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Sorry, dirtbags: Big Brown finishes last
By Gina Spadafori
June 7, 2008
Check out Sarah Andrew’s pictures, here and here. Wow.
***
You know, if I could bet the way I blog, I wouldn’t have to work for a living. Didn’t watch, still boycotting, but I know Big Brown was eased … so far last the chart doesn’t even record how much. He’s OK, so far as we know, but still … last.
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito and his wife, Kim, have fought tirelessly for racehorses, both on the track and retired. I couldn’t be happier to see anyone in the winner’s circle, with the longshot Da’ Tara.
Big Brown drug pushertrainer Rick Dutrow and “horse hedge fund” greedheadowner Michael Iavorone can go scuttle back under a rock now. Gosh, maybe skipping that last steroid shot really did matter.
Meant to mention this NYT opinion piece earlier, by Peter Thomas Fornatale:
Some have argued that racing needs a Big Brown victory to prop itself up. True, if he wins, there will be several weeks or even months of attendant excitement.
But a Big Brown victory could make the fundamental problems of the sport even worse, encouraging other outfits to be as aggressive with the rules as the scarily named Equine Acquisitions is. Until we find ways to protect horses and make owners and trainers more accountable, the real problems aren’t going away.
No horse is going to save racing. Racing must first save itself — and for that reason, I’d rather see Big Brown lose.
No easy way out, racing. Horses aren’t heroes. Horses are horses. It’s people who need to step up and clean up this mess.
Reform. Now.
Update: Great blog post on the Bloodhorse, especially with regard to the trainer of Big Brown:
Rick Dutrow handled himself in the same classless manner after the race that he did throughout the Triple Crown trail. His failure, along representatives from IEAH, to show up at the post-race press conference was poor sportsmanship. Go make sure your horse is OK and then come back to face the media. There was enough time to do both. They were all laughs and smiles after the Derby and Preakness, and the first ones to soak up the limelight during the good times. But as soon as Big Brown loses they ran and hid. What’s the old saying, “One’s true character is best revealed during times of hardship?”
The writer also thinks Kent Desormeaux should be suspended for pulling the horse out of the race and believes we will never see Big Brown run again. I don’t agree with the first, but I bet he’s right on the second.
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Really - he came in last? How’d that happen? Someone must have laced the track with hoof glue dissolver!
Was the winning horse skeletally mature?
Comment by slt — June 7, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Da’Tara is Nick Vito’s horse. He ran wire to wire! ABC News was far more riveted on Big Brown’s loss than on Da’Tara’s win, all but ignoring his achievement to moan and groan over BB. Ack.
Comment by Deb — June 7, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
Maybe his feet hurt… I’m just very glad nobody broke a leg!
Comment by C.L.H. — June 7, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
Got your wish Gina. I feel sorry for Big Brown. He is a magnificient looking horse. Very alert. BUT,
am also glad he lost. Only so sad for him that he
came in last although good for the jockey that he
pulled BB up before a terrible injury could have happened. Maybe now the greedy “owner” will sell him to someone who will truly care about him and let him live out his life in a happy pasture environment.
Comment by VJ — June 7, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
Wasn’t there an interview on one of the morning shows recently . Whom ever was with the horse was asked about a 1/4 inch crack this horse is suffering and the person being interviewed said they wouldn’t race him if he weren’t 100%. It seems to me with a crack in a horses foot or hoof the horse wouldn’t be 100% and shouldn’t be raced!!
Comment by thomas — June 7, 2008 @ 6:01 pm
Dutrow (the trainer) says he can’t find anything to “blame the horse” for. Gee - that’s mighty big o’him!
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.c.....efeat.aspx
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 7, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
The actual quote was, “I’m sure it’s not the horse’s fault. “
How generous . . . . . . .
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 7, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
Gina can you change the title “Big Brown DEAD last”. That makes me cringe each time I read it.
Thank goodness, he is still alive and not broken down and done away with.
Comment by VJ — June 7, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
“I’m sure it’s not the horse’s fault. “
Which makes it…. jockey error? Our imagination? That was a bit of a puzzling comment for him to make…. unless he’s saying “my horse has no congenital defects that will prevent him standing at stud for ridiculous fees.”
Comment by Feline — June 7, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
VJ … done. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — June 7, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
Thanks Gina.
Comment by VJ — June 8, 2008 @ 5:44 am
Hmm. I’m not really sure, although something was definitely up. I heard he hurt his foot, but he did not look injured AT ALL. The jockey was holding him back, because I believe the jockey thought something was wrong with him. So either the race was fixed, or Big Brown just wasn’t “big” enough to win the Belmont.
Comment by onlinepetdepot — June 8, 2008 @ 7:57 am
Interesting how people are so disappointed that BB lost…
when it may be that he himself had the horse sense not to push himself too far, just to win a race for these foolish people…and survived the race.
From what I read it wasn’t good, as he already had the hoof thing going on, got hit in the face with dirt at one point, and it was in the 90’s and humid. I wouldn’t want to race either!
Comment by Marcy — June 8, 2008 @ 11:08 am
Maybe the jockey took a good look at BB’s feet before the race and decided not to chance it.
Comment by Dutch — June 8, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
I read that the jockey said that when it was time to make their move, there was “no horse under him”…the horse didn’t want to.
Comment by Marcy — June 8, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Horses aren’t machines. Who knows why it wasn’t his day. Desormeaux probably did right by him, pulling him out of the race when the horse didn’t have any gas in the tank.
Was it protection of the horse or of the horse as an investment? I guess in the end, it doesn’t matter as long as Big Brown is OK.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — June 8, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
Yep, as long as he is OK.
They said that they are keeping an eye on him, to make sure that nothing else was going on to make him not want to run.
I’ve got a feeling that the hoof injury played a big part in this.
You’re right, horses aren’t machines…and people need to realize that. They are flesh and blood, and subject to ups and downs.
Comment by Marcy — June 8, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
It’s just sad that these horses are sometimes pushed beyond their limits in the name of greed. If the jockey stopped something bad from happening at the cost of the prize and celebration then I think that’s great. I wish everyone cared as much about the horses as they did their winnings.
Comment by Jeff — June 8, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
“Check out Sarah Andrew’s pictures, here and here. Wow.”
When I click on the links, I get a message saying the pages are private and I don’t have permission.
Comment by slt — June 9, 2008 @ 6:33 am
Winning the Triple Crown wasn’t MEANT TO BE for Big Brown. Hope he is OK.
Comment by Carol — June 9, 2008 @ 7:02 am
Sorry, didn’t realize they were off limits. I’m on Sarah’s “inner circle” viewing list, I guess.
They’ve been picked up on the Green But Game racing blog. Scroll down to see them.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — June 9, 2008 @ 7:12 am
I prefer playing the stock market to playing the horses. At least that way I have no one to blame but myself.
Comment by Cathy Z. — June 9, 2008 @ 12:21 pm
Reform begins?
http://sports.espn.go.com/spor.....id=3429781
Comment by slt — June 9, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Big Brown: The Interview:
http://community.foxsports.com....._Interview
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 10, 2008 @ 10:15 am
Most excellent. A great find. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — June 10, 2008 @ 10:22 am
Trainer blames jockey for Big Brown’s loss:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....ml?cnn=yes
Gotta love the sportmanship.
Comment by slt — June 11, 2008 @ 5:59 am
Big Brown’s trainer to testify before Congress:
http://news.bostonherald.com/n.....ion=recent
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 11, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Big Brown to be retired after hoof injury:
http://www.reuters.com/article.....2720081013
Comment by The OTHER Pat — October 13, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Yep, saw that earlier. My brother (the cynic) called to say, “It guess there was no way they could figure out to run him in California without drugs.” (California has banned ‘roided racehorses.)
So now, the odds on my publisher’s horse, Go Between, will drop. Curlin will still be favorite. And I’ll still be there. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — October 13, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
The Mother of All Miracle Glues=FAIL
Comment by slt — October 14, 2008 @ 4:01 am