Triple Crown Betting - Big Brown a Big Bust at Belmont

[Shame About Ray]

Call it what you will, a bigger issue with the quarter-crack then first thought, Big Sandy’s imposing stretch-drive, three races in five weeks, or flat-out karma - - Big Brown was a big bust this past Saturday in the Belmont Stakes.

Even after the scratch of Casino Drive, I had my doubts about Richard Dutrow’s giant colt. There were lingering questions regarding his ability to get the 1 ½ mile distance of the Belmont Stakes, Big Brown isn’t bred for that, and the fact that he trained well with the quarter-crack didn’t exactly mean that he was going to run well with the quarter-crack.



Then, of course, there was all of that crap Richard Dutrow was spouting going into the race. After the Florida Derby, Dutrow had every right to be confident. After the Kentucky Derby, he had almost every right to be somewhat brash. But after the Preakness, he turned into a complete idiot, telling everyone within ear-shot that he had the best horse in the world.

I mean, the man flat-out said that his horse would beat Curlin because Curlin had lost in the 2007 Belmont “to a filly.” That’s pretty idiotic. I had written all week how the god’s of horse racing tend to create humility in human beings who talk too much. That’s exactly what happened on Saturday.

Big Brown never looked comfortable in the race. As soon as the gates opened, I could tell that something was terribly amiss. He absolutely hated the surface, for one, and fought Kent Desormeaux for the first half a mile. Then, he just never got his feet underneath him. Big Brown didn’t want to run on Saturday. We forget as human beings that animals also have feelings, feel pain, and are willing to “give up” at times. Think about your dog that just won’t, no matter how often you try to teach it, stop berating the vacuum cleaner.

That was Big Brown on Saturday. A giant puppy dog who just told the entire world, “Hey, I’m tired, man! You try running three races in five weeks!”

This is horse racing. That means that no matter what any of us may believe we know what will happen, we never truly do until it does. Much like life.

As far as the winner is concerned, there were a few signs. I missed all of them, and I’m sure almost everybody else did as well, but the signs were there. Trainer Nick Zito said that his Belmont Stakes’ winning colt, Da’Tara, would go to the lead. On paper it looked like suicide since Big Brown figured to get an easy lead from the one hole. But in hindsight it was a brilliant move. Da’Tara only had to beat one horse to the lead, Big Brown, which he did. After that, there wasn’t much else the horse had to do except stroll leisurely around the track.

Da’Tara is also a son of Tiznow. The most important thing about Tiznow is the fact that he was a late-blooming 3-year old who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic two years in a row. In both instances, Tiznow beat a seemingly superior European Champion in both Giant’s Causeway in 2000 and Sahkee in 2001.

Like father, like son? Maybe. I do believe that if War Chant and Pyro get back to the track this summer, then we might not ever hear of Big Brown again. Yes, the horse can bounce back, but a tough Belmont has ruined many a career of some very good horses. Holy Bull held out of both the Preakness and Belmont in his 3-year old season in order to rest up for the summer races. It turned out be a very bold move that paid off in an Eclipse Award as male horse of the year.

Big Brown will probably make the list of shoulda, coulda, woulda, but failed miserably because he was overrated. As my brother, Eddie, told me after the race, “Curlin would bitch-slap him.”

I don’t even think Richard Dutrow could argue against that statement.

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