I have nothing against Big Brown...

[two gun sid]

he's a very nice horse and he has made this TC season exciting. But I sure am glad that Dutrow will not be joining a small group of horsemen that includes H. Guy Bedwell, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, George Conway, The Jones Boys, Don Cameron, Max Hirsch, Lucien Laurin, Bill Turner and Laz Barrera. Trainers of Triple Crown winners.

[aaronbees]

1. As much as they frustrate us....

I think it's true the Racing Gods can show great wisdom at times.

That said, I would have been overjoyed to see the horse himself, Big Brown, do it today.

[two gun sid]

4. Look what the Racing Gods have in store for us next weekend...

Curlin in the Stephen Foster! How cool is that?

[two gun sid]

5. Maybe we won't see Curlin...

they just assigned him 128lbs. Asmussen is not happy. Still looks like a good field with Student Council (120), Einstein (118), Grasshopper (117), Brass Hat (116), Delightful Kiss (114), Jonesboro (114), Barcola (113), High Blues (113), Red Rock Creek (113) and Sam P. (113).

[aaronbees]

6. I look forward to Curlin crushing fields the rest of the year

Ah, my little Grasshopper, may you finish second!

Guess today's Belmont result likely means no Big Brown/Curlin matchup.

[two gun sid]

7. The closest those two will come to meeting up...

will probably be if a Big Brown mare gets bred to Curlin in 5 or 6 years.

[aaronbees]

8. Absolutely... and here's a post-Belmont picture for ya ... BB and owner

[two gun sid]

9. Oh fuck. Now I'm gonna have to like those assholes...

I know exactly how they feel. It's like someone punched you in the guts.

on edit: I mean I know what it's like to have a horse you love get beaten badly. I can't say I know what it's like to lose the TC.

[TZ]

13. Call me crazy but BB looks sad too

Like he kind of understood how big a disappointment it was..great great picture.

[TZ]

23. Hey Sid

If Curlin runs, I really want to see this race..but I doubt its on TV...and I'm not really up to going to the local OTB place right now...How can I see it...

[two gun sid]

26. I'll see what I can come up with....

A good start would be to join the Churchill Downs website(free). They have race replays. The old link I used to use from Ladbroke is broken now. I'll see what I can come up with.

[MrCoffee]

2. Amen, brother

Nick Zito and Barclay Tagg should be driven out of horse racing forever.

[Anywho6]

11. I beg to differ with your opinion of Nick Zito

I know him and he's the finest and most respectable of men. He works hard and has great respect for the horses he trains.

[Justpat]

3. The racing gods aren't crazy after all. n/t

But they sure like drama.

[erpowers]

10. Steroids For Me

I know I have made much of the issue, but that was major issue for me. For me the issue was the fact that the horse was given steroids. Even though I felt Big Brown would win the Triple Crown I was somewhat sad that a horse that had been on steroids would win the Triple Crown. I know there is no way to know if the other Triple Crown winner used steroids, I just thought it was sad that a horse on steroids would win the Triple Crown.

[two gun sid]

12. Steroids is a good issue to be concerned about....

and I respect your opinion. I too worry about steroid usage. To treat medical issues they are great. To fatten up babies for the sales and to give them to race horses just because it's legal is crazy.

[GOPisEvil]

14. You won't have to worry about it for long.

There is a move afoot to ban steroids in horse racing.

[Justpat]

15. Here in NY, as of Jan 09, you can't use any 30 days out from a race.

Good. I wish they'd do away with them completely.

My husband's feeling is that when the steroids are banned, the natural horseman will
filter back to the top.

[GOPisEvil]

18. If only for the negative perception, they should be done away with.

One sad thing about this is that most people agree that Dutrow knows his business. At least they say that publicly. Now many casual fans will just assume he's a lousy trainer because he used Winstrol.

[Awsi Dooger]

16. I had plenty against Big Brown

His name, for a start. Leading up to the Florida Derby I knew nothing about him but the name jumped out as pathetic, for any caliber of horse.

This forum was incredibly valuable in summarizing Dutrow. I knew some of the basics but nothing of the full picture. I can't remember anyone with fewer redeeming qualities who ever surfaced atop this sport, even briefly. Perhaps any sport. Even that piece today when they tried to humanize him with the standard sap music in the background was awful, except for his daughter, who I really liked.

Also, I detest late arrivers. I certainly thought Big Brown would win today against a field of this caliber once Casino Drive was out, but it went against my long held theory that if a Triple Crown contender is not identified as a 2 year old, then there won't be a Triple Crown. The upstarts are simply lacking, in one respect or another.

Other scattered thoughts on the Belmont and otherwise:

* Individually you can rationalize many of the Belmont flops since '79. But collectively the 11 failures are the most bizarre thing I've seen in any sport in 40 years as a fan. Makes zero sense from a mathematical perspective. My friends from Las Vegas and I were emailing about that tonight. There's nothing comparable, like favorites losing in the French Open or a specific Olympic sport, etc. These are legit horses and often against less than stellar fields.

* That race today was garbage. Big Brown's flop didn't allow focus on how poor the race was. I've got to believe Casino Drive would have waltzed. You had a moderate pace at basically 1:13 but no one finished -- 26 2/5 final quarter -- and one horse barely broke 2:30 on a fast surface. Maybe I'm underestimating the impact of the heat. 90+ is hell at Saratoga in August when you're somewhat prepared for the possibility. Unseasonal in early June was probably worse. Many of the horses washed out although Big Brown looked fine, as Old Broad remarked elsewhere.

* Jeannine Edwards is excellent. She's as good at her field as posters on this forum want to pretend Rachel Maddow is at hers. Jeannine asks the proper questions in concise fashion and listens to the response without dictating the course of conversation regardless of what the subject says. It's proper ABC and ESPN are starting to utilize her in other sports.

* Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey are great in tandem. Otherwise, ABC had some shaky moments. Where were the camera shots of the Big Brown crew in the stands as reality set in and the horse was finished? That's a major part of the story, whether it unfolded as the network desired or not. I can't remember a previous instance when the agony aspect wasn't spotlighted.

* Also, the call of the race wasn't ideal. Durkin failed to emphasize Big Brown's problems early in the race, obviously somewhat rank and jostling his head. Hardly relaxed and settled per norm. At the time I noted it but thought he could overcome it against this crop. I was surprised Durkin didn't pay much attention. And the sound was very poor down the stretch. The crowd noise seemed to overwhelm ABC's microphone setup. Not until Durkin relinquished the call did the decibel level restore to proper.

* I like Musberger but he succumbed to the nonsense 5 weeks is too short crap. We hear that every time a Triple Crown is denied in the Belmont. Funny how it's not a focal point an hour earlier.

*Rick Reilly is an idiot. He was reason enough to root against Big Brown, after his list of simpleton reasons he wanted Big Brown to prevail. This is the guy who called for the Canes to drop football, and he's whined for more than a decade about the '72 Dolphins celebrating the last unbeaten to lose. I liked his tribute to Jim McKay. But it was almost hard to listen to, when he's wearing a distracting joke of a tie and collar.

* Somehow my premier rooting interests bailed out again. The only two sporting accomplishments I desperately guard as unique are the Dolphins at 17-0 and Seattle Slew as only unbeaten Tripler. The past 6 months both were challenged and I can't believe they held up at the last possible barrier. I almost feel numb. Baffled is the better word. New England was 1/4 in the Super Bowl and Big Brown 1/4 here. So that's theoretically 1 in 16 chance both fall my way. Unbelievable. I was already prepared for the Taylors at Seattle Slew.com to have to change their tag of "Only unbeaten Triple Crown winner." I thought they might have to default to "First..." And Bill Turner remains alone as trainer of an unbeaten Tripler. That would have been a swell coupling, Turner and Dutrow. :)

* If I were a younger fan who hadn't seen Triple Crowns, the frustration would be unbearable.

* As bad as the horse's name, it was eclipsed by the commercial excess today, with the hefty rider of the walking pony forced to wear a flagrant UPS jacket in 93 degree weather, and the starting gate adorned with "What can Brown do for you?" That's when you need someone like Jack Whitaker to still be around on these telecasts, and dismiss it as improper and sad.

* I'm sure I forgot something. But I'm watching the race for maybe the 30th time at nearly 4 AM. When these pretenders go down I can't get enough of it. Welcome to obscurity.

* On edit: just remembered my lucky charm today. I found my Native Dancer T-shirt this morning and wore it all day. A giveaway from Saratoga a few years ago. He lost only one race, but what a biggie. That was my angle. And damned if it didn't hold up. :)

[two gun sid]

17. All good points....

just an all around excellent post Awsi. I agree with just about everything you said. Jeannine Edwards is very good at her job and Bailey and Moss are so very knowledgeable. Throw Donna Barton Brothers in there and you've got a telecast I'm not gonna miss.

After 30 years, starting with The Bid, I've finally decided that the Belmont is all about breeding. No other handicapping variable matters as much as breeding. Although, I was surprised that Anak Nakal's rabbit wins it wire to wire.

That is a helluva lucky charm you have.

[fishwax]

19. I've never seen a Triple Crown winner, but yesterday was the first time I was pulling against it

I'd love to see a Triple Crown, but I was much more enthusiastic about War Emblem, Funny Cide, and Smarty Jones. I didn't like the name, didn't like the UPS business, didn't like the "it's such a sure thing they shouldn't even allow betting on this race" attitude of the desperate-for-a-triple-crown commentators.

Great post--I'm not a big follower of horse racing, but I agree with all your points about the broadcast. Post race was awful. No shots of the stands, and they ran a replay of the race before they ever showed the 38-1 winner of the damn thing. I agree with you, in general, about Rick Reilly (I used to have a small soft spot for him as a Denver guy, but the bigger he got, the worse he got); Musburger was okay; Kenny Mayne was horrible.

[TZ]

24. I can't stand Kenny Mayne doing horse racing

He talks about the horses as "its" and "the animal" just really makes it seem like he sees them only for the betting possibilities. In other words, he is no horseman!

[bread_and_roses]

20. Well, I like horses that "come out of nowhere"

After all, my all-time favorite Exterminator pretty much "came out of nowhere" to win the Derby - though he did race at two, and was nominated, still, I don't think anyone was "spotting" him as a future Derby winner. And he was bought as a workhorse at three.

I like low-rent horses, too, who didn't cost much because their sires were unfashonable or didn't win much. And I like it when horses bred in "unworthy" States like NY or PA win, or "unworthy owners" (as one sportswriter put it, seemingly meaning those who don't come from "old money" or "old family").

As for breeding, wasn't Secretariat's breeding questioned for the classic distances? And freaks are freaks - they can come from anywhere.

Besides, tradition be damned, I have to wonder if racing two-year old's at all isn't a bad idea.

So, I liked BB, for much the same reasons as I liked Curlin. Besides, both look powerful, somehow, on the track - the same way Barbaro looked powerful, in contrast, say, to the looks of a horse like War Emblem (just the first contrast I can think of, probably because I read about him this AM). Beautiful, too, at least to my eye, but then, I'm uncritical - I think all TBs are beautiful, except maybe Exterminator at two!

I can't understand caring so much about the people that you wish the horse would lose - who cares if someone is a blowhard? And Dutrow's blow-hard-i-ness at least seems genuine - just as Taggs terseness and discomfort with the press during FC's run seemed genuine. I might feel a lot more empathy for Tagg's style than for Dutrow's, and like it a lot better, but at least both seem authentic. Just an aside, I thought Dutrow seemed uncharacteristically terse on the walk over, and that his "yes" to "can you guarantee a win" was a "yes, go away now," and not at all confident, as his earlier pronouncements had been. It made me wonder if something had been going on back at the barn, or if the pressure was just finally getting to him.

So, I'm sorry BB lost - I would have liked the excitement of a win. It's some consolation though that a Tiznow won it, and I always enjoy seeing the longest shot on the board take it.

[two gun sid]

22. My problem was never with Big Brown...

and I didn't even care that Dutrow was a blowhard, hell, it generated buzz and I'm all for getting people excited about a horse race. My problem was and still is with Dutrow and IEAH. I do not like to see people reach the very pinnacle of this sport by cheating and pulling off betting coups. Dutrow and IEAH are bad for the sport. I want people who do the right things to be the face of racing. Big Brown was great and I never wished him any bad luck, Dutrow on the other hand is an asshole. Not because he shot his mouth off but because he has been in violation of the medication rules every year for the last 10 years.

[bread_and_roses]

27. ah, meant to reply to Awsi in # 16 -not your OP - and I'm with you on

the cheating and IEAH. I'll reserve my real contempt for the profiteering parasitical IEAH (and I feel the same about the Sheiks). With so many high-profile trainers suspected or actually caught cheating, one begins to think that the non-cheaters are in the minority. (and yes, I am sure they are out there, I am NOT condemning all trainers, and hurrah for those who don't cheat, especially since a lot of cheating seems to involve drugs that are probably dangerous/harmful to the horses).

Dutrow, though, does seem to have been particularly egregious - unless he's just stupid about it and gets caught more than some others - anyway, I understand your feelings about Dutrow and I know you never wished BB any bad luck or held his lousy connections against the colt.

An OT aside, on racing on steroids, in some article I read over the past weeks at least one other trainer acknowleged using them (if not on his Belmont colt - sorry, read hundreds of pages over the past weeks and can't recall)- and in a blog from yesterday that I linked to from equidaily, Macho Uno's trainer acknowleged he used it too. If two acknowleged it, how many didn't? How many have been using them for years and years? Have any of the other horses we've been delighted by over the past whatever years been "chemical colts" (as some writer or another put it today)?

I'm with OB's husband - let's get rid of them, and the rest of the drugs, and see who rises to the top. And while we're at it, I hope they abolish the use of the whip excepting for safety. I know such an exception would be abused, but at least we'd be spared the sight of a Sham flogged down the stretch to do something he couldn't do, or wondering if some of the other horses vanned off at the end of a race were not running through pain that would have stopped them if they were not being whipped to finish in the money. Then, we'd see which horses want to run, want to win - and isn't that what it should be about?

[two gun sid]

29. Well I gotta be honest with you...

I hated Coastal and I rooted against him every time he raced after the '79 Belmont. Only horse I've ever held a grudge against.

The Europeans use a different type of whip that is not as punishing but still allows a rider to have control of a horse. Poor old Sham, what a good horse he was. Just unlucky to be foaled in the same year as Secretariat.

[bread_and_roses]

28. I meant Exterminator at three...was just looking at his Kentucky Derby photo

before I wrote that, and wondering what he looked like at two if that's what he looked like at three! (I tried to post the photo, but couldn't)

[Jack from Charlotte]

21. The last Triple Crown winner remains Affirmed, a Florida horse........

from Ocala, Florida. Harbor View Farm, if I recall.

[two gun sid]

25. What a great horse Affirmed was...

I remember him like it was yesterday. Big Brown looked so good I thought he would probably complete his TC bid.

It makes you wonder: What the hell kinda monsters were those 11 horses that actually won the Triple Crown?

[two gun sid]

30. Does anyone remember Buddy Jacobson?...

I was trying to remember his name recently because Dutrow reminds me of him.

He said something once that I've never forgotten, mostly 'cause I thought it was hilarious, "I don't even like horses, if they put on kangaroo racing, I'd claim some kangaroos." What a bullshitter he was.