The Belmont Stakes proved to be a brownout for Big Brown. And off of his dismal and shockingly poor performance, some have even taken to calling Big Brown, a big bust.
But that's a bit over the top and much too harsh. You're not exactly glue factory material if you've managed to win two-thirds of the Triple Crown. Despite his meltdown at the Belmont, Big Brown needn't hide in his stall in shame. He did energize the sport with his impressive run in the Kentucky Derby and then wowed everyone with his spirited burst at the Preakness.
Yes, he came up a cropper in his bid for glory and immortality and yes, finishing last at the Belmont was a humbling experience. But that shouldn't negate all the positives that came before. It's amazing how fickle much of the sporting media can be. One day they're touting Big Brown as a super horse, an animal of epic proportions. The next, they label him a chump and a bum and infer that he's nothing but a big fraud.
Big Brown , who was still sniffing the lead as the horses negotiated Belmont's final turn, literally went from the penthouse to the outhouse in a matter of seconds. His fall from grace was swift, unexpected and dramatic. Seeing jockey Kent Desormeaux ease up the powerful colt and slow him to a gallop left all those who witnessed it, slack-jawed and speechless.
Perhaps some of the venom directed at Big Brown by the press has to do with the fact that he'd looked almost unbeatable coming into the Belmont. He'd been so impressive in winning his first five races that capturing the last jewel of the Triple Crown seemed almost a sure thing. Big Brown's blowhard trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was so confident in his horse's superiority that he brazenly guaranteed a victory in New York, calling it a "foregone conclusion."
When Big Brown produced a desultory effort that could only be classified as a clinker, Dutrow was forced to eat his words, not to mention a good measure of crow.
Before Big Brown even reached the wire, the speculation as to what the hell had happened began coming fast and furious. Big Brown was the subject of so many postmortems, you would have thought the horse had died.
Many reasons were advanced for Brown's colossal crash and burn and some of them seemed highly plausible.
Though Dutrow downplayed its' effects and said it was a non-factor, Big Brown did race with a cracked left front hoof. Since Brown isn't Mr. Ed and can't tell us for sure, who's to say his hoof didn't give him a problem and force him to race a bit more tentatively.
The suspect hoof also created another problem. It compromised Brown's training and impeded his preparation for the Belmont. Because of the injury, Brown was compelled to shut it down for three days and this lack of activity was probably telling. Many in the know believe that this mini-layoff caused Brown to lose his edge and sharpness and was the prime reason for such a dull result.
Some have guessed that Belmont's surface, with its' sandy base, wasn't to Brown's liking and had him running as if he were on the beach.
Did the fact that Brown went to the post without the aid of Winstrol lead to his demise? Winstrol, an anabolic steroid, is legal in nearly 30 states and is used widely by those in the horse industry. It is said to increase appetite and aid a horse to recover more rapidly. Could its' absence have left Brown without that extra boost he may have needed? Or more pointedly, was Brown primarily a product of the juice?
Or maybe, it just came down to the simple case that Big Brown was gassed. Lightly raced prior to the Belmont, perhaps Brown lacked the necessary stamina to endure the rigorous crucible of racing thrice in five weeks. With only five starts to call upon, Brown could have easily crumbled under such an increased workload.
Even Desormeaux's ride has been brought into question as to why Brown faltered. Dutrow, after a thorough going over, is reasonably convinced there was nothing physically wrong with his horse. Hence, he looked elsewhere for explanations. Dutrow believes that Desormeaux ill-advisably yanked Brown in too many directions while trying to navigate thru traffic early in the race. Dutrow feels this caused Brown to be spent later on.
And Dutrow isn't the only one pointing a finger at Desormeaux. Some in the media have jumped on the jock for authoring such a uneven and quirky ride. Whether blaming Desormeaux is a reach or not probably lies in the eye of the beholder.
But regardless of why Brown fell apart, this much is certain. His reputation and probably his financial value took a gigantic hit. He lost much of his prestige and his image has been sorely damaged.
With his current perception being so negative, it would have been loco to have had Brown end his career on such a horrendous note. He desperately needs to redeem himself and make amends for his Belmont debacle. And you can't do that from the breeding barn. Salvation can only be found on the track.
Brown needs to reclaim the confidence the public once had in him. And to do that he must find the winner's circle again. Redemption lies in running another big race. Big Brown must show that what happened in the Belmont was a fluke and not representative of his true measure. For Brown's legacy to be validated, he must put New York behind him with a boffo performance in the near future. Nothing else but a winning trip will get this horse out of the doghouse.
Wisely, Brown's owners and his trainer Dutrow have decided to put their charge to the test in either the upcoming Jim Dandy or Travers Stakes and then, perhaps the Breeder's Cup. They don't want the lasting image of this talented horse to be that of a failure if not an outright quitter. Brown deserves the chance to restore his good name.
And he'll do just that if he wins any of the aforementioned big stakes races. Perhaps the masses mad the mass media won't forget the Belmont fiasco but they'll be inclined to forgive if Brown can prove himself a champion once more. If Brown can demonstrate he still possesses a big heart, a competitor's will and a burst from on high, he might yet capture the glory that eluded him at the Belmont.
Retiring to stud without attempting to erase the Belmont stain that blights his standing really isn't an option. Big Brown must blackout the past by running again with power, style and grace. Siring colts and fillies won't put him back on a pedestal. His rehabilitation will never be complete until he rediscovers the greatness still lurking within him.
Whether he finds his stride again is a matter of conjecture but one thing is for certain. It's a good thing that he'll try. It's good for Brown, his handlers, the public, the press, history and, most importantly, the sport.
Lots of folks are curious to find out who is the real Big Brown? Is he the Pegasus that flew in Kentucky and the Preakness or is he the imposter that disappointed a nation at the Belmont? Or is he merely something in between?
Thanks to Brown's upcoming schedule, we'll soon know the answer.