Big Brown Back To Work At Belmont Park For The 2008 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes contender and Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown returned to Belmont Park‘s main track Tuesday, one day after having a crack in his hoof repaired.
The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Big Brown recently suffered a minor crack to his left front hoof and had not been on the track since Friday.
On Monday, hoof specialist Ian McKinlay opened the slight quarter crack and inserted stainless steel wire stitches to draw the crack together. Less than 24 hours later, Big Brown jogged 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Michelle Nevin.
“I felt the horse going to the track was not only good for his conditioning but also good for his mind,” trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. “He’s been kind of aggravated. He doesn’t know why he’s not going to the track. He just doesn’t understand why he’s not doing it.
“We can’t explain it to him, and we just let him go out there today and take the edge off him. He’s getting too rough around the barn.”
Big Brown went out to the track at approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday morning as a light rain fell at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old colt, who was uncharacteristically aloof, received a light bath before walking around the shedrow with Nevin.
“Ian is excited about this,” Dutrow said. “He’s not going to let anything get away from us. He’ll be around.”
Big Brown’s owner, Michael Iavarone, echoed Dutrow’s opinion that the restless colt needed to return to the track.
“I guess we surprised everybody today,” Iavarone said. “I think the decision to go to the track this morning was made late last night. Big Brown was just getting too aggressive in the barn. He needed to go to the track.”
Dutrow believes that the time off from training will have little effect on Big Brown, who is bidding to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. The trainer acknowledged that he hopes to breeze the colt as early as next week.
“I don’t know,” Dutrow said. “It could be Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the weather. If I had everything I would want, I would like it Monday.”
“Rick said he could breeze anytime up to Tuesday,” Iavarone added. “We weren’t concerned about the track today, even with the rain last night. The track wasn’t that bad and quite frankly, as aggressive as he’s been, it was safer for him to be on the track than in the barn.”
The confident Dutrow said he expects another dominant performance from Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
“I think he looks better now than he did for the Preakness,” Dutrow said.
After roaring to a 4 3/4-length victory in the Kentucky Derby on May 3, Big Brown won the Preakness two weeks later by an eye-popping 5 1/4 lengths, setting the stage for his potential date with history in the grueling 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes.
On Saturday, June 7th, Big Brown is set to make a run at horse racing history at the Belmont Stakes. Bet on his run for the Triple Crown at the Bodog Racebook and get live horse racing odds, weekly rebates, and in depth editorial coverage for the big event. Sign-up at Bodog Racebook and get $100 match-up bonus when you deposit the same amount! This offer is good for new sign-ups only. Use this link to take advantage of this promotion.
"Big Brown Back To Work At Belmont Park For The 2008 Belmont Stakes" was posted on 27 May 2008 11:12 PM under Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing News, Horses, Special Features, Stakes Races, Triple Crown
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