Last-place finishes by Triple Crown hopefuls at Belmont
With a last-place finish, Big Brown earned the dubious distinction of the worst BelmontStakes finish for a horse that won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Horse Year Finish Big Brown 2008 9th War Emblem 2002 8th Carry Back 1961 7th Alysheba 1987 4th Canonero II 1971 4th ... read more
Casino Drive out of Belmont
Casino Drive, the unbeaten main challenger to Big Brown in today’s Belmont Stakes, has been scratched because of a hoof problem. Racing manager Nobutaka Tada for Casino Drive’s Japanese connections said the horse was fine during a three-furlong jog early Saturday, but planned to scratch th... read more
Don’t overlook Denis of Cork at Belmont
Perhaps one overlooked betting option for Saturday’s Belmont is Denis of Cork, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby behind Big Brown and Eight Belles. Denis of Cork had won three straight races this past winter to emerge as one of the top 3-year-olds. But after a fifth at the Illinois Derby... read more
Big Brown vs. Curlin for $5M?
Suffolk Downs is offering a $5 million purse for the Massachusetts Handicap if Big Brown wins the Triple Crown and both he and Curlin go undefeated and start in the race against each other. The $5 million would include a $1 million participation bonus for each horse. The 1 1-8-mile race, to be ru... read more
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 wo... read more
Macho Again gets in some work at Belmont
Preakness Stakes runner-up Macho Again got his first look at Belmont Park on Thursday morning with a light jog over the muddy main track. Macho Again, who finished 5 1/4 lengths behind Big Brown in the Preakness, flew from Louisville to New York on a late afternoon flight on Wednesday. He is the ... read more
Big Brown is free of steroids
Big Brown will not run on steroids Saturday in the Belmont Stakes, trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. Dutrow created a stir before the Preakness when he said all the horses in his stable, including Big Brown, received a monthly shot of Winstrol. On Thursday, Dutrow said Big Brown will not get anoth... read more
Big Brown likely to run twice more after Belmont
While many speculated that Big Brown would retire to stud following the Belmont Stakes (especially if he won), it now appears he will race at least once and probably twice more before retiring to a life of breeding. Michael Iavarone and Richard Schiavo, the managing partners of International Equi... read more
Hooters teams up with Big Brown
In what you would have to call an unusual marketing team, Big Brown, who already has a sponsorship deal with UPS, now has another sponsor: Hooters of America. The Atlanta-based restaurant chain, best known for its chicken wings and hot waitresses, confirmed today that it has signed a deal to ha... read more
Who Will Contend Against Big Brown
There are a few contenders for the 140th Belmont Stakes. Big Brown is getting most of the spotlight as the 2/7 favorite, but the distance horses in the field will give Brown a run for his money. The first on the list is a late bloomer called Casino Drive. Casino Drive has run two races, winning bo... read more