Affirmed owner wants Big Brown challenged
Many in horse racing have said that Big Brown has had it too easy heading into the Belmont, that he really hasn’t faced much competition. Some are even saying he needs to beat an older horse before he is considered a legend.
Well, the owner of Affirmed, the last horse to win the Triple Crown won’t necessarily be rooting for Big Brown to win in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
“I was really pulling for Big Brown until maybe yesterday or today,” Patrice Wolfson, owner of Affirmed, said Thursday night at a celebration for the 30th anniversary of Affirmed’s Triple Crown win. “And then I’m saying, ‘Maybe he’s got some competition.’ And that’s what I want to see — a real good race. I want to see a horse look him in the eye.”
Wolfson’s horse, Affirmed, and his rival Alydar gave thoroughbred fans three legendary races in 1978 when Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. He won those races by less than two lengths combined.
This year, Belmont favorite Big Brown won the first two Triple Crown races by a combined 10 lengths.
Affirmed jockey Steve Cauthen is definitely rooting for Big Brown.
“I’m rooting for them because it’s great to see greatness achieved,” Cauthen said. “I would love to see a horse give him a race, to actually make him work a little bit, and then he goes on and proves that he’s that much better than terrific.”
