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Big Brown had a Big Bounce

I feel that big brown was the best horse just like the patriots were the best football team but they were beat because they did not prepare as well as Nick Zito. Dutrow big mouth got in the way of his training. I thought when I saw the probables a week ago he should go to lead and make everyone pay. There as not eddington or rock hard ten just a dtara and tale of ekati. They were no match for him. Instead they held back and dtara cut him off and anak nakal try to block him. Brown wanted to go. he does not like slow and why change. Big brown was unhappy and it showed. 2:29 come on Big brown should have won easy.

I couldn't agree with you more about Richard Dutrow and the IEAH people. I was going to write a column like this yesterday after the Belmont, but a colleague told me just to write about the race, and that I had time for this later. I also agree with your thoughts on suspending Desormeaux. Pulling up Big Brown left a sour taste in my mouth. Almost as if saying, "Well, if we can't win then were are not going to play."

I will be as surprised as you if the colt ever runs again.

Keep up the good work.

I echo your sentiments about Rick Dutrow, Jr.  If you seek out the media attention when this horse was going well and winning, then you should man up and pay the piper when the ultimate fall happens...shame on you Rick!  That was classless and not showing respect to the winning connections will come back to bite you...karma shows no leniency!

I am also pleased that Big Brown did not win the TC. Nothing against him-he is a nice horse and obviously in the upper tier of class on his day. To me BB is like Curlin. An absolutely brilliant horse that is hard to root for because of the people behind him. In my opinion Dutrow and Asmussen are fairly comparable in their "issues" with steroids. The IEAH crew are not easy to root for either. They seem to come across as a bunch of crooks.

I disagree with your comments about Kent Desormeaux. In my opinion, he was protecting the horse, and - after all, isn't the horse the most important individual in all of this?

I agree with your comments about Big Brown's connections, in particular Rick Dutrow. No class there. The only class acts in this connection are Big Brown himself, Kent Desormeaux and hopefully, Michelle Nevins, BB's exercise rider.

Get Big Brown out of those classless hands and send him safely to Three Chimneys, where people care!

Da Tara's presence in the race actually made me wager on Anak Nakal. I figured Zito's plan was to set a fast pace with an obvious frontrunner while hoping to burn out Big Brown, then have his other horse pick up the pieces in the stretch. The fact that an obviously tired down the stretch Da Tara held on is definitely a surprise!

I think someone told Desormeaux to pull up if he felt Big Brown was going to lose. He never went to the whip to get a response from a horse that was not injured. Jason, perhaps you are right about leveling a suspension...

Dutrow is as phony as a 3 dollar bill.  I am so glad to see that bum get his just due.  He will never be a classy guy.  Here's to you Ricky boy.

You are absolutely, right on the money on every point in this blog entry with regards to Big Brown's defeat in the Belmont and the actions of his connections.

Especially Kent Desormeaux, who rode the most pathetic race I've ever seen in a major racing event. Allow the horse to win, let him carry you to victory. If he can't win, hey, there's nothing you can do about. Just give him every opportunity you can.

Trying to force him to the outside as if by some formula that worked in the Derby and Preakness was a joke. There was plenty of time and distance to work him to the outside up the backstretch if necessary. If on the other hand he absolutely NEEDS to be on the outside, then he's not the horse he's being made out to be.

Ask yourself one question, how would Pat Day or Jerry Bailey have ridden the race based on the way it set up?? The answer is: not like Kent did. Would the outcome have been the same - no way to know. BUT  at least you have known where you stood with the result.

You don't decide not to come out of the dugout in the bottom of the ninth inning just because your down by 5 or 6 runs. You play out the game!

Please! That Dutrow showed no respect for Servis is true, but what about Steve Asmussen and Curlin?? Asmussen kept his mouth shut while both Dutrow and Iavarone said Curlin should be afraid to meet them in the Breeders' Cup. Curlin earned his position as Horse of the World. The Big Brown group has now earned their place in mediocrity.

It's plain and simple. Big Brown's pedrigree got him beat. In the grind of the triple crown. Every horse out there besides brownie had better pedigree. The point given's, empire maker's, birdstone had much better pedrigree than their opponents. They can run all day. Big Brown has boundry as a sprinting sire. Are you kidding me, running in the test of champions going a mile and a half. The horse was tired after 2 legs of the triple crown. Point Given ran in all three and blew by his oppponents in fast time because his daddy was thunder gulch(kentucky derby and belmont champ). Enough Said!!

I agree. We will never see Big Brown again.  His stud value hit rock bottom with this loss, and if he loses again, even a second place finish, the greedy owners and breeding farms will lose even more money. Best to ship him off now before profits fall too far - hell with the racing fans.  Is he a great horse?  No. He proved nothing to me. He never ran a long distance successfully, he never carried weight, he never beat older horses, he never overcame obstacles in a race and still won, and he has had "soft" hooves his entire life and the rumor mill talks of his trainer using steriods in training. He probably shouldn't even be a part of the gene pool. I'm sick of defective animals winning one or two big races via drugs and turning into super studs, passing on their infirmaties to the next generation. The thoroughbred of today has nothing in common with the thoroughbred of just 30 years ago.  Just look at old photos of Man O' War, clear through Affirmed. Doesn't even look like the same breed.  Stop the insanity and the greed.

Jason, I have really enjoyed reading your blogs throughout this Triple Crown season. Your knowledge and insight has captivated me and made the first half of the year all that much more interesting to me.

Regarding your thoughts in this particular blog- I loved this horse. I thought this horse was a beautiful animal with a great personality whose connections tainted the public's affection towards him. The horse was much more classy than his connections were thoughout this Triple Crown. I completely agree with you, Dutrow's action yesterday proved to me that he has the least class not just in horse racing but in the whole sporting world. Same for the owners. Even the most classless people will show up to answer questions at a press conference and possibly even admit they were wrong in being so terribly cocky. As for Kent Desormeaux, is there an actual rule that Desormeaux violated as he finished the race? I have never heard of a rule that forbids jockeys to pull up a horse even if it is not hurt. I could be mistaken though. And also, Iavarone announced today that Big Brown will aim towards the Jim Dandy with hopes up running in the Travers and then onto the Breeders Cup. Do you still believe Big Brown will not run again even after these comments?

Once again, thanks for such a great Triple Crown season and I look forward to the Breeders Cup.

Look,I know Big Brown tanked. But he went out there and gave all people asked of him. I don't think people should blam anyone! Kent did nothing..I know it's against the rules to do what he did. but please why would he have pushed Big Brown that hard! And risk hurting him!Big Brown is still an amazing animal and I feel that if he races on he will be great!I don't know why he did what he did in the Belmont but it just was not his race.And stop the Rick Dutrow bashing as well.If your star horse just lost the biggest race of his life in the worst fashion wouldn't you be a little shy about it?I agree he should have answerd some questions but stop hounding him!Big Brown will be back,whether it's in the breeding shed or the race track he will be back to the old Big Brown we all know,and some have grown to love.

Although I picked Denis of Cork to win, I knew BB would not win the Triple. To me, something just did not feel right with that horse.  Sure makes you wonder how Da'Tara lost to BB by 20+ lengths and Da'tara beats BB by same!!! HMMMMMM.  I really thought Denis of Cork would win the race, but oh well, that's horseracing.

I couldn't have said it better.  Although, I feel Kent Desormeaux did what he thought was best at the time. The horse never looked right from the time he left the gate.  As you said, only Desormeaux had enough respect for our sport to face the media.  I believe that he thought something was wrong with the horse.  As for Dutrow, what a joke he is.  I have never liked him, but wanted to give him crdeit where it was due. After he slammed the connections of Smarty Jones, all I could campare him to was a scum bag. His name shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breathe as Smarty, his trainer, and homebred connections.  You reap what you sow. Enough said.  

Jason-- many thanks for taking us all on a nice trip via this blog. Look forward to its reconstitued BC trail focus.

Rather than focus on BB, instead let's marvel at the winner: yes, I am among your 99% who did see this outcome-- I remember the horse who could not carry his speed for a mile and a sixteenth Preakness Stakes Day on the Barbaro Stakes undercard (finishing 2nd) and thus gave Da'Tara no shot here, and then he goes out and WIRES THE RACE. Good grief. Not on my radar screen. Somehow, I suspect even Nick thought maybe it might be Anak who gave him the best shot at hitting the board. Instead, he somehow manages to reprise his first-third upset feat of 2004. Nick Zito = Giant Killer, and to do in once agin in his native New York, how sweet.

In the final analysis, that's horses and horse racing. And that, friends, in the final analysis, is also what happened to BB, and thus would respectfully suggest you are better off not looking for what was not there-- other than those impressive series of mule kicks in the security barn, BB looked his usual unphased self to me, Wista, in the saddle-up and post parade-- wasn't until he saw that starting gate down by the rail he apparently decided to leave his push-buttons in the shedrow and fight Kent, complete with throwing up his head entering the first turn. So, yes, flyinhome, I think you capture the essential truth with your observations.

Yes, that's the end of his racing career. Sad thing is, I will likely never again get in to Three Chimneys to visit that lovely gr/r Exchange Rate, the parking lot full of first Smarty Jones, and now BB, fans. I'll stick with Exchange Rate. Start running a commercial featuring Exchange Rate, Clay Family.

In closing, sure enjoyed Nick's gracious pre- and post- race comments. Something surely found in short supply this Triple Crown season.

Kent outdid himself after so many big mistakes in the past. This was the phoniest, thrown race I have ever seen. Easily the worst Belmont ever...

I agree with some of your comments, but your statement that Kent should be suspended is absolute hogwash.  Period.  

It's a rare thing that we see such selflessness in any sport, and I applaud him for looking out for the horse.  He knew he may face scrutiny and he knew he was dashing his own hopes and dreams, including the hopes and dreams of his family and especially his son.  He knew he would be extending the Triple Crown drought by at least one more year, and disappointing millions of fans, but Big Brown was the only thing that mattered to Kent at that moment and it was clear.  That's how it should always be, and he should be commended just as much as Edgar Prado and Chris Antley were for their roles in saving their horses.  

After Eight Belles, George Washington, Barbaro, Pine Island, Mending Fences, and countless other tragedies we've seen on the track in recent years, to me it was a GOOD thing that he showed the world that most people in the industry really do put the horse's needs first - not the needs of the bettors!  I'm not saying that there was blame to be found in the accidents that happened with the aforementioned horses, key word being ACCIDENT, but there certainly are some clueless people out there who like to place that blame on the nearest human being (*cough* PETA *cough*).  

So I think you just need to check yourself on that comment, because at the end of the day - without these horses and great jockeys like Kent, there would be no horse race and no money to wager.  Kent Desormeaux erred on the side of caution and, whether Big Brown turns out to have had a major problem or not, the world should be glad that he took care of the horse above all else.  The well-being of Big Brown, and all of the horses and riders on the track, is a heck of a lot more important than the wishes and wagers of the millions of fans watching the race, and I think anyone who truly loves this sport and these animals would have to agree.  

Like Calvin Borel and Street Sense last year, the relationship between Big Brown and Kent Desormeaux has been one of the most pleasant aspects of this Triple Crown in my opinion.  I don't care what people think of Rick Dutrow or Michael Iavarone, but Kent clearly loves that horse and he has shown that connection to us over and over.  If there were any doubters, he proved it yesterday in the Belmont stretch.

As for what happened to Big Brown, I believe slight dehydration played a factor (Lasix + decreased electrolytes + an unexpected 95 degree day + 3 hard races in 5 weeks = exhaustion).  Hopefully it was nothing more serious than that, and so far it looks like he's coming out of it OK.

Thanks for your blog and your post.  I just wish you would give Kent Desormeaux a break and realize he was thinking with his heart, not his wallet.  

The Belmont Stakes run yesterday was a major disappointment for more reasons than one. Kent Desormeaux's ride on Big Brown was one of the worse I've seen in an important race in a long time. What is even more incredible is that he still wonders after the race why the horse ran the way he did. If the horse was so superior, as I still believe he is, he should have run him with a bit more confidence and go after the race from the start. Instead, he opts to pull the horse getting him in all kinds of trouble and killing all the enthusiasm the horse might have had at the beginning of the race, not only giving away the rail to D'Tara but almost pulling up the horse and going around Tale of Ekati in order to get to the outside, thus giving away several more lenghts to the leader. No wonder the horse didn't show any interest in running later on. Anyone would have been confused too.

Pulling the horse up at the end is, in my view, the most irresponsible way of ending this story. You can't cover up your own ineptitude at the expense of the betting public. I'm sure Kent D. knew there was nothing wrong with the horse. The horse is good and he is superior to anyone in this crop, but he can't work magic.  

Thanks for backing me up on my comments yesterday.I said if I was a Belmont Park steward I'll be asking KD some questions.When you accept a mount in a race you ride him to the best of your abillity.If there was nothing wrong with BB he should have ridden him to the wire.Period.

I think Desormeaux gave Big Brown a bad ride. At the start he almost ran his horse up onto Da' Tara's heels. Then he wrestled the horse awkwardly to the outside. Then he held the horse back, using up Big Brown's energy in the fight. I think Desormeaux was remembering his ride on Real Quiet where he was criticized for moving that horse too soon so he held this horse back when he wanted to run on early. Perhaps Big Brown should have been put to the lead earlier, being the aggressor the way he is used to.

One more comment: the odds in the Belmont on the horse going for the Triple Crown are always ridiculously low.  

jshandler, he DID ride him to the finish - that's why he "eased him up," he didn't *pull* him up.  So I don't believe Kent violated any rules.  Big Brown crossed the finish line.

I couldn't agree with you more...on everything.  My family and I have been in the racing and breeding business for 20 years and ran against BB twice.  A great horse is only as good as his connections and unfortunately for BB, his connections made a lot of people sick to their stomachs.  It's a true shame that the public will never know how grest or bad BB was - was it drugs, was it milkshaking, was it just a bad day?  We won't ever have the answer.  Hopefully though, there will be major changes in the sport going forward after this TC season so that the little guys and the straight guys can come into big games on an even playing field and the best horse will win fair and square.

At Belmont, I was next to at least three people who bet on Da' Tara.  I guess I was "lucky" to be close to at least a few people celebrating on Belmont day.  

I'm not quite sure what to say.  I'm 25, and my first memories of horse racing are news paper clippings from a local Montana newspaper showing the Sunday Silence/Easy Goer saga.  I've been waiting for a TC since I was 6 years old, and I love BB.  I really thought he had it.  Being in row 1 of benches, in the sweltering heat, I was waiting for a coronation.  I cried when EB went down and wasn't sure I wanted to watch anymore.  More than anything I want a healthy horse.  But when you pull a horse up for no reason other than you won't be able to win...that spells doom for the sport more than anything I know.  I walked out of Belmont hearing people chanting, "Big Brown sucks."  Probably would've happened no matter how he lost but I don't know if there's much else that could give me this bitter feeling in the back of my throat.

It was a sad day for horse racing.  I was upset with Kent for pulling up a healthy horse.  That's what horse racing is about - competition.  My husband commented that Dutrow got what he deserved.  He only watches horse racing because I make him.  I guess I just wonder what "Dutrow getting what he deserved" and Kent pulling up the healthy horse will do for this sport.

I'm curious what draynay's thoughts are on this matter. Come face the music dray. All good/great horses have an off day.  Big Brown just showed he is no different.  They could run the Belmont 100 times and he would probably win that race 95 of those times.  It just so happened that yesterday was one of the five time he wouldn't.  I'm not a Big Brown fan at all, mostly because of his connections & even though I work for UPS, but I hope all is well with Big Brown.  His connections, however, are reaping what they sowed, especially Dutrow.  He wanted to call out Servis and downplay any other 3 year old this year.  Now he better be prepared to accept the same criticism for which he shot his mouth off about Servis.  Finally, I don't think Curlin's corner is running from Big Brown.  If anything, knowing Asmussen, he wants to face Big Brown to finally put to rest any talk of Big Brown being as good as Curlin.  The only difference is, he will be classy before the race and humble afterwards when Curlin wins.

Think we saw Big Brown's last race in my opinion. I so agree with Wendy.  A great horse would have handled all of what happened in that race. The horse did not like being on the rail, with dirt in his face, simple as that,  in my humble opinion.  Real Quiet deserves more veneration that Big Brown, and look at his stud value.  I can only imagine what Three Chimney's is thinking.  

its amazing how many experts there are when something like this happens,they spout off and would not know one end of a horse from the other.Rick dutrow is no more arrogant than most football, baseball, and basketball players. The media decides who they like and in this case they have made a villian out of Rick dutrow.

After Dutrow ripped John Servis I watched the Belmont for one reason.  That was to see Dutrow get what he deserved.  Smarty lost the Belmont by a length after being doubleteamed by two future grade one winners.  Big Brown finished last against a bunch of allowance runners.  You tell me who did the better job of bringing his horse up to the race.

I didn't have any money on Da'Tara either. I am not sure I would bet him if the race were to be run again. It looked to me like he set an easy pace and no one really had much left at the end. When Casino Drive scratched, Da'Tara became the lone speed by default. Was this another example of "pace makes the race"? I have been a big fan of Denis of Cork since I saw him run at Oaklawn. I was hoping he had a little more left in the tank, but I admire his effort. I can't fault Kent. If he didn't have any horse under him what is the point of driving him more? His explanation of why he eased "Brown was acceptable to me.

I would like to read comments from others on the use of steriods.

I would prefer that all horses raced on nothing but hay,oats and water. I know lasix and bute have their place but it appears to me that medications are over used today.  

My guess with the weather might have been heat exhaustion, but what about the other horses?  My question to those who might know is this - will it look "better" on his "record" to have been eased, as though something were physically/medically wrong as opposed to simply being beaten?  Might KD have been told to ease if he knew he couldn't win this?  And so what if he lost?  Great horses do lose.  There's no shame in losing as long as they've done their best.  Man o'War lost, but it didn't diminish the champion that he was.  Slew's greatest race is probably the JCGC where he lost by a whisker to Exceller.

Pedigree alone told me BB couldn't do this, and D'Tara really didn't surprise me because of Tiznow, but BB is a good horse.  It's his connections I don't care for.  I was waiting to read a comment made against Casino Drive's connections that they pulled him because they knew they couldn't beat BB.  Surprisingly, I've not heard anything like it, but with Dutrow's arrogance, it was what I'd expected.  But I agree with everyone else, if he was bold enough to guarantee a win, he should have been man enough to stand up and say, "Hey, I'm sorry, I was wrong."

By the way, does anyone know what's up next for Casino Drive?  What about the Breeder's Cup Classic?  (I know his prime target was the Belmont, though.)

I know a lot of people are really upset that Big Brown didn't win.  Four years ago it was Smarty, who, in my opinion, was a better horse than Big Brown.  BB ran 3 races before his derby winning by many lengths, he comes to KY and does the same then again in the Preakness.  It just seemed as those he was untouchable but Smarty was the same way only having raced more.

I just didn't think BB would win the Belmont.  I really didn't.  That race is the true test...not the Derby, not the preakness.  The Belmont is run 5 weeks from the Derby and 3 from the Preakness and is the furthest those horses will ever run.  It is grueling and it is the toughest race in this country, I feel, to win.  There was a character on one of these blogs who said Secretariat was over rated and not that good not having won after the triple crown, which is incorrect.  After watching that race yesterday and comparing it to the unbelievable way Secretariat won it, I should think all comparisons of BB to Secretariat would cease.  They are not in the same league.  BB is not one of the greats, he is a good horse though who had a bad day.

We won't see him race again.  He did not win the tc so it's off to the breeding shed because the breeders will insist just as they did with Smarty. Smarty was going to race again too but that didn't happen.  It's too much of a gamble to risk an injury or another loss.

Having raced 6 times with 1 loss is not bad but it's not enough, really.  My question is how much did the steriods have to do with his winning?  Maybe nothing but steroids in humans helps build muscle and strength would it not be the same in horses?  It wasn't for a shiny coat that Dutrow gave him steriods.

As for Mr. Dutrow himself, he was an embarrassment when he said the Japanese think Godzilla is dead but he's not.  That was so tasteless and crass it is not to be believed.  The guy is a lowlife, big mouth.  His horse won 3 races and he just knew the triple crown would be a cake walk.  HA!  If it is ever won again, and that is in doubt, it will be won by the best horse since Affirmed and we haven't seen that horse, so far.  There have been many great horses in the last 30 years but not one who could do what the other 11 did.

I can't blame anything on Kent D. The ride into the first turn wasn't pretty but that didn't cause BB the race. As far as pulling him up, Kent D. knew he wasn't going to get in the top 4 or even 5. Sure, there was alot of money lost on him. Thousands of people had two dollar win tickets on him that they weren't going to cash in to start with. And then you have your bridge jumpers. Don't get me started on that subject. Let's just say I don't have any sympathy for them.

aiken- I know horses and I also know Dutrow is an arrogant jerk.  Not one person on the backside of Churchill, Pimilco or Belmont had a nice a thing to say about him.  While he faced adversity in his life, he clearly learned nothing from it, in particular humility.  You never spout off the way he spouted off in racing...I don't care who your horse is.  Any given day, any certain circumstances and your second or worse...last.  

I don't believe BB was in a lot of trouble at the beginning of the race, he ran up as T'ara was moving to the rail and was cut off, that happens.  Kent got him to the outside which is where he likes to be.  He was a bit rank at the start so I do believe the horse was not his usually self.  He obviously likes it his way and no other way.

Kent gave him a bad ride, from the start to the finish (if it's called a finish.)

That race was so bizarre.

The horse couldn't take the distance.

I would guess that that is the first time that's ever happened, and it just shows ... again ... that our horses today .... are babied pretty ponies. Seattle Slew and that other triple crown winner were the least raced TC winners with 17 STARTS! Big Brown had what? 5? 6? He didn't belong in their ranks anyway.

I'm glad IEAH fell on their face.

I hope a gelding or filly wins the Derby next year.

Did anyone else notice that Dutrow's shirt was completely soaked in sweat?  Think that was because maybe he wasn't so sure of the win?

Jason,

You nailed it! At least Smarty Jones showed up for the Belmont!

Who knows what they instructed KD to do. Maybe take a look at the trainer too if you're looking at Kent. Not a fan of his ride, but maybe Karma to the owner for taking the ride from Prado who rode the colt all winter. As far as the Winstrol, anabolic steroid, synthetic derivative of testosterone,stopped it two months ago that could have affected the horse in muscle mass, attitude etc.

As Jack VanBerg said on TVG, usually give it to fillies and mares (to keep them from coming in season). I still don't think the colt was a super colt just good in a below average class, maybe bolstered by the steroids. I just think it was for the best the colt didn't win. Just like Curlin the dubious human connections with criminal owners, a litigious owner and a trainer off a 6 month suspension hasn't endeared him to the public, this colts owners and trainer would have caused more problems than a TC would have solved.

I really appreciate this blog and only wish that I knew about it throughout the triple crown.

I agree with many points made here but I think that the Kent D and Dutrow bashing are a little extreme. Yes, Kent did not give a stellar ride but he clearly had a plan and that was to get the horse to the outside.  The plan backfired from the gates opening.  As for Dutrow, he is a unique individual and I thought he added a lot of color and intrigue to the triple crown.  I can't totally blame a guy for wanting to be with his horse after the most difficult loss in his very successful career.  The pressure was extreme so let's take it easy on both of these established horsemen.

Finally, this Belmont day was a bust from the outset for me.  I found no energy or enthusiasm to even wager on any of the races because of the oppressive heat at Belmont Park.  From a gambling perspective, how can one possisbly handicap on a day with record heat and humidity?

I am glad this day is over and the mainstream media can get back to their mainstream sports.  My enthusiasm for this great game is already on the way back after a very rough day.

Rick Dutrow saddled a horse in the last race at Belmont on Saturday.  I was standing near the HRTV tent and watched the beginning of the press conference at the same time that Rick's horse was headed out to the track.  I'm not much of a Dutrow fan, but his first priority is the horse, and in any situation, I would want to be with my horses first.

Additionally, the owners tried to blame the track - saying it got deep because Belmont had water problems.  The water problems were in the bathrooms - no water and no flushing toilets.  I watched them wet the track after EVERY race.  In fact, prior to the Belmont, as they wet the track, the men in the trucks got their little bit of fame - honking and waving at the crowd - they did their job.

I would have to agree that we will never see BB again. I  am not a fan of BB but I will admit that he is the best of a bad crop. What Dutrow said about Curlin and connections being afraid, I think that Dutrow was trying to give himself confidence and scare some people in the process. If BB and Curlin raced each other, Curlin would knock BB's socks off. I think Da' Tara may end up being a fair runner if he can continue to run like he did yesterday. I also support Anak Nakal, who chased the pace the whole way round the track and still dead heated for third. Not quite as impressive as Da' Tara but impressive nonetheless.

Think many of the people here got it right.  It was the ride not the horse that lost the race, though it is really not the jock's fault.  Sound funny, but I really think Big Brown's intelligence and willingness lost the race.  When the horse was checked hard, a couple of times, just as he was ready to RUN, B.B. said, "okay, this is just another gallop out", and quit right there.  A horse doesn't understand he had to be checked hard to keep from being injured, he associated it with the fact that when he tried to RUN, he was checked hard, and hurt in the mouth.  He shut down right then, only trying to be cooperative and do what he thought the rider wanted, which was to gallop around the track.  No way was B.B. "dumb" enough to try and turn on his speed again, and chance being hurt or bumped in the mouth again.  He did just what he THOUGHT he was suppose to do.  After the race, while being walked out, he kept looking out towards the track, as if he was saying "okay, when is the REAL race?"  Just unfortunate circumstances of positioning, and the necessity of requiring a hard check to prevent a crash, caused basically from another horse trying to box him in.  Too smart in a competitive animal is sometimes not an advantage.  Know this from years of successfully training competitive field retrievers and gaited show horses. Sometimes they just plain try to out think you.  Too bad it happened to B.B on Belmont day. 

You folks who are talking about suspending Kent are absoutley ineducated and have NO heart whatsoever. Being a Show Jumping rider, if my usually phenominal horse feels anything less than 100% I will excuse my self from the ring and not compete. Irregardless of what people think! I'd rather make sure my horse is okay. What would you all be saying if Brown came back with something serious internally. Kent does not know what going on with his horse, all he knows is that the horse was not right at all which could only mean one thing, he isnt feeling well, if he had pushed him, what if he broke down? Then you all would have a field day with that to. For gods sake, I applaud Kent, he actually cares about his horse. He was not saying "I pulled up because I'm a sore loser" He was saying in other words, if Brown didnt even want to beat one horse, something was wrong, wether we find out what it was or not, something was not right. Does anyone else remember an undefeated champion whos sole loss came right before finding out he has cancer....yes that right Lost In The Fog. Lets all just hope and pray Brown is okay. Again, Good job Kent, your a real rider.

I emphatically disagree with the knocks against Kent Desormeaux. He did what was best for Big Brown by easing him. What's the point in making the horse run when the jockey sensed there was something amiss with his mount, and he had absolutely no chance of finishing in the money anyway?

We don't know whether or not Big Brown would have been injured if he'd kept going, because we still don't have all the information. None of us was riding Big Brown, so how can we criticize this Hall of Fame jockey for making the decision he did? The horse's  safety must always come first. I'm very thankful that Big Brown appears to be physically fine, and hopefully nothing wrong will show up later.

Kent wanted to win that race for all the right reasons: for his son Jacob, and perhaps because of his ride 10 years ago on Real Quiet. But he put himself aside and put Big Brown first.

Kudos to Kent. He's one class act, and demonstrated yet another reason why he's in the Hall of Fame.

Mike AnonettI: I couldn't agree with you more. Kent pulling him up at the beginning of the race was a grave mistake. In my opinion,he lost the race right there. BB was on the rail and both Da'tara and Tale of Ekati cut him off. He got into traffic trouble. He didn't almost run up the heals of another horse. Those horses cut over in front of him. As far as Kent pulling him up at the end. I'm not sure how I feel about that now. I thought Kent was doing what was best for BB. Thinking something was wrong with the horse. But now, after watching the replay several times, something just doesn't add up to me. Dutrow never bothered me through this. You get use to his personality and you accept it for what it is however to not show up and face the music after boasting and sucking up the limelight before doesn't sit well with me. Had he conceded and shown a little humility after the race, maybe he could have redeemed himself a little. If I were going to play the devils advocate, I would say that maybe he was extremely concerned for his horse and didn't want to comment. Who knows. At this point, I am holding Kent responsible for that ride. What a horrible ride.

I agree with everything you've said about Dutrow and IEAH.  We're trying to improve the image of this sport but you do it with men and women of character.  With regards to your comment about Kent pulling up the horse I cannot disagree more.  We must place trust in the jockeys when caring for these magnificent animals while on the track.  If he felt something was wrong he did the right thing not to risk an injury (or worsen one) to the horse.  At that speed you have no time to say "maybe he's ok, let me just push him a little harder".  I applaud Kent for the courage he showed pulling the horse up and then standing like a man before the press to discuss his decision.

MonicaV. Perhaps the sweat was because it was extrememly hot and humid???? Yes?? Not to mention Dutrow doesn't appear to be in the best physical condition either. My thoughts would be if I had a horse running for the crown and it was 90 degrees and humid as hell, I would probably be a sweaty mess too.

In watching the replay, Big Brown was clearly "done" when Kent eased him. Big Brown did finish the race, and after the Eight Belles tragedy, I don't think Kent deserves to be criticized for galloping him to the wire. Whether Big Brown was just tired or something else was wrong - they didn't know he didn't bleed until after the post race tests - there was no reason to risk injury.

I was devestated when Casino Drive was scratched. I thought he was the only hope to beat Big Brown, and I wanted Better Than Honour to make history. I have been a Nick Zito fan since Strike The Gold, and I'm thrilled to see him win his second Belmont. I also admire Nick for his dedication to thoroughbred retirement and rescue. I didn't give Da' Tara a chance either. Only time will tell whether he is a one time wonder.

On a final note, being a fan of names and pedigrees, I read that Nick named the horse for the name pirates gave the main character in the Count of Monte Christo. Da' Tara translates to "driftwood", and the broodmare sire is Pirate's Bounty. Credit to Nick for a fine training job & a clever name.  

aren't these the same owners that were involved with a milkshaking and race fixing scandal with their previous trainer G Martin?  Who knows how much could have been made betting against BB offshore?  Who knows...

where is draynay????  Da' Tara was not too tough to have if you did not like BB.  Speed is often dangerous in the Belmont and Da'Tara is by Tiznow a late developing 3 year-old himself.  Big Brown's pedigree was exposed and a pedigree laden with Classic influences won the race.  Zito is all class Congrats!!!

I wish BB was handled by someone else. I think KD ran a horrible race I don't understand why he had to wrestle him back so hard to get to the outside of Tale of Ekati. Even after Da'tara cut in front why didn't he just fallow him around there was plenty of time to make a move. To pull up a sound horse KD cheated the public and racing. He disgraced himself.  

I have to agree with everything you said. And Desormeaux gave BB a terrible ride. You could tell it was over for BB soon after the break. My personal opinion is that BB was not adequately prepared for the race. They shouldn't have eased him in the Preakness when he had so few races under his belt and no works between the Derby and Preakness, especially when they planned just one work in the 3 weeks between the Preakness and Belmont. He didn't have the necessary bottom and the heat and humidity did him in. I was front row walking ring for Secretariat's and Affirmed's Belmonts and they both looked a million times fitter to me. Dutrow shouldn't have criticized John Servis's training regimen for Smarty, that's for sure.

I don't believe we'll ever see him race again. Too much money at stake.

If Dutrow's mouth was entered in the Belmont, it would have won wire to wire.

I agree with your comments Curlin. I hope BB continues to race forward toward the Breeders Cup. Comments made from some of BB's connections a few weeks ago in regards to a match-up with Curlin were, as always, absolutely classless. Saying that a match up between the 2 would be great for racing, great for the fans and great for them, but not so great for Curlin and his connections....give me a break. BB is a terrific horse, and I would have liked to seen him win the Crown (the horse isnt responsible for his owners and trainer), but he is NOT Curlin. Classic last year, World Cup in March, along with other victories and his overall record. Curlin is the best horse in the world right now, and his victories have proven it. If I were Dutrow and IEAH, I'd try to at least have a little more respect when talking about the Champ.

I just have three points to mention after last Triple Crown:

1. Steroids should be banned completely from horse racing. Let's be like other CIVILIZED countries.

2. Whip should be prohibited. Let's be CIVILIZED people.

3. Until we breed our horses for speed but not for stamina, let's admit we are not going to have Triple Crown winner in the near future.

Don't paint everyone in the sport with the same brush.  There are plenty of great breeders out there who don't just breed for a sire with speed and no bone.  This just does not happen.  It is a shame that a few bad apples had spoiled the way people look at racing.  Don't take a few things you have learned in the past 6 weeks and apply them to everyone.  

Billy Turner must be on drugs to make such a dumb comment.I have watched decades of racing in England were horses are EASED OR PULLED UP and race just fine next time. THEY ARE NOT MACHINES.

Early on the day of the Belmont ESPN showed BB bucking and kicking badly in the security stall.  They later refused any more cameras at the security stall and stated BB eventually settled down.  I haven't seen anyone comment on this and wonder if this is where BB lost all of his energy for the day in combination with the heat.

I like Big Brown but have said that he needed to do more to prove he was a great horse. More than what he has shown running - I like the way he acts.  Most of the great ones were reported to have a kind of intelligence and understanding of things that he seems to have. I have a thought that we haven't had a triple crown winner for 30 years  not because the horses aren't "tough enough" but rather it's because of the way the horses are trained these days.  Historically from what I've read, horses that win this series were conditioned with much longer workouts and gallops. I don't see how you can prep a horse for a 1 1/2 mile race on a half mile work.  I don't believe Big Brown was in proper condition for this race even though he looked "good".  It's a very difficult series of races and takes a great training schedule to get them through it.  I also didn't think the ride he received was very good-there was plenty of time to get him off the rail - I don't see what the rush was.

And for the record, I agree, Curlin would win hands down, Big Brown is a nice colt but he is not Big Red and honestly, I thought Smarty had a better chance, and THAT was a bad ride by Stewart.

I agree with jason here - he didn't have to pull him up.  I think he knew he was partly to blame for the race considering he almost clipped heels with Da'Tara in the first turn.  He was saving face - that's it.  Don't make this about what happened to Eight Belles - it's nothing of the sort

AlexK: What?

Right now ... Right now; we are breeding the horses for speed and not for stamina. Until we stop breeding horses for speed and not stamina? Is that what you meant? The problem doesn't lie in just the breeding. There are plenty of horses running in ten races a year, or more, and fine for it. Just not the top horses. They're worth too much.

2. Let's be civilized and NOT prohibit whips. I don't know if you've ever met a horse ... but they do worse to each other in the fields daily. I've watched a horse grab the other horse's neck with it's teeth and hold. (Among many other kinds of rough play.)

I don't know if you know, but it hurts awful bad when a horse nips at you; much less bites down!

All these anti-whip people think in terms of human emotion and pain sensitivity. Horses ... aren't humans. Believe it or not. Whips are safety just as much as anything else.

I do agree with you on the steroid thing. Not for the same reason ... just because Europe - England, France, etc., don't use steroids - just because it's EUROPE - doesn't mean they're superior. If we stop using steroids we should also make our races as dead hard as those in Europe, too, huh? Up hill, down hill. ;)

People in England use whips, so it must be ok :)

jshandler.....Kent did ride Big Brown to the finish,he did not pull him up like Prado did to Barbaro,he eased him.and they crossed the finish line that's why you can say Big Brown came in last.Ok Rick was outspoken,that's the kind of person he is...deal with it.And ya know what he was right about the first 2 races.So what if he did not come to answer questions,he was worried about his horse and not happy about the win.Stop blaming everyone for this years Belmont!

Again, to the person who referenced the people pulling their horses up in England ...

those stewards in Australia wouldn't have stood for it. I don't know if you've been reading those stories. Kent should thank his lucky stars he isn't in Australia ... they would've thrown him out of Australia!

Say what u will the FACT is Dutrow is 100% a coward who dopes horses and himself!

just look at the record and open your eyes because the truth will set you free not the media spin.

these are exactly the type of people who are killing off this great sport one crooked race at a time...

Kit - do you watch horse racing at all??  Do you not see a pull up when it happens?  It doesn't matter if BB crossed the finish or not, KD pulled the horse up - get your story straight and watch the race again.  

I was very sad to see Big Brown pulled up in yesterdays race too, and I wondered why, if he wasn't injured, would Desormeaux stop him only 1/2 mile from the finish line? I'm sure we'll never really know what transpired between horse, jockey, trainer and owner, but I did have to ask myself, whould Edgar Prado have done the same thing in this situation?...

It's really too bad and I hope you are wrong in saying "we will never see Big Brown race again". I would love to see him come out again in another couple of months to race in the Travers, and prove to all who question his talents now, that he is indeed worhty of the respect his two extrodinary victories in the Derby and Preakness earned him, and that they both were indeed incredible achievemnets.

I think Big Brown should have never raced in the Belmont.  The quarter crack hindered his training and you cannot stall training for a major race like the Belmont, especially because if the distance.  I don't care how great a horse is, if he misses training it has got to hurt his race.  

As far as the race, maybe Kent should have let him go right along side Da'Tara, it was a slow race and all the fighting to get him to the outside may have discouraged the horse.  But Kent felt he was doing the right thing and we will never know how it would have turned out the other way.  

Big Brown is still an impressive horse and it is sounding like they are heading him toward the Travers, hope he can get his mojo back!!!!!

 I love Big Brown, I like his turn of foot and I just like him.  I love all the horses, the connections are just the people that get the horses ready to race.  I go to the track to watch the horses.  All this bashing makes all those people as classless as the ones they bash.  Pedigree, hahaha.  John Henry?  Seabiscuit? what are you saying?  It is the horse's heart that rules.  Kent eased the horse, and I am glad, what would have happened if would have just collapsed?  Want to run on a hot day?  Try California.  It is rough.  The characters in racing as just having fun, isn't that what is it about.  You have all kinds of characters and they sure do not come from the well bred families.  These people dedicate their lives to horses, would you?  get up at 4:00 a.m.?  Every day?  Leave the New York man alone, he has nothing to say, so lay off.  Just be glad these magnificient animals are around to remind us what real beauty is.  People generally are ugly all over.  I love Big Brown and he will race again and if he does not I will board a plane and go visit him in Kentucky like I do all my favorite horses.  Keep it cool, you are not going to live forever, have fun and get rid of anger.  Ka'Tara is gorgeous.  Too much anger in this world.  No I am not a pacifist just put it where it belongs.  Now I will go visit my horses in Santa Anita and give them carrots.  Bye

Dutrow admitted that Big Brown was now off drugs, and maybe that is what beat him. Everybody was all over the trainer of Eight Belles who wasn't on steriods and Big Brown was! Maybe like baseball, Big Browns wins should have a * by them, saying he was doped. Glad to see them all eat a big piece of crow pie!!!

great crowd @ the race & NYRA did a good job...some of us grow later in life...i'm one of them...foregone is a little strong for a $5000 claimer...Long Live The King!!!check out those tv ratings...

To those who believe "any horse" would have been confused with the little bit of trouble Big Brown had in the early stages of the race, I couldn't disagree more. A great horse would have overcome the minor trouble that caused. I have seen hundreds of horses ranging to the lowest level of claimers win with more trouble than that. Big Brown spit the bit the first time he encountered any trouble. All his previous races were run as clean as a whistle. Maybe that's why Pull-Em-Up-If-They Can't-Win Desormeaux was so adamant about getting him a clean race each time before. Guess Kent knew he didn't have it in him to race his way through trouble. That is not a sign of true greatness. Ivarone better retire him now because if he races on you can bet that with his weakness revealed Big Brown will never be allowed to run a clean trip again. That's part of racing and Big Brown showed me he can't handle that kind of adversity. Bump him a bit, box him in, look him in the eye and he blinks. He belongs nowhere in mentiion of the greats of the past. He doesn't have the fortitude to fit there. Kinda like Draynay who has also pulled a dissapearing act.

by the way...there will be a Triple Dipper in the next four years...2009-2012...you saw it here!!!

So many things.....

I'd bet that the stewards, vets and other officials at Pimlico and Belmont told the jockeys, trainers and owners that if ANYBODY suspected ANYTHING wrong with any horse at any time, that they should take the most conservative route possible.  They had to avoid another Eight Belles.  KD had a matter of a few seconds to decide whether to continue racing or slow him.  He knew it was a hot day and he knew BB had a quarter crack - he did what he said he did - he took care of the horse.  If he'd finished 8th under urging and his hoof split open, then what would people say?  I don't like the ending of the race either, and I think Kent could have done what Pincay did on Sham in 1973, but I think Kent did what he thought was best.

But I think BB got himself beat, with a little help from Mother Nature.  It had been amazingly cool in NY the last few weeks and he was suddenly being asked to run in 90+ weather.  That doesn't bother some horses, but maybe it bothered him.

How did he beat himself?  There were several notes during the week that he was being uncharacteristically rough.  Some attributed it to his lack of exercise for a few days.  Maybe it's just his time to become studdish.  If he's feeling his hormonal oats and aching to get out and do something, and then not once, but multiple times during the race KD pulls him back, maybe he just went sour.  KD said after the race that "a few times" BB got up into the bridle and wanted to run and KD said no.  This was, after all, only BB's 6th race, and maybe he said to himself, basically, "look, it's hotter than heck out here, I tried to run, I tried to do my job and you won't let me.  I'm done."  It happens.  Frank Whitely used to tell Forego's jockeys on days when the track was questionable to let him decide whether he was going to run or not, and if he wasn't getting ahold of the track, you couldn't make him go.  Now, Forego was never sour, but HE, not the jockey, decided when it was running time.

Sorry to chime in yet again;

but another interesting thought.

What would Edgar Prado have done?

:)

something just doesn't add up with this race. If I ever once thought a horse race was rigged. This would be the one.

bb had a rough trip. first and foremost crashing from lack of steriods and g-d knows whatelse. he did get choked down early by kd and taken out to the worst part of the track. coa took him out into the seven path with a horse that shouldnt even belong in the race  but kent was responsable also for having him in  that position anyway . why choke down the best horse. the horse may have been a push button horse but you just cant take the human element out. you know the inside was holding and fast as the heat and day went on you knew the outside was not watered down. so were was the team of genious'. dont they know anything about big race stratgey ala nick zito. some great trainers walk the track. sorry  boys you lost with the best horse.very poor race preperaton. or is all you know is how to pre race a horse. you need to do better at this level its not the claiming ranks were form refersal is only a treatment away.

I must admit I was delighted to see Nick Zito win the Belmont. I wanted anyone except Dutrow to win, but Zito was my first choice. The people around Big Brown made it impossible to hope for a triple crown this year. They are such a stark contrast to those associated with Affirmed. The classy Wolfsons, the gentle, kind, & soft-spoken Laz Barrera, & the totally refreshing, unassuming Steve Cauthen. I was fortunate enough to have worked for Jack Van Berg & was so proud of the way he handled Alysheba's loss. He is a class act & Dutrow could take a few lessons.

Jason, have you ever ridden a 1000+ pound Thoroughbred in a horse race, traveling 35-45mph, let alone ridden one in the Belmont Stakes? Can you ride a Thoroughbred in a race like this and sense from the animal if something is wrong or not? And if you think something might be wrong, could you make a split second decision to pull the horse up in front of well over 100,000 screaming people who've waited three decades for a Triple Crown winner and they've put millions of betting dollars on your horse? And if you did pull him up, I'm sure you'd have a pretty good reason for doing it, based on your years of experience and skill as a jockey.

So now you're saying that your assessment is correct and a professional rider making his living on the highest level of the sport, and who's won how many big races, is wrong?

It's been determined that nothing is physically wrong with the horse, and hopefully nothing will turn up later. But during the race, nobody knew that, there was no vet riding Big Brown, Billy Turner wasn't riding him, and neither were you.

Kent is a great rider, and he certainly was great yesterday.

What kind of a trainer doesn't even bother to show up at the barn to check out his horse the day after a race?

The most telling part of Big Brown's collasal flop is the fact that he went off the steroids in April. That was not enough time to effect his performance in the Derby or Preakness but for the Belmont they were completely out of his system Imagine what a Secratariat on steroids would have done to Big Brown. It took the steroids to get him to where he was in the Derby and Preakness and his races there didn't begin to approach the times Secratariat put up. Thet should suspend Dutrow and Desormeaux for his pathetic effort and strip Big Brown of his Derby and Preakness title he won souped up on drugs.

Rejoicing over the troubles of Big Brown and his connections also shows a lack of class. Zito showed the world how to act in a case like this... I'm very dissapointed that we did not have a Triple Crown winner again this year but I'm glad all horses and jockeys came back safe.

My favorite horse of recent years is Tiznow and the only gratifying thing about this Belmont is that his colt won. Bet there was a lot of hollering going on at Winstar Farm and not because somebody else got his due. They are a class act.

Desormeaux is in a no win situation(pardon the pun). If he had gotten after Big Brown he would be accused of beating a dead tired horse, now some are accusing him of not trying hard enough to come in 6th, 7th or 8th... I say he did the right thing by the horse. He had no idea what was wrong and did not want to aggravate the problem if there was one. Bravo Kent! Can you imagine the heat he would be taking if he had whipped Big Brown and it turned out that the horse was having a real physical issue???

I hope Big Brown returns to the races. It's not the connections I cheer for, but the wonderful horses and brave jockeys who are at the core of this sport.

I too love Big Brown. He showed heart, an amazing turn of foot and the ability to race all over the track. He won wire to wire, off the rail, on the rail, coming off the pace, ect. He was and still is an amazing race horse. We should all hope that his connections allow him to continue to race AND race again with Kent Desormeaux in the irons.

If anyone thinks for one second that Kent "threw" the race, they should seriously reconsider. Kent went into that race wanting nothing more than to win the Triple Crown, not only for his own glory, but that of Big Brown, his connections, Kent's own family and the racing fans. Kent is an amazing person and has overcome much adversity in his life. We can all learn from him. I sincerely hope that no disciplinary action is taken against him as he is one of the top riders in the US. PLEASE think before you speak. Let’s say you drive a Lamborghini that runs like a dream every time you press the gas pedal. You are driving down the road and get on the ramp to the interstate and your amazing car won't accelerate. What would you do?

Careful, Jason:

Although I have not researched, my recollection is Ch 1, Subchapter A of the (NY) State Racing Commission Thoroughbred Rules does not include a provision analogous to say KY's Section 14, which does require horses to be "ridden out" (as opposed to how BB was finished off at something decidely less than a racing gallop by Kent, before being pulled up after crossing the wire).

To have something for the NY stewards at Belmont to ajudicate, I think you would have to make an argument Kent was unlawfully instructed to stop racing BB if he thought he was going to place out of the money (SEE: Sect. 4035.4 "instructions to jockeys", as follows--

"4035.4. Instructions to jockeys.

All horses are expected to give their best efforts in races in which they run, and any instructions or advice to jockeys to ride or handle their mounts otherwise than for the purpose of winning are forbidden and will subject all persons giving or following such instructions or advice to disciplinary action by the stewards and the commission."

With all due respect to Billy Turner, who I admire greatly as both a steeplechase jockey and a horseman-trainer, I think it would be pretty hard to sustain such a claim against Kent-Dutrow-IEAH, unless you can produce a Watergate-style smoking gun tape of Kent being so instructed, or someone cracks under a Gitmo-style waterboarding interrogation. Then, of course, you could also seek to prosecute them for perjury, under the theory you rarely get penalized for the original crime, rather it's the cover-up which brings you down. Just ask Duke Law grad and former US President Richard M. Nixon :-)

Breeding....Steroids....who knows?  One thing I do know.  I've seen thousands of races from Belmont Park.  You do not win from out in the center of the track like he was.  The rider's wild manuvering into the first turn unnerved BB, and was not necessary condsidering the distance.

I think Kent should have ridden BB out so he would have at least finished the race with the rest of the horses. Even on his worst day I'd think an unbeaten winner of the first two legs of the triple crown would at least be able to finish with the pack. Even finishing last a head behind the next to last horse would have been less of an embarrassment than galloping down the stretch alone. I think it was a slap in the face to the racing fans and a disgrace to the sport. Dutrow should be ashamed of himself for bragging about his horse and putting other horses and trainers down and Kent should be ashamed for riding the way he did. What a pathetic bunch of losers!

jshandler, listen, I'm not an animal rights activist, I think PETA ppl are idiots. and yes, I know he is fine, however maybe Kent did not KNOW he was fine, listen, I have a 10 year old Gone West gelding who is a "nut" haha he is very high energy and loves to run and rear, when I take him out to show in a jumper course, he is on the bit, on the muscle, ready to break right out of his breastplate....not only that but he is always clean and fast. If one day he went in the ring and was packing aruond like a childrens school horse, or got rails or time faults, I would pull him up and excuse myself, maybe he wouldnt be hurt or sick, but something would not be right, its safer and that means u care about that animal, not how it looks to other people. no one lost out exsept brown and kent, and if they dont care, neither should we.

To All: Its about time everyone see how bad a jock Kent D. is. I have never seen a jock get so many favorites beat.

If he is in a dog fight, and the other horse gets a nose in front, Kent gives up.

New York and Bill Mott can have him. Keep him away from Churchill Downs and Louisville, KY.

This article is RIGHT ON!  I couldn't have said it better myself.  I was almost ashamed to admit the fact that I thought Desourmeaux pulled up Big Brown just because he wasn't going to finish "in the money."  The entire television audience as well as the spectators at Belmont Park must have thought we had another Barbaro or Eight Belles on our hands.  Not another injury for PETA to squawk about??  Hats off to a tremendous piece of writing!

Was  postponing the race ever considered by NYRA officials?? It was not in the best interest of horse racing or the horses to run in 95degrees+ with humid conditions.  I remember racing cards being cancelled in recent years at Saratoga for exactly those reasons.  I think the heat got to Big Brown, I know I can't run when it's that hot and humid and I don't weigh a thousand plus pounds.

I dont care what they do across the pond.I have never seen a horse pulled up due to a "bad day". The jock should have wrapped up on him and ridden him to the wire.BB couldn't even gallop with Curlin,Street Sense,Hard Spun or Rags to Riches.That steroid freak couldn't even be BIG RED'S stable pony.

Gosh when I was reading this I had a thought that i wrote it. ur opinion is basically just like mine.

I agree with all the author's comments except the one about Big Brown being eased. It was the right thing to do for the HORSE. That is the most important thing. Apparently, the writer did not take away anything from the Eight Belle's tragedy. Kent thought the horse was okay, but just in case there was a problem, he eased him. He took care of his horse. And if someone finds fault in that, that person doesn't have the compassion it takes to be around these fragile animals and maybe should stick to watching pro hockey. If there is a doubt, take care of the horse first. Thankfully, Big Brown is okay and I take my hat off to his rider. He knew there would be no payday and no triple crown Saturday. He showed that he is compassionate. And that is what racing needs to showcase - not someone urging a hopelessly beaten horse on to the finish line as fast as the poor animal can go. What possible good does that do? That is a terrible way to treat a living animal and a bad thing to say should have been done!

I had very mixed feelings about what happened over this tc season.

This sport really could have used a triple crown winner to bring more fans to the sport.

I detested the trainer and how obscene he was and is and hoped that some how his horse would be crossing the finish line, as the winner was entering the winners circle.  I had no idea that it almost happened that way.

I do believe that KD was a little overprotective of BB in easing him up like he did, he should of let him run on, he could have been easy on him and not pressured BB while finishing the race.

I think it is safe to say emotions are high right now. We are looking for answers and probably won't get any. Therefore we make