The Day After: Big Brown Seems Physically Fine and Happy....will stay in training.....Jim Dandy, Travers, Breeders Cup?
The Big Brown Camp is still perplexed a day after his disappointing Belmont Stakes. It was quiet at Barn 2 as Big Brown went through a normal morning routine as if he knew nothing of the impact his race had on those around him. Trainer Richard Dutrow was no where to be seen and Michelle Nevin, the assistant trainer and exercise rider was not talking. When owner Michael Iavarone was finally tracked down by phone he indicated that they haven't been able to solve the mystery of why Kent Desormeaux had "no horse" under him when it was time for the final move in the Belmont Stakes. No one has found any thing to explain his stunning performance. Iavarone told Joe Drape of the New York Times that everything seems fine and that "there’s nothing physically that’s shown up." He reiterated that the suspect feet of the great horse had nothing to do with it. He also says that Big Brown will remain in training and be pointed towards the Travers and the Breeder's Cup. They are considering running in the Jim Dandy on July 27th at Saratoga as a prep race for the Travers.
AP - Beth Harris: Big Brown left alone after stunning Belmont loss
The morning after the Belmont Stakes, Big Brown stopped to pose for photographers as if he had won the Triple Crown. Everyone except the horse knew otherwise. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was a no-show, leaving questions and few answers about what happened to Big Brown in Saturday's 1 1/2-mile Belmont. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was eased up by jockey Kent Desormeaux in the stretch, ending up last, beaten by eight other horses. The bay colt faced the cameras alone Sunday, except for exercise rider Michelle Nevin — and she wasn't talking. Outwardly, Big Brown appeared no worse for wear. He got his morning bath outside Barn 2, playfully nipping at a leather lead held by Nevin. Then she led him in circles around the inside of the barn, with Big Brown walking perfectly on his patched left front hoof......more
New York Times - Joe Drape: A Day Later: Kudos for Zito, Questions About Big Brown
Big Brown is pointed to run in the Travers at Saratoga in August, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in October at Santa Anita, where he is likely to meet Curlin, the reigning horse of the year. “It puts a little more pressure on us to win those races,” Iavarone said. “I know a lot of people say we haven’t beaten anyone, and we needed to take on older horses.” So for now, Big Brown’s future is pretty straightforward. Dutrow, Iavarone and his camp will go back to the drawing board. Unless a physical ailment shows up, Iavarone says Big Brown will maintain his regular training schedule in Dutrow’s main barn at Aqueduct and perhaps breeze as soon as two weeks from now. “All we can do is chalk this up as a mystery,” Iavarone said, “and regroup.”.....more
New York Times - Joe Drape: Big Brown Appears O.K.
....“We went over him good last night after the race, and again this morning, and there’s nothing physically that’s shown up,” Iavarone told me just a few minutes ago by telephone. “He scoped clean. His feet are ice cold, quarter crack not an issue. He had a very loose hind left shoe, but that’s not an issue. We’ll just chalk it up to a question mark at this point. “I’m understanding they had an issue without water and they weren’t able to water the track and it got deep, I don’t know… We’re perplexed, nobody can figure this one out, the horse did not displace (his palate), he scoped fine, there’s no mucous, everything is ice cold. The horse that won, he (Big Brown) had beaten him by 23 (lengths) in the Florida Derby and so, I don’t know. We just have to watch him carefully and make sure we didn’t miss anything.”....more
New York Newsday - Ed McNamara: Big Brown will likely run again
....Win or lose, entering the Belmont most people believed it would be Big Brown's last race. The son of Boundary will begin his stallion career next year at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, and a retirement announcement Sunday would have surprised no one. Instead, Iavarone said IEAH is sticking to its plan to train Big Brown for the Travers Stakes Aug. 23 at Saratoga. "Unless something shows up, we're going to maintain his regular training schedule," he said, "which will be to breeze in a couple of weeks and point him for the Travers. ... I haven't lost confidence in the horse.".....more
Chicago Tribune - Neil Milbert: No answers from Big Brown's camp
After two thorough postrace examinations, the shocking last-place finish by previously undefeated Big Brown in Saturday's Belmont Stakes remains a mystery. "He's sound, he's clean," Mike Iavarone, the co-president of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner's majority owner, IEAH Stables, said Sunday. "Scoped clean. Feet ice-cold. Quarter-crack not an issue," he added. "We went over him good last night and again this morning, and there's nothing that shows up.".....more
