The Belmont Stakes and the Big Brown Let Down

 

The 140th Belmont Stakes was to be a coronation - a “forgone conclusion” that Big Brown would become the 12th Triple Crown champion.

Instead, it will forever be noted that Big Brown “DNF” - Did Not Finish.  The worst finish EVER by a triple crown contender.

There were many people looking to be play Monday quarterback, and now it’s my turn.

First congratulations are in order to Nick Zito, whose Da’Tara won it wire to wire, and staggered home in a time of 2:29: & change, and was the longest shot on the board at 35-1, even higher odds than the maiden Guadalcanal, at 22-1.  I never would have picked Da’Tara, who was ridden by Allan Garcia, to hold on for the 1 ½ mile.

Da'Tara is upset winner of the Belmont Stakes

What exactly was the reason for Big Brown’s embarrassing finish?

Could it have been the 96 degree temperatures, which made the day miserable for man and beast?  I’m sure it didn’t help, but Big Brown at least avoided heat stroke.  After the running of the True North, Saint Daimon, was suffering from heat stroke, kicking out wildly and fighting whenever asked to move forward.  He was doused continually with water, alcohol, and had an Artic horse blanket placed on his back in an effort to cool him down - which took about 10 minutes.  He was then able to walk of under his own accord.  In contrast, Big Brown was barely sweating when he came back.  Don’t think the heat was a major factor.

Was it the withdrawal from not receiving his monthly injection of Winstrol, a steroid that caused many an eyebrow to be raised when Dutrow freely admitted that all his horses got their monthly steroid shot?  Dutrow decided not to give Big Brown his May shot, due two days before his Preakness win.  He also didn’t give him his vitamin shot either. Maybe he lost a little bit of an edge having his traditional  pharmaceuticals being messed with.

The quarter crack was an issue after all.  Not that it caused him discomfort while running, but it did cause him to miss a number of days from training while it was being dealt with by Dutrow.  Training that is vital coming into a 1 1/2 mile race, can only hurt the fitness level of the horse.  Maybe he did indeed “run out of gas” as Desormeaux stated.  More on him in a few paragraphs.

Maybe the racing gods deemed that Dutrow and EIAH were not worthy of winning the crown.  That Dutrow, with his 33 page rap sheet, and Michael Ivorrone, with his slightly dubious Wall Street credentials, were shady enough that they were less than pure of heart, not deserving of such a prize.

Maybe the racing gods wished to punish Dutrow and all his crowing, boasts, dismissal of the competition, and proclamations of certainty doomed his horse to failure.  It would not be the first time that arrogance of a trainer doomed a horse to failure.  Look at Bud Delp, who proclaimed Spectacular Bid “the greatest horse to look through a bridle.”  He finished 3rd, in part due to stepping on that damned safety pin, and a crappy ride given by Ron Franklin.  Or in 1981, when Johnny Campo boasted in his daily newspaper how Pleasant Colony would beat up on the bums entered against him - he also finished 3rd.

Big Brown is eased

Both trainers had to eat humble pie, and they did immediately after their horse crossed the finish line.  Delp and Campo had a sense of class, unlike Dutrow, who immediately told members of the press “don’t even think about it”  when asked for a comment on his horses stunning loss.  He ran out of the stands and over to his barn faster than his horse ran around the track.  Total class act there - NOT!

Last but not least is Kent Desormeaux, the jockey of Big Brown.  Is it just me, or could Kent have given a more amateur ride than he gave Big Brown that first quarter mile of the race?  In five strides out of the gate, Big Brown was tossing his head and veering sharply left to the inside rail, tossing his head and almost running up on Da’Tara’s heels - I have a slightly fuzzy picture of him doing it - and he looked pissed off.  Desormeaux jerked him back, then tried to jerk him outside, then back inside before knocking into Anak Nakal in an attempt to get to the outside. 

I guess he forgot that he had a whole 1 ½ mile to work his way to the outside.  He also forgot that Big Brown won his very first race from the number 1 spot, that he won by over 12 lengths.  He can win from the one hole.

Big Brown fights Desormeaux down the stretch

But not this time.  After 1 mile, Desormeaux says he asked Big Brown to go, but the horse did not respond - “he was out of gas.” Kent said.  So Desormeaux decided to due the logical thing - he quit.  He felt the horse had no chance to get on the board, so he quit.  But interestingly enough, Big Brown did not want to quit - he fought Desormeaux all the way down the stretch as Kent try to keep him at a gallop, tossing his head the whole way.

I understand Kent did not want to harm the horse, but I feel if the horse was not in distress, he should have ridden him to the end.  At least beat the maiden for Christ Sake’s.  Plus it’s in the rules, unless a horse is in distress, he is supposed to be ridden out.  That’s what it says.  It to be fair to the bettors, who expect to be given a fair chance to win their bet.  They did not get a fair chance.  And neither did the 94,000 plus fans who braved the sweltering heat, and lack of working toilets, for a chance to watch history.  They were cheated.

Kent Desormeaux pulled a Roberto Duran, who when realizing he was getting a major ass- whooping at the hands of Sugar Ray Leonard, threw up his hands and said “No mas!”, and walked away -just quit.  Desormeaux said “no mas” and walked away, and I feel cheated.  We all should feel cheated.