The Derby

[stomperrob]

You're right, Stomper, that's only one of many reasons why he could have performed the way he did. To me it's the most logical reason, since he did get electrolytes before the race according to his owner, and according to his trainer the hoof was a "non-issue." A horse as strong and dominant as BB showed himself to be at the Derby and Preakness shouldn't have been bothered by a heavy track to the extent he obviously was in the Belmont, so I can't imagine that's the issue.

I guess they're going to do blood work and other tests, including x-rays, on him in the next couple of days. If those come back negative, I think the focus has to be on the steroids. They're saying that next year steroids should be completely banned from horse racing, so this could be the one and only time they're an issue (if, indeed, they are the issue here).

It's just bizarre that a horse that so destroyed both fields in Kentucky and Maryland should be so utterly defeated in Cali. I really hope it's steroids, though, because the alternative would be something medical, and I'd far rather have him be a victim of roids than a victim of some medical problem.

Yeh, really hard to say what happened - hopefully they will find the answer. I just have to think that if the steroids are that important, why would they withhold them? And in the last dozen years, there's been more than a few horses that looked dominant in the first 2 races (Smarty Jones is but one that comes to mind), only to lose in the 3rd and longest race - some can't handle the longer distance, some can't handle that many races in that short period in some minds. And while Big Brown's hoof may have been fine for the race, it did cause him to lose valuable training time. Be interesting to see how this plays out.

[knapplc]

Hmmm.... This is by no means a smoking gun, but it does raise some questions about Big Brown. You gotta wonder about him after this:

Dutrow faces ban for horse’s positive test

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Rick Dutrow is in trouble again.

The outspoken trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown is facing a 15-day suspension by Kentucky racing officials after another horse he trains exceeded the allowable limit for a drug that enables horses to breathe easier during a race.

Two separate drug tests on 8-year-old gelding Salute the Count revealed the horse had twice the allowable limit of Clenbuterol in his system after finishing second in the Aegon Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on May 2, said John Veitch, chief state steward of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.

FULL ARTICLE


It's just a bit odd to me that Big Brown can be so dominant in the first two races, then fail so horribly at Belmont. I'm wondering, that's for sure.

[scottaa1]

Turns out Bellichick owns Big Brown