Edgar Prado: Twice Missed his chance to ride Big Brown and Twice a Triple Crown Spolier
Edgar Prado is part of many of the subplots of the Belmont Stakes. Namely, he will ride Casino Drive, the strongest challenger to Big Brown's victory chances. Twice (2002 and 2004) in the last six years, Prado has been aboard a long-shot Triple Crown Spoiler in the Belmont Stakes.He beat War Emblem aboard Sarava in 2002 and beat Smarty Jones as the jockey for Birdstone in 2004. The more intriguing and less frequently reported footnote for Prado is that twice he missed chances to have been Big Brown's jockey. First, in September of last year, Prado was scheduled to ride Big Brown for his debut at Saratoga, but broke his ankle in a spill two days before the race. Jeremy Rose was chosen to replace him. Then, when Richard Dutrow became trainer Prado had a chance to work Big Brown three times at the training center in Florida and it appeared Prado would get his second chance. But, Michael Iavarone of IEAH had dinner with Kent Desormeaux one evening and decided that "Kent fit the horse." Dutrow disagreed with the decision and later even said "Prado's my man." But the drama grew more in the Preakness when Prado was aboard Riley Tucker and Dutrow publicly accused him of trying to box in Big Brown. Finally, after a prolonged search process, Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for Casino Drive named Prado as their rider. Incentives abound for Prado to become a Triple Crown Spoiler for a third time.
New York Newsday - Johnette Howard: Prado's big task is to ruin Big Brown's party
Pay attention to Edgar Prado Saturday. He's the most intriguing human in the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes. He's the two-legged King of the Spoilers, a jockey who twice in this decade has climbed aboard worse horses than he'll ride in Saturday's race and nevertheless ruined someone else's Triple Crown hopes, same as he'll try to shatter heavily favored Big Brown's chances. The difference for Prado this year? This race might be personal. Prado wouldn't admit that the other day after he strode out of the winner's circle at Belmont after the second of a typically busy seven-race day for him at his home track. Nor will Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow and owner Michael Iavarone concede that Saturday's 11/2-mile test could darken into a grudge match, even if it was Iavarone who made the call to put Kent Desormeaux atop Big Brown this spring, against Dutrow's wishes and to Prado's surprise.
.....more
Canadian Press: Prado has extra incentive to play Triple Crown spoiler at Belmont
Prado did it twice before, beating War Emblem with Sarava in 2002 and topping Smarty Jones with Birdstone in 2004. That's two of the past three Triple tries, and he did it with two long shots. This time, Prado will be riding perhaps the biggest threat to Big Brown, the 2-5 morning-line favourite, with Casino Drive the 7-2 second choice in the field of 10 3-year-olds......more
