THE OWNER wanted to fire the trainer. The trainer wanted to fire the jockey. The jockey probably should have fired himself.
Welcome to the dysfunctional world that is Big Brown, the colt who looked like a cinch to win the Triple Crown until he was pulled up in the stretch of the Belmont Stakes, with what owner, trainer and jockey all now acknowledge were no physical problems.
Revisionist racing historians want to suggest the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was never that good anyway. The apologists have all sorts of explanations for what might have gone wrong at Belmont Park, with almost none of them based on anything but conjecture.
Here is what we know for sure. Big Brown really is going to run in Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park when many thought some phantom injury would be invented so the colt could be hustled off to join Smarty Jones in the stallion barn at Three Chimneys Farm.
Big Brown was unbeaten and untested through the Preakness. The colt won the Derby from the 20 post with total ease. No horse could do that without great talent, so forget anything you hear about Big Brown not being a very good, if well short of great, horse.
I thought jockey Kent Desor-meaux misread the Belmont, gave up a huge tactical advantage by not sending Big Brown to the front and steered the colt to the worst part of the track when horses running on the rail were winning most of the races.
Think about this. Da'Tara, a colt with zero accomplishments, won the Belmont by getting a clear lead on the rail. Da'Tara's next race was last Sunday's Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. After getting into a speed duel, Da'Tara finished last.
If the real Big Brown shows up and gets even a decent ride from Desormeaux, the colt should win the Haskell by daylight. There are only two other graded stakes winners in the field of seven.
The colt's principal owner Michael Iavarone has said he was close to firing trainer Rick Dutrow because of: a) his controversial comments to the media in general and about several other New York trainers in particular; and b) not telling him about a drug positive he got in Kentucky just as Iavarone was stating his stable would be drug-free in the fall. But the biggest investor in Iavarone's stable strongly suggested he give Dutrow another chance, especially considering how many major races the trainer had won for the stable.
Dutrow stated the obvious a few days after the Belmont. Since there was nothing wrong with Big Brown, the only thing he could point to was Desormeaux' tentative ride.
Dutrow never wanted Desor-meaux in the first place. He wanted Edgar Prado and Iavarone chose Desormeaux.
Dutrow wanted Big Brown's comeback race to be in the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. But Iavarone chose the Haskell after Monmouth offered $50,000 incentive bonuses to the owner and trainer if Big Brown ran in its race.
By the way, how is Big Brown doing these days? Glad you asked.
"You know, it looks like he's ready to run," Dutrow said. "I can't see any kind of issue with him in any way. He just looks good as he can possibly look . . . It's all good with him right now."
The colt's problematic feet are fine. It has been 2 months since the Belmont, so he has had ample time to recover from the Triple Crown grind.
Big Brown's first workout after the June 7 Belmont was a tortoise-like 1 minute, 6.71 secondsfor 5 furlongs on July 2. Slowly, Big Brown has worked himself back into racing shape. Last Saturday, he worked 6 furlongs in a very quick 1:10.96, his fifth workout of the month.
"If Big Brown finishes [the Haskell] the right way, I'm going to forget about trying to figure [the Belmont] out," Dutrow said. "I'm still kind of concerned about what's going to happen Sunday because I know the horse went into the Belmont in very good condition, and whatever happened in that race, I don't have an idea, but if it happens again then, I'm going to know something is wrong with him. He's just not going to run anymore . . . a whole lot depends on what happens Sunday."
If the good Big Brown shows up and dominates, Dutrow likely will pick out one race between Sunday and the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
"The Breeders' Cup is definitely on top of the list, even though you know this race here is more important than any race for him right now," Dutrow said.
If Big Brown does win big Sunday, the Belmont really will look like a fluke. That would be good and bad news for Big Brown fans. The colt would be back, but perhaps, had Big Brown been ridden differently, Big Brown would have run like Da'Tara, only better.
"Whatever happened in the Belmont, I don't feel that it's my fault," Dutrow said. "I don't feel I did anything wrong, I know the horse went into the race very, very good."
Horses have never been Dutrow's problems. He is a genius on the backstretch. People, however, have been a bit more confusing to him.
"But my job is to go out there and take care of the horses not the people," Dutrow said.
If it were only that simple. *
Philly.com
Welcome to the dysfunctional world that is Big Brown, the colt who looked like a cinch to win the Triple Crown until he was pulled up in the stretch of the Belmont Stakes, with what owner, trainer and jockey all now acknowledge were no physical problems.
Revisionist racing historians want to suggest the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was never that good anyway. The apologists have all sorts of explanations for what might have gone wrong at Belmont Park, with almost none of them based on anything but conjecture.
Here is what we know for sure. Big Brown really is going to run in Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park when many thought some phantom injury would be invented so the colt could be hustled off to join Smarty Jones in the stallion barn at Three Chimneys Farm.
Big Brown was unbeaten and untested through the Preakness. The colt won the Derby from the 20 post with total ease. No horse could do that without great talent, so forget anything you hear about Big Brown not being a very good, if well short of great, horse.
I thought jockey Kent Desor-meaux misread the Belmont, gave up a huge tactical advantage by not sending Big Brown to the front and steered the colt to the worst part of the track when horses running on the rail were winning most of the races.
Think about this. Da'Tara, a colt with zero accomplishments, won the Belmont by getting a clear lead on the rail. Da'Tara's next race was last Sunday's Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. After getting into a speed duel, Da'Tara finished last.
If the real Big Brown shows up and gets even a decent ride from Desormeaux, the colt should win the Haskell by daylight. There are only two other graded stakes winners in the field of seven.
The colt's principal owner Michael Iavarone has said he was close to firing trainer Rick Dutrow because of: a) his controversial comments to the media in general and about several other New York trainers in particular; and b) not telling him about a drug positive he got in Kentucky just as Iavarone was stating his stable would be drug-free in the fall. But the biggest investor in Iavarone's stable strongly suggested he give Dutrow another chance, especially considering how many major races the trainer had won for the stable.
Dutrow stated the obvious a few days after the Belmont. Since there was nothing wrong with Big Brown, the only thing he could point to was Desormeaux' tentative ride.
Dutrow never wanted Desor-meaux in the first place. He wanted Edgar Prado and Iavarone chose Desormeaux.
Dutrow wanted Big Brown's comeback race to be in the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. But Iavarone chose the Haskell after Monmouth offered $50,000 incentive bonuses to the owner and trainer if Big Brown ran in its race.
By the way, how is Big Brown doing these days? Glad you asked.
"You know, it looks like he's ready to run," Dutrow said. "I can't see any kind of issue with him in any way. He just looks good as he can possibly look . . . It's all good with him right now."
The colt's problematic feet are fine. It has been 2 months since the Belmont, so he has had ample time to recover from the Triple Crown grind.
Big Brown's first workout after the June 7 Belmont was a tortoise-like 1 minute, 6.71 secondsfor 5 furlongs on July 2. Slowly, Big Brown has worked himself back into racing shape. Last Saturday, he worked 6 furlongs in a very quick 1:10.96, his fifth workout of the month.
"If Big Brown finishes [the Haskell] the right way, I'm going to forget about trying to figure [the Belmont] out," Dutrow said. "I'm still kind of concerned about what's going to happen Sunday because I know the horse went into the Belmont in very good condition, and whatever happened in that race, I don't have an idea, but if it happens again then, I'm going to know something is wrong with him. He's just not going to run anymore . . . a whole lot depends on what happens Sunday."
If the good Big Brown shows up and dominates, Dutrow likely will pick out one race between Sunday and the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
"The Breeders' Cup is definitely on top of the list, even though you know this race here is more important than any race for him right now," Dutrow said.
If Big Brown does win big Sunday, the Belmont really will look like a fluke. That would be good and bad news for Big Brown fans. The colt would be back, but perhaps, had Big Brown been ridden differently, Big Brown would have run like Da'Tara, only better.
"Whatever happened in the Belmont, I don't feel that it's my fault," Dutrow said. "I don't feel I did anything wrong, I know the horse went into the race very, very good."
Horses have never been Dutrow's problems. He is a genius on the backstretch. People, however, have been a bit more confusing to him.
"But my job is to go out there and take care of the horses not the people," Dutrow said.
If it were only that simple. *
Philly.com
