Big Brown Triple Crown . com

Richard Dutrow has finally spoken publicly and is now questioning the ride of Kent Desormeaux. Big Brown was shipped to Dutrow's barn at Aqueduct Race Track on Monday morning and the trainer spoke about the possibility that the way that the horse and jockey interacted going into the first turn cost Big Brown the chance to win the Triple Crown. Desormeaux and Dutrow have still not spoken since the race. At the start of the first turn, Desormeaux took a hard hold of Big Brown and yanked him to the outside. At that point he bumped with Anak Nakal and then found some running room outside of Tale of Ekati. All the while, eventual wire-to-wire winner Da' Tara was opening up a three-length lead around the clubhouse turn. Dutrow thinks that Desormeaux may have confused the horse saying that Big Brown probably had no idea what was happening getting switched all over the track like that. Desormeaux revealed Monday that his plan was go to the lead, but that Big Brown slipped coming out of the gate and that he was pinched back. Desormeaux commented after the race that he "had no horse" and that he could not second guess this ride the way he had second guessed his ride on Real Quiet ten years ago when that horse lost by a nose in his pursuit of the Triple Crown. Kent Desormeaux told Wallace Matthews of New York Newsday that the track was too soft. Michael Iavarone had also blamed the track because of an apparent water problem that they had at the track, but Belmont park confirms that the track was watered as normal.

Daily Racing Form - David Grening: Dutrow questions Desormeaux's ride

"I got people calling me from all over the world telling me I ran a sore horse in the race, the jock had to pull him up," Dutrow said as he stood in his Aqueduct barn's shed row waiting for Big Brown's van. "I don't know why he had to do that. If he felt the horse was sore, yeah, but the horse was fighting him the whole way through the lane and he was fighting the horse the whole way up till the lane. I just don't get the whole thing.".....more

Iavarone said Big Brown never got a hold of Belmont’s dried-out track. He pointed to the performance of the I.E.A.H.-owned sprinter Benny the Bull, who won the six-furlong Grade II True North Handicap by a desperate neck in 1 minute 9.06 seconds on Saturday, relatively slow.......more

Just a few hours after the devastating loss in the Belmont Stakes, Richard Dutrow is searching for what may have gone wrong. Big Brown was checked out and appears to be physically "fine". Dutrow was clearly disappointed, but still proud of Big Brown and his accomplishments. It appears that we may know in 24 hours whther or not he will be retired or if he will race again.

International Herald Tribune - AP: Dutrow stung by Big Brown's Belmont defeat

"The horse kind of looks like he's fine to me, so the only thing I know is to wait and see how things go," Dutrow said, adding that Big Brown will be scoped to see if there were any health issues. "Right now, I don't see him being off; he may be off tomorrow.".....more

Big Brown seemed rank at the start and was eased at the quarter pole. Da'Tara, ridden by Alan Garcia and trained by Nick Zito won at 38-1. It appears there are no health issues with Big Brown. Desormeaux says he eased the horse simply to protect the "best horse he has ever ridden". He said that entering the final turn, he "just had no horse."

Blood-Horse - Dan Liebman: Da' Tara Springs Upset; Big Brown Eased

The world awaited a delivery from Big Brown, but in a shocker, it was Da’ Tara who won the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) Saturday as the horse seeking to win the Triple Crown was eased past the wire. Trainer Nick Zito spoiled a Triple Crown for the second time. He also trained Birdstone, who beat Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont. And, like in ’04 when Zito also ran third with Royal Assault, he was third this year with Anak Nakal, who dead-heated with Ready’s Echo. In second was Denis of Cork. Big Brown was in obvious trouble in the turn for home and Desormeaux eased him back and let him gallop down the stretch. Following the race, Desormeaux said there was nothing physically wrong with Big Brown,.....more

Big Brown didn't deliver - at all. Long Island's favorite horse failed miserably in his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years when he pulled up and finished last in the 140th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. Da'Tara, a 38-1 pick, was the wire-to-wire winner. "Long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse," jockey Kent Desormeaux said. Asked what went wrong, Desormeaux said, "I have no idea.".....more

Here is some things gathered about the Failed Triple Crown attempts of the last 30 years. This is meant to indicate how hard it is to accomplish and how impressive it would be if Big Brown does succeed.

1979 - Spectacular Bid - 3rd at Belmont (spoiler - Coastal)

1981 - Pleasant Colony - 3rd at Belmont (spoiler - Summing)

1987 - Alysheba - 4th at Belmont (spoiler - Bet Twice)

1989 - Sunday Silence - 2nd at Belmont (spoiler - Easy Goer)

1997 - Silver Charm - 2nd at Belmont (spoiler - Touch Gold)

1998 - Real Quiet - 2nd at Belmont (spoiler - Victory Gallop)

1999 - Charismatic - 3rd at Belmont (spoiler - Lemon Drop Kid)

2002 - War Emblem - 8th at Belmont (spoiler - Sarava)

2003 - Funny Cide - 3rd at Belmont (spoiler - Empire Maker)

2004 - Smarty Jones - 2nd at Belmont (spoiler - Birdstone)

VIDEOS:
Spectacular Bid in 1979:



Spectacular Bid losing the 1979 Belmont Stakes:



Pleasant Colony in 1981:



Pleasant Colony losing the 1981 Belmont Stakes to Summing:



1987 - Alysheba vs Bet Twice (spoiler) and 1989 - Sunday Silence vs Easy Goer (spoiler)

Alysheba losing the 1987 Belmont Stakes to Bet Twice:



Sunday Silence losing the 1989 Belmont Stakes to Easy Goer:



Silver Charm losing the 1997 Belmont Stakes to Touch Gold:



Real Quiet (and Kent Desormeaux) losing the 1998 Belmont Stakes to Victory Gallop (did Desormeaux move to early?) - One of the great (or most heart-breaking) finishes of all-time:



Charismatic losing the 1999 Belmont Stakes to Lemon Drop Kid:



War Emblem losing the 2002 Belmont Stakes:



Funny Cide losing to Empire Maker in 2003 Belmont Stakes:



Smarty Jones in 2004 (full video of all 3 races):