done, but it just wasn't meant to be. God's got a better story for us, something's gonna be learned from it.
DP: Do you look at it though, and you get off a horse, did you feel like you failed with that? When you get off and you didn't accomplish what you were supposed to accomplish do you personally fail?
KD: No, sir. At no point ever did I feel like I failed. I was saddened by the outcome of the event. I was hopeful that our team could help resurrect thoroughbred racing. I don't think horse racing gets any bigger than coming to that Belmont with a chance to win it. You know, it's a story that ends on that occasion, we were either going to win it or not, and I would have rather had the happy ending. But I don't think it gets any bigger than attempting the Triple Crown.
DP: You don't get paid, you get $50 to ride. Did you get $50 to ride in the Belmont?
KD: Maybe. I might have ended up with $50. By the time I paid tickets and what not for the hundreds of people that came out, I'm probably out about $25,000.
DP: But didn't you tell me you were riding other mounts, you get $50, and then if you won, then you would get a portion of the purse, right?
KD: Right, that's correct. I get six percent of the purse if I win.
DP: So, you didn't get anything because Big Brown didn't cash. You get $50 for riding Big Brown on Saturday.
KD: It's actually $100, I got $100 total.
DP: Is that cash, or by the time I take taxes out you're only getting like $48?
KD: That's right, there are employees of the game. I have an agent, I have a valet, I have insurance. My insurance costs me $110 a mount.
DP: So you lose money?
KD: I don't want to go there, Dan. I'm sorry for the fans that we couldn't complete the task that we were so hopeful to attain. At that point, you know, I was hopeful to become an immortal in the game, and an historical name in the game, but you know what, I'm not done yet. I'm not going anywhere. God has proven that lightning can strike twice in a bottle, so hopefully we can come back. What I don't like is the fact that Real Quiet, Funny Cide and now Big Brown all ran on the exact same dates and they all failed. May 4, May 17 and June 7. It's kind of, I don't like it. I didn't know that beforehand, I know it now.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Belmont: Denial of the slicksters
The post-mortem reaction to the Big Brown debacle on Saturday is unanimously and justifiably lacking in sympathy for the humans attached to the failed Triple Crown bid.
No matter how you look at it, the horse Rick Dutrow sent into the Belmont was less than 100 percent and there is no way to look past the wounded left-fore hoof and discount its weight in an equation that equals zero, particularly in light of the hard racetrack signed by John Passero, or fast track as he likes to call himself.
The surface was scraped after Fridays races, sealed tight despite a cloudless sky and on Saturday morning, hardly a racetrack kind to a hoof from which a wedge is carved from the wall. But the ground at Belmont was only a contributor to the downfall of Big Brown.
Lack of Winstrol? Absurd. Steroids are not part of race-day procedure and if you believe that Big Brown had been given no steroids since leaving Florida because Dutrow said so you probably should not be playing this game because the next trainer who tells you the truth about a horse will be the first.
Belmont day did provide a subtle illustration of the difference between a horseman and a loudmouth with a fast horse and a good vet. Casino Drive, sent to New York with the Belmont his only goal, suffered a minor bruise to his left-hind hoof and was scratched. Many American trainers would have applied an aluminum pad or bar shoe and run, but Casino Drives Japanese connections chose the horses welfare over the immediate objective. Big Brown was sent into a 12-furlong race on a patched hoof.
There is a sense that Big Brown saved the Triple Crowns sanctity from those he would have carried into racing history. The insufferable Dutrow for one and the people central to IEAH Stable, who have been described in various ways including shady and, a personal favorite, slicksters. When Big Brown left the half-mile pole apparently running on a treadmill, they were all relegated to footnote status. Surely, they have been enriched by Big Browns success even as they were unmasked by those who took a close look at what they really are hustlers. The racetrack is the perfect environment for people of this ilk, but dramatic success brings the harsh light of scrutiny. Theres a novel here somewhere, but not another chapter in the book of Triple Crown history.
The enrichment will continue, though a knowledgeable source in Lexington claims that Three Chimneys Farm, where Big Brown will stand at stud, purchased a 10 percent interest for $5 million, which may have technically established his total worth at $50 million but like all things IEAH, is not what it seems.
Mourn not for Big Brown. Winning the Triple Crown means nothing to the horse. His world does not change. He has no use of money or fame. The Triple Crown is the creation of humans, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of great horses.--PM
Comments
A patch will be applied after farrier Ian McKinlay is clear that no further drainage is building up under the crack. Big Brown isn't expected to work out until after the patch is applied.
Trainer Rick Dutrow continued saying today there are no worries.
As talented and physically imposing a presence as Triple Crown contender Big Brown is, trainer Rick Dutrow seems just as impressed by the colts personality and intelligence.
Hes just a very cool customer, said Dutrow Friday morning after the colt galloped over Belmont Parks main track in preparation for the June 7 Belmont Stakes, the final race of the Triple Crown. I think he knows things other horses just dont get. Hes just way ahead. Hes just an absolute pleasure to be around.
"Theres no way in the world theres any horse thats doing any better than Big Brown. Its impossible. He is just shiny, so proud of himself, hes just everything you want to see in a racehorse. Hes beautiful to watch train, hes beautiful to pet, beautiful to be around.
Dutrow reiterated he did not think any of the anticipated Belmont Stakes runners were the equal of Big Brown, and he predicted nothing could stand in his way.
A wet track? He would love it. It would work to our advantage. He would absolutely love it.
The quarter crack? Not an issue.
Post position? I dont seven care about the post.
Anything? If they said, 'Rick were going to run the Belmont on the grass this year, Id say Thatd be fine', he said. We dont need to worry. He will handle things.
By JAY PRIVMAN
As the only jockey to have ridden Big Brown, attempted to beat him, and won the Belmont Stakes, Jeremy Rose is in a unique position heading into the 140th Belmont Stakes next Saturday at Belmont Park. Big Brown is going for the Triple Crown, but Rose will be a triple threat.
Rose picked up the mount on Big Brown when he made his debut Sept. 3 at Saratoga after Edgar Prado, who was scheduled to ride Big Brown, was injured two days earlier. Big Brown won by 11 1/4 lengths, though Rose knew he was just pinch-hitting that day.
"The competition is so good at Saratoga," Rose, who is based at Delaware Park, said Saturday morning en route to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where he was to catch a flight to Cleveland to ride in the Ohio Derby on Saturday afternoon. "They said to stay with the field before you start to widen. At Saratoga, that's usually not an issue, because there's so many good horses around you. But we found out why they said that to me. He's very, very talented."
Since then, Big Brown has gone on to win an allowance race, the Florida Derby, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes, all with Kent Desormeaux. Rose rode against Big Brown in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness on Icabad Crane, who finished third, 5 3/4 lengths behind Big Brown. Icabad Crane will come back for a rematch in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.
"He got stopped at the quarter pole," Rose said of Icabad Crane. "To get stopped the way he did and come back on and finish, it was an excellent race. The more distance for him, the better. A lot of horses in the Belmont don't want to go that far. You weed them out by the top of the stretch.
"Hopefully we won't have the kind of problems we did in the Preakness. To get stopped and pick right up is difficult to do. But he's a tough little horse. He's very relaxed, very laid back."
Icabad Crane, trained by Graham Motion, was scheduled to have his final work for the Belmont on Monday at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland.
Rose knows what it takes to win the Belmont. He did it three years ago with Afleet Alex, who was third in the Derby, then overcame a bad stumble after being interfered with by Scrappy T to prevail in the Preakness. In the Belmont, Afleet Alex romped by seven lengths.
"He was much the best in there," Rose said. "It was a lot nicer than clipping heels at the Preakness. I just had to sit on him to the quarter pole. By the quarter pole, the ones who couldn't get the distance were out of the way.
"I actually think the Belmont is the easiest of the Triple Crown races to ride. Everybody makes a big deal about the mile and a half. But it's easy to ride. You just want to keep your horse relaxed early, just sit on him, and find a spot. Saving ground is a big key at Belmont. You don't want to lose ground."
Big Brown gets new sutures, may breeze Tuesday
Big Brown galloped 1 1/2 miles over Belmont Park's main track a couple of hours after hoof specialist Ian McKinlay replaced the stainless steel sutures in the quarter crack on the colt's left front foot. McKinlay said that it was just a routine change and it helped tighten things up around the quarter crack.
"It's doing great," McKinlay said. "They say he's traveling beautiful. That's all we can ask for."
It was the fourth straight morning Big Brown galloped after missing three days of training due to the quarter crack and then jogging on Tuesday.
"Best day he's galloped since he's been here," trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said.
McKinlay, who was not expected to look at Big Brown on Sunday, is likely to put an acrylic patch over the quarter crack on Monday. Dutrow said he would breeze Big Brown either Monday or Tuesday, but seemed to be leaning toward Tuesday.
"If I do it Monday I'll get a little bit better breeze in him; if I do it Tuesday it'll be all basic, basic stuff, so I'll most likely do it Tuesday," said Dutrow, noting it would be a five-furlong move. "As long as the track and the weather are good."
The rain that made Belmont's main track sloppy for the races held off Saturday morning during Big Brown's training session. He went to the track following the renovation break. After coming through the paddock tunnel, Big Brown stood at the finish line while he watched a bunch of horses go by on a busy morning.
After about five minutes, Big Brown broke off into his gallop and definitely seemed strong as exercise rider Michelle Nevin kept a tight hold of her reins.
"He really trained good this morning," Dutrow said. "He took a hold of Michelle. He's ready to do what we want him to do."
Dutrow said he is very happy with the condition of Belmont Park's main track. He said he met with New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward and racing secretary P.J. Campo last week after Big Brown developed his quarter crack. Dutrow, who on May 23 had a horse run seven furlongs in 1:20.70 - just 0.53 of a second off the track record - said he asked if it was possible to make the track less hard.
"I didn't tell them what to do, I just suggested maybe we could use a little more cushion on the track if it's possible," Dutrow said. "It's only gonna help our horse get there the right way. They seemed to agree with us 100 percent. The track the way it is now, I wish it was like this every day until Belmont closed down for good because it was excellent this morning."
John Passero, NYRA's director of racing surfaces, said that the track has about another quarter-inch of cushion because he has graded the track less and harrowed it more in the last week.
"Instead of grading it every day or every other day, we made sure it was every third day," Passero said. "It's a natural process. I never added more cushion, I just let the cushion fall down naturally."
Hello, nice to see you, goodbye.
Obviously, I knew more about the reputation than the man; getting ruled off the for abusing cocaine, a handful of suspensions related to the use of permitted medications, and empirical visuals that most of his horses run too good.
But midway through our interview inside his Palm Meadows barn this winter, I was getting good vibes off the guy. That means something to anyone born under the sign of Pisces.
Dutrow looks you in the eye, answers questions directly, saying that he deserved some of the penalties he received, but not all of them. There wasnt even a hint of trainer-speak from Dutrow. He was a breath of fresh air.
In those 30 minutes, I developed a newly found respect for him as a horseman because of his game plan, the confidence he showed in his approach to training, but with enough humility to call his Hall of Fame buddy, Bobby Frankel, not so much for advise but as a sounding board.
Frankel told him to have confidence to do just what he was doing, that no one knew what the horse needed better than his trainer.
That was minutes before I met and fell in love with the coolest, neatest and friendliest Triple Crown aspirant ever to look through a bridle.
As the Triple Crown chase gained momentum, so did Dutrows confidence. He knew what he had, he assessed the competition accurately and made a physical and emotional commitment to one of about 200 horses under his care.
Even with the re-emergence of a quarter crack--not a serious ailment but popping up at a serious time--Dutrow has not been deterred from speaking his mind about Big Browns chances to become racings 12th Triple Crown champion.
A forgone conclusion, he said.
Confidence is a block upon which you build. And Big Browns trainer has become a poster boy for confidence. But when does confidence become over-confidence? At what point does good will turn into negative energy?
Dutrows remarks about the connections of Smarty Jones, saying that John Servis over-trained him for the Belmont, and that Stewart Elliott over-rode him to an 11½-length victory margin the Preakness were indelicate, at best. At worst they were way over the line.
But as far as taking stock of Casino Drive when he came off the track Thursday morning, saying that in no way could the Japanese star beat Big Brown given what he saw, Dutrow has earned the right to express that opinion.
Dutrow is not expressing any opinions that differ from what you could hear any trainer standing at the rail over their early morning coffees. Only most wouldnt say on for the record.
Of the seven deadly racetrack sins, jealousy wins by open lengths every time.
While Dutrow might not have incurred serious wrath from most racing and casual sports fans, he is starting to turn good karma into bad. Because of his achievements and personality, fans have warmed up to Big Brown, pulling for him to make history. But if Dutrow keeps this up, that could change.
Sometimes Dutrow thinks very well on his feet. When asked whether he thought a rival jockey would sacrifice his chances just to get the big horse beaten, he said he couldnt imagine why any jockey would do something like that. Cmon.
Apparently Dutrows forgotten Jerry Baileys glaringly aggressive ride on Eddington in Smarty Joness Belmont, or might not be old enough to remember seeing Angel Cordero Jr.s exhibition aboard Shake Shake Shake in the 1978 Travers, won by Alydar via disqualification.
Should Big Brown fail to make history, seeing Dutrow get his comeuppance would be a satisfactory emotional hedge for many. And thats too bad. Despite all of this, theres still something about Dutrow that doesnt offend me the way trash talking in any other sports do.
I realize that I probably wouldnt feel this way if I hadnt met Dutrow because a horse named Big Brown, at a time when a two-race wonder was trying to make history by winning the Florida Derby from post position 12.
Meanwhile, my 92-year-old Sicilian nana is rooting for Dutrow to win the Triple Crown because she appreciated the fact that he turned his life around. That alone is good enough for me.
But hes already been good for racing. Do you think, for instance, that radio sports talkers Mike Francesa and Chris Russo would have spent two hours on horse racing a week in advance of the Belmont if Dutrow werent a hot button issue?
But let me give Big Browns trainer some advise when he meets with the media this morning outside Barn 2 at Belmont Park. Try to keep ancillary damage to a minimum. Enough already.
Trainer Dante Zanelli said the son of Street Cry was suffering from a reaction but did not specify what caused it. Its very depressing, he said.
Tale of Ekati Breezes Six. Although he faced a muddy track when the time came, Tale of Ekati, fourth in the Kentucky Derby, breezed this morning at Belmont Park for trainer Barclay Tagg, right on schedule. He was clocked in 1:11.80 for six furlongs.
The work was more energetic than his most recent one, when Tale of Ekati went six furlongs in 1:18.80 (1/3) six days ago at Belmont, and more solid than a four-furlong work in :46.80 two back.
Tagg, who five years ago guided New York-bred Funny Cide to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was less than happy with both those works.
This was the move I was hoping for last week, Tagg said. Now, you can only hope that it wasnt too much for him. Everything seems to be going well now, and were back on schedule.
In the Wood Memorial, Tale of Ekati stalked 2007 juvenile champion War Pass and then powered to the victory in the lane. In the Kentucky Derby, he finished fourth, beaten 11 lengths by Big Brown after a troubled trip.
The Belmont is a tough race, and Big Brown is a tough horse, Tagg said. But if youve got a horse that is doing well, you have to take a chance. Were back on schedule today, and this horse loves Belmont Park (He's 2-for-2 at Belmont). I hope he runs his race.
Eibar Coa will maintain the mount for the Belmont Stakes.
Big Brown: Moving Forward, Breeze Set for Tuesday. Big Brown went out for another gallop this morning at Belmont Park under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, drawing applause from the Breakfast at Belmont crowd as he passed by the grandstand.
He was very cheeky, reported Nevin. He had a basic gallop again today. He felt good. He knows something is going on because all these people are around him all the time, clapping for him in the grandstand.
Nevin confirmed that Big Brown will have an acrylic and fiberglass patch placed on the small quarter-crack on his left front foot tomorrow, and that he's scheduled to breeze Tuesday morning.
The stainless steel sutures in Big Brown's front left hoof were replaced yesterday.
Equipped with the new wires to hold together a small quarter-crack, Big Brown also galloped yesterday morning.
We have time, and we want to keep the patch off as long as possible to let the crack heal naturally, Michael Iavarone of owner IEAH Stables said.
Added trainer Rich Dutrow Jr.: The final call will be up to Ian. The little crack looks like it's in pretty good shape. It's not bugging the horse in any kind of way. Ian is very happy with it. We're right on course, right on target.
Ian McKinlay, who has been monitoring the five-eighths inch-long crack since last Friday, said things looked beautiful.
The little spot up top (on the coronet band) just keeps getting harder and harder, said McKinlay. By Monday it should be in fabulous shape. Theres no sense in taking any chances, he added. The only thing that can go wrong is rushing. If we dont rush it, were good. When you push on it now, he doesn't even feel it.
McKinlay said he intensified the solution of alcohol and iodine used to prevent possible infection. "We changed the solution and made it a little stronger," McKinlay said. "By Monday, it should be in fabulous shape."
Prosective Field Grows to 10; Ready's Echo Works. Big Brown could face as many as eight opponents in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.
Ready's Echo is a go for the Belmont Stakes now. He went five furlongs on the training track, rated fast, in 1:00.80 (5/14) today at Belmont Park. Were very happy with the way he went, said trainer Todd Pletcher.
We thought his Peter Pan was a good race, said Pletcher. He seems to be an improving horse. So we decided to take a shot.
Pletcher said a rider hasn't yet been determined yet.
Da' Tara is a new possible name now. Behindatthebar, another one that's been mentioned for the race, is all but out of it now.
According to New York Racing Association stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes, definite starters include Anak Nakal, Big Brown, Casino Drive, Denis of Cork, Icabad Crane, Macho Again, Tale of Ekati and Tomcito.
Byrnes said that the Nick Zito-trained DaTara, who Thursday worked four furlongs over the training track at Saratoga in 49.60 seconds, is also a possibility for the race, which would bring the field to 10. Zito also trains Anak Nakal.
DaTara, a Tiznow colt owned by Robert V. LaPenta, was the pacesetter in the Barbaro Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day. He reluctantly giving way to Roman Emperor in the final strides of the mile and a sixteenth race.
Everything is fine with both horses, Zito said. Anak Nakal will work on Monday. He will blow out a little bit and ship down on Wednesday.
DaTara is getting better. One thing is, when these things are good, youve got to run them. He was good in the Barbaro on Preakness Day, and he was a lot better than a lot of the horses in the Preakness. Hes still a longshot. But hes good and hes a terrific horse.
Zito said he would name riders in the next day or so, adding: Somebody good will be on their backs.
Of the 11 Triple Crown winners, none has faced more than seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes.
Seattle Slew (1977) and Citation (1948) had seven challengers; Assault (1946) and War Admiral (1937) took on six; Affirmed (1978), Secretariat (1973), and Omaha (1935) faced four others; Whirlaway (1941) and Gallant Fox (1930) had three rivals, and Count Fleet (1943) and Sir Barton (1919) defeated two.
Denis of Cork. This morning at Churchill Downs, Denis of Cork put in his final pre-Belmont Stakes workout, breezing four furlongs in :48.60 (20/46) on a track rated fast. Robby Albarado handled the workout.
It was the third workout at Churchill since the Kentucky Derby for the David Carroll-trained son of Harlan's Holiday. He's owned by William K. Warren, Jr.
Denis of Cork covered the first quarter-mile in :24.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.
I was very, very happy with what I saw today, said Carroll. Robby was very careful not to go too fast early. Hes very deceiving. He can go fast because he covers a lot of ground, so he was under wraps the last eighth. He just let his head out and he just immediately accelerated, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Were excited.
It was a good work, said Albarado. He went really well. Hes showing improvement and hes doing everything that Davids asked him to do.
Denis of Cork and Macho Again will be flown to New York from Louisville on Wednesday instead of tomorrow as originally planned. The horses are scheduled to load onto vans at Churchill Downs at 11 a.m. ET, and the flight is scheduled to leave Louisville International Airport at Noon.
Macho Again. The colt was on the track this morning at Churchill for a two-mile jog under exercise rider Kenny Bourque. After walking the shedrow on Saturday after his Friday workout, he jogged yesterday as well. Trainer Dallas Stewart said Macho Again will gallop tomorrow.
Were just trying to be a little careful, said Stewart. Hes doing great. Hes on his toes and looks awesome, so were just hoping to go up there with a lot in the tank.
Anak Nakal. Anak Nakal, last seen running seventh in the Kentucky Derby, made his final move for the Belmont Stakes today at Saratoga, capping three works at the track since the Derby.
Nick Zito sent out Anak Nakal to breeze four furlongs, which he accomplished in :49.60 (8/14). The trainer said yesterday he expects to ship the son of Victory Gallop owned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds to Belmont Park on Wednesday. Accompanying him might be Da' Tara, owned by Robert LaPenta.
Icabad Crane. At Fair Hill Training Center, Icabad Crane breezed four furlongs on synthetic track, going in :48.60 (1/2). The New York-bred was third in the Preakness Stakes after winning the Frederico Tesio at Pimlico. A son of Jump Start, Icabad Crane is owned by Earle Mack and trained by Graham Motion.
Big Brown to Work Without Hoof Patch. What's this? Steve Haskin at Bloodhorse.com reported last night that trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday afternoon Big Brown will not be fitted with a patch today as originally scheduled and will work on Tuesday without one.
Im going to breeze him just the way he is and give him more time to let Ian put the patch on the day before the race, Dutrow said. The longer we wait the better. As long as he gallops and trains like he did today thats exactly what were going to do."
The New York Times reported today that hoof specialist Ian McKinlay said he will wait and apply the patch the morning of the race, but a source at Belmont said McKinlay would in fact apply the patch on Friday.
The Mineshaft colt, whose dam, Better Than Honour, is also the dam of 2006 and 2007 Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, has been training daily with a long walk under tack on the horse paths, a trip to the track and another hour-long, vigorous walk.
We will have to do something a little faster on Wednesday, and then he will be ready, Tada said.
On May 7, three days before winning the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Casino Drive worked five furlongs in :59.80 (2/26), handily, at Belmont Park.
Belmont on Ready's Echo Radar Since April. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Ready's Echo came out of yesterday's five-furlong work of 1:00.91 in very good order. We are pleased with his progress, the Pletcher said.
Readys Echo launched his career at Saratoga last summer, finishing second to Z Humor in a 5 1/2-furlong race in which he bucked his shins. He returned to action on March 5 at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden with a 3 1/4-length win over seven furlongs. He then was second by a neck in an April 12 allowance at Keeneland on Polytrack before running third in the Peter Pan on May 10.
We kind of had the Belmont on our radar ever since the race at Keeneland,' Pletcher said. ``And we got more serious about it after his performance in the Peter Pan.
There are 14 investors in the group that owns Ready's Echo, Lets Go Stable. The stable is managed by Kevin Scatuorchio, the son of prominent owner James Scatuorchio, and Bryan Sullivan, Scatuorchios son-in-law.
Although not expected for the Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Lexington winner Behindatthebar worked a half-mile in 48.91 on Belmont Parks fast training track for Pletcher this morning.
Beyer Speed Figures have been made for the last 18 runnings of the Belmont Stakes, the first one being a 111 for Go and Go in the 1990 Belmont.
The average winning figure is 106.5 over the 18-year span, with 114 the highest and 95 the lowest.
The 107 earned by Rags to Riches last year was right on par with the average.
1990, Go and Go, 111
1991, Hansel, 111
1992, A.P. Indy, 111
1993, Colonial Affair, 104
1994, Tabasco Cat, 106
1995, Thunder Gulch, 101
1996, Editor's Note, 106
1997, Touch Gold, 110
1998, Victory Gallop, 110
1999, Lemon Drop Kid, 109
2000, Commendable, 101
2001, Point Given, 114
2002, Sarava, 105
2003, Empire Maker, 110
2004, Birdstone, 101
2005, Afleet Alex, 106
2006, Jazil, 95
2007, Rags to Riches 107
Desormeaux should not have held Big Brown back early in the race and instead taken him right to the front, Stevens said on KTIK's "Idaho Sports Talk" with Jeff Caves and Statesman sports columnist Brian Murphy on Monday.
Stevens said he told his son that Big Brown would lose as soon as he saw him hung up early in the race. Stevens attended the race.
"It's the first time I have wanted to have had my boots on since I retired," said Stevens, who won eight Triple Crown races during his storied career and now serves as a race analyst.
KENT DESORMEAUX: Absolutely not, Dan. That horse was in perfect condition and he never took one bad step.
DP: When you were in the gate with this horse, were you thinking anything different than previous races?
KD: No, I was hoping for a nice, clean, pure break and I didn't get that. He slipped up front and kind of scrambled away from the gate and had already given up a length. That first quarter of a mile, that first turn could have been my demise. I had to rein him in, he was a little aggressive. Maybe it was too much time off. If he would have broke smart, my intent was to just wire the field. I thought the track was fast. I was hoping to break running and that didn't happen, I already had to call an audible. I reined him in. I actually was quite happy to get that position I was in, after we rounded into the first turn. But it took a lot of work to get it.
DP: If I said you could have a do-over with that horse, what would you do differently?
KD: Given the situation I was in, there's nothing I could have done differently. I would have only hoped to break smarter. If we do it over again 100 more times, he's probably going to leave three in front and all they would have seen was his tail. Unfortunately, you now, the race track lost its ability. They lost water for probably two hours. The track that usually a horse can get a hold of had dried out and gotten powdery. So it wasn't normal to say the least.
DP: Steroid factor -- did that have anything to do with that horse and how it ran or did not run on Saturday?
KD: No, absolutely not. You know, what steroids do is make a horse hungry and aggressive, and if you watch the race, he was definitely aggressive. And he never came out of the feed trough since they put him in the barn. All he does is eat. So I'm absolutely certain that steroids had nothing to do with it. The slippage, the first step out of the gate, probably was his demise.
DP: If you look at this horse, still the best horse you've ever ridden?
KD: By a hundred miles.
DP: You're still going to continue to race this horse, right?
KD: Absolutely. I think they've got two races in mind. They want to run him once before he attempts to win the Breeder's Cup Classic.
DP: So, two races that you know of that they'll race him, are you going to be the jockey for those two races?
KD: Yes I will, Dan. There's definitely no one pointing a finger in my direction. In fact, I've been complimented by the trainer and the owner. Believe me, I was spanking on him, encouraging him to run until I was last. Icabad Crane came inside me, bumped me out of the way, and proceeded on his endeavor to win the race, but at that point I was already like seventh and backing up fast.
I love horses, they have given me everything that I have. There was no way that I was going to beat this horse up to be last by then. Why not just be last in an easy fashion? It didn't make sense to me at all and at that point, when I couldn't keep up with the last place horse, I thought, Listen, let's take this home, get him home safe, and recharge his battery.
DP: Were you under any instructions to be careful of injuring this horse?
KD: Absolutely not. It was never a thought in our minds. The only instruction I was given was, 'If he can't win, take it easy on him.'
DP: But if you look at this though, Kent, and you have a horse that's invincible, and when I saw you in New York City earlier in the week, and just talking to you, there was no way you thought that horse could possibly lose. How does that happen?
KD: Well, you know what, it just allows me to have a deeper admiration for the eleven that have won the Triple Crown. I mean, you have to understand something, these horses that are winning the first two legs of the race have got to be doing it at a gallop, just toying with their competitors. There's no other way you can win three races in five weeks against the best horses in the world. And, you know, in hindsight, I think you have to realize that the horse ran out of his skin in the Preakness, and they do that by offering you a great effort. So, you know, though it was easy, it was easy because the horse put his best strides forward.
DP: But how does that happen, that, at what point does a horse say I don't have it today or I don't feel like running?
KD: Well, you know what, when you encourage them to go and they say, "No, I'll see you next week," that's something that's tough to explain in layman's terms, but they just don't want to get into that fight. They just go for a gallop. They don't fight. There's no competitive spirit in them. And for whatever reason, it could be because I slowed Big Brown down and he decided, "You know what, I like going slow." That is something that I can't answer, that's just the horse.
DP: If you ran this race 10 more times, how many times are you winning?
KD: Nine.
DP: So you would allow that you would still not be 100 percent sure that you would win every race?
KD: I always allow that, I think you gather that from me in conversation. They still gotta open those gates and turn us loose. If they could talk we'd know what they're saying, but the reality is, Dan, that they don't talk and we can only, as humans, try to understand them from our viewpoint. And hopefully the signs they tell us from their everyday life is all we can gather to decide whether they're doing well or not. Whether they're eating, whether they're spirited, whatever they're doing ... that's how we have to train if they're happy. And the guy that trains 'em is one of the best at understanding if a horse is happy.
DP: What did it feel like when you got off Big Brown on Saturday, when you dismounted?
KD: Oh, I was sick man. I was frickin' noxious. I was gut wrenched. I felt like I had been just run over by a trash truck. I don't know, it was hard. It was hard. I felt so sad for the people, I felt like I had let all the horse racing fans down. I felt I had like I had let racing down, you know, I was hopeful to get this done, but it just wasn't meant to be. God's got a better story for us, something's gonna be learned from it.
DP: Do you look at it though, and you get off a horse, did you feel like you failed with that? When you get off and you didn't accomplish what you were supposed to accomplish do you personally fail?
KD: No, sir. At no point ever did I feel like I failed. I was saddened by the outcome of the event. I was hopeful that our team could help resurrect thoroughbred racing. I don't think horse racing gets any bigger than coming to that Belmont with a chance to win it. You know, it's a story that ends on that occasion, we were either going to win it or not, and I would have rather had the happy ending. But I don't think it gets any bigger than attempting the Triple Crown.
DP: You don't get paid, you get $50 to ride. Did you get $50 to ride in the Belmont?
KD: Maybe. I might have ended up with $50. By the time I paid tickets and what not for the hundreds of people that came out, I'm probably out about $25,000.
DP: But didn't you tell me you were riding other mounts, you get $50, and then if you won, then you would get a portion of the purse, right?
KD: Right, that's correct. I get six percent of the purse if I win.
DP: So, you didn't get anything because Big Brown didn't cash. You get $50 for riding Big Brown on Saturday.
KD: It's actually $100, I got $100 total.
DP: Is that cash, or by the time I take taxes out you're only getting like $48?
KD: That's right, there are employees of the game. I have an agent, I have a valet, I have insurance. My insurance costs me $110 a mount.
DP: So you lose money?
KD: I don't want to go there, Dan. I'm sorry for the fans that we couldn't complete the task that we were so hopeful to attain. At that point, you know, I was hopeful to become an immortal in the game, and an historical name in the game, but you know what, I'm not done yet. I'm not going anywhere. God has proven that lightning can strike twice in a bottle, so hopefully we can come back. What I don't like is the fact that Real Quiet, Funny Cide and now Big Brown all ran on the exact same dates and they all failed. May 4, May 17 and June 7. It's kind of, I don't like it. I didn't know that beforehand, I know it now.
Belmont: Denial of the slicksters
The post-mortem reaction to the Big Brown debacle on Saturday is unanimously and justifiably lacking in sympathy for the humans attached to the failed Triple Crown bid.
No matter how you look at it, the horse Rick Dutrow sent into the Belmont was less than 100 percent and there is no way to look past the wounded left-fore hoof and discount its weight in an equation that equals zero, particularly in light of the hard racetrack signed by John Passero, or fast track as he likes to call himself.
The surface was scraped after Fridays races, sealed tight despite a cloudless sky and on Saturday morning, hardly a racetrack kind to a hoof from which a wedge is carved from the wall. But the ground at Belmont was only a contributor to the downfall of Big Brown.
Lack of Winstrol? Absurd. Steroids are not part of race-day procedure and if you believe that Big Brown had been given no steroids since leaving Florida because Dutrow said so you probably should not be playing this game because the next trainer who tells you the truth about a horse will be the first.
Belmont day did provide a subtle illustration of the difference between a horseman and a loudmouth with a fast horse and a good vet. Casino Drive, sent to New York with the Belmont his only goal, suffered a minor bruise to his left-hind hoof and was scratched. Many American trainers would have applied an aluminum pad or bar shoe and run, but Casino Drives Japanese connections chose the horses welfare over the immediate objective. Big Brown was sent into a 12-furlong race on a patched hoof.
There is a sense that Big Brown saved the Triple Crowns sanctity from those he would have carried into racing history. The insufferable Dutrow for one and the people central to IEAH Stable, who have been described in various ways including shady and, a personal favorite, slicksters. When Big Brown left the half-mile pole apparently running on a treadmill, they were all relegated to footnote status. Surely, they have been enriched by Big Browns success even as they were unmasked by those who took a close look at what they really are hustlers. The racetrack is the perfect environment for people of this ilk, but dramatic success brings the harsh light of scrutiny. Theres a novel here somewhere, but not another chapter in the book of Triple Crown history.
The enrichment will continue, though a knowledgeable source in Lexington claims that Three Chimneys Farm, where Big Brown will stand at stud, purchased a 10 percent interest for $5 million, which may have technically established his total worth at $50 million but like all things IEAH, is not what it seems.
Mourn not for Big Brown. Winning the Triple Crown means nothing to the horse. His world does not change. He has no use of money or fame. The Triple Crown is the creation of humans, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of great horses.--PM