Da' Tara Spoils Big Brown's Bid For Triple Crown

NEW YORK — Big Brown failed in his bid to become horse racing's 12th Triple Crown winner when he finished dead last to Da' Tara in the Belmont Stakes. Da' Tara went wire to wire to beat eight other thoroughbreds over 1 1/2 miles, the longest and toughest of the three classics.

"I had no horse," said Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux.

All week long, Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr. said the horse's victory was "a foregone conclusion." He turned out be wrong.

The bay colt's disappointing performance followed convincing victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He failed on the same track where 10 horses had been beaten over the last three decades. The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.

Comments

[CrazyDemocrat]

Horse racing is FIXED...if you "have no horse" you can't be in 3rd place 3/4 of the way through the race..There was nothing wrong with Big Brown...

[XMauiGirl]

Remember War Emblem? I saw him at Del Mar, CA after losing its Triple Crown bid at Belmont. What a magnificent horse!!! He was purchased by the Japanese soon after and the last I heard of him wasn’t about happy life in the stud farm.

Just did an on-line search and here’s latest. Sure hope Big Brown would not be forced to be ONLY what human want him to be:

Is War Emblem Gay? Popular Stud Says ‘Nay’ to Mares
http://www.outsports.com/wire/20030617waremblem.htm

A “Rehabbed” War Emblem: War Emblem Now Breeding to Mares Daily
http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45615.htm

[swoosie1]

Well, at least Big Brown only finished "Dead Last" as the heading says, and not "Dead" as so many other great racing horses have. The racing business is not the charmed circle for horses as it appears on the flat screen box that we watch once or twice a year, with all the beautiful people sweating in the humidity of the those southern and east coast venues. No, its a slaugterhouse of immorality, where horses are used up and sent off to be made into cat food when they no longer "perform" at peak. It is a dirty, dirty business.

[mojopo]

I'm glad some people have a black and white world, and never think about the gray areas.

Horses want to run. To say otherwise is disingenuous. I applaud your concern, but I do question your motivation. Horses do want to run. And when there is no more racing, as a good pal of mine said, the horses will race each other and not give a crap about us.

[princessofnowt]

Didnt anyone else watch this race from the start in slo-mo? That jockey took him everywhich way from the beginning of the race, watch him straight out of the gate- he jerked him off the rail immediately, then back to stick him behind the others once he gave away the rail. Throughout the beginning of the race the jockey is looking behind him and to the sides- he was never looking to run that race.

Never mind the fat that the horse wasnt up to the race in the first place. Racing has been ruined in this country. Its as set up as wrestling, as far as I can tell. I havent seen an honest American race in I dont know how long. I'm beginning to side with PETA on horse racing at this point, especially here. The horses dont have a chance anymore. And with all the syndicates etc, its all corporate anyway.

[gevan]

Our President put it best when he said, "Heck of a job, Brownie."

[helonias]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE4D9143FF930A15754C0A9659C8B63

HORSE RACING; 1986 Derby Winner Was Slaughtered, Magazine Reports
Victories in the 1986 Kentucky Derby and the 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic figured to have earned Ferdinand a cushy retirement when his racing days were over. Instead, his life apparently ended in a grisly manner, in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002, according to the racing industry trade magazine The Blood-Horse, which will report his death in its issue dated July 26. It is believed that his carcass was used to make pet food.

[guajiro]

Big Brown was syndicated for $50, 000, 000. 00 (50 million) last week or so. My observation was Big Brown broke very, very strong. So strong Desourmeax (jockey) was having a very hard time reining him in, as is evident on the screen. Even so, Big Brown accelerated at such great speed that he ran into/clipped a horse he was overtaking at the first pole. Then, his jockey rode him to the outside lane and kept him there while still reining him in. By that point, having been harshly reined in from the start, and ss any horse would interpret all that reining in to mean, Big Brown slowed his pace and ran with the pack, not demonstrating any desire to lead the pack, just as his jockey conveyed to him by reining him in repeatedly from the start to the first pole. Big Brown lost not because of any cruelty, being hurt, or lack of desire to win. He was simply held back to ensure his breeding farm the millions upon millions they already have lined up in breeding rights if he simply survived the race. To have broken a leg would have meant the uthanization of the horse and the loss of millions to his farm.

[mojopo]

I'm not saying your wrong, and their is that angle to consider, but if that was the case then someone should have clued in Dutrow. Unless they hate his guts. Wow, did he make a jerk of himself.

[mojopo]

Typo alert #5,001: Their = there. There, there Brownie. You're a good horse.

[guajiro]

The guy was a believer the whole way. Turns out the owners of Big Brown are Wall Street types and I'm willing to bet they didn't ask Dutrow to sit in on any meetings. Money, not the best interest of horse racing, is their concern.

[auntiecairo]

It is common to hold horses back at the beginning of the Belmont so they'll have steam at the end - where Big Brown would have had an extra kick at the 1/2 mile point - he didn't have any. When you have a horse that runs as easily as Big Brown you shouldn't have to whip him to contend. His jockey knew him well enough to realize something was wrong and pulled him up. Smarty Jones ran second and it turned out he had a fracture. It's not a coincidence that so many horses fail at the Belmont and fresh horses win - because it's the first and sometimes last time they run the distances. When Secretariat won he was the first horse in 25 years - which points less to breeding practices of today and more to the grueling pace of the 3 races. Not a fan of the trainer but no way would they have risked Big Brown if they didn't think he was ready -- it's just one of the reasons horse racing is so unpredicable. I'm much more concerned about the lesser horses that end up as dinner in Europe, rather than horses like Big Brown - that live as good a life as any animal could.

[exPatPatti]

Where is that applause button? You are 100% correct.

[kel]

I admire the jockey for not pushing him to win and possibly causing a fatal injury.

Also the interview the trainer gave before the race made him look like a bona fide jerk.
His cocky nature didn't cast the race any luck.

You're still a winner big brown. :)

[jrldev]

I tend to agree with many of the posters that the horse was not 100% physically sound.
In my years as an insurance broker dealing with race-track operations including equine insurance,
I discovered first hand that ego and greed (as well as kindness and sensitiveness for the animal)
is an existing condition within the thorughbred racing industry,
Many so-called "trainers" I would not consider capable to "teach a dog to eat meat" much less be in
charge of training a horses. Many owners were only feeding their ego to become part of the action in
"the sport of kings". Needless to say the states racing commissions are "hand-picked" for the benefit of the industry and my often heard complains felt on deft ears. After that, I retired from this business since I could not improve the conditions "as I saw them" but have always kept my interest in the racing
of horses.
On the positive side, many owners and trainers do place the best interest af the animal first and
give credit to the industry. I was pleased to see that the connections of the 2nd morning line favorite
-Casino Drive - decided to scratch the horse from the race rather than risk agravating the injury that
he suffered earlier in the week.

[mojopo]

Jrldev - Well said. I think the folks actively involved with racing have an obligation to improve the sport, but it would be at the cost of their own egos. I was also pleased as heck to see Casino Drive scratched. That was a good idea, and really it was the only thing a responsible person would do.

[PTBurnem]

Maybe they should put the American Thoroughbred in birkenstocks and bonnets and just parade them around the paddock. Pass out Tofu Cups to all of these IDIOTS who refer to horse racing as animal cruelty.

[Mikal]

Saturday was a great day for horse racing. A compassionate jockey responded to the impulses of a wonderful horse and highlighted the difference between the human cruelty of pushing horses beyond their natural capabilities and the innate nature of the animal.

[MNmommy]

What a misleading headline.

Praise to the jockey for doing the right thing. Big Brown didn't even compete after a point, his jockey just pulled him back and kept him safe.

[marymansour]

Enough of horse racing and using these beautiful animals to enhance man's greed. It was in the 90's yesterday. It's a wonder all the horses didn't drop dead from the heat. Remember the tragic filly Eight Belles, Barabaro, et al?

[zoetrope]

Desmoreaux is a "HERO" jockey!
He had the compassion and good sense to "listen" to Big Brown and "let him be".
He came in last because he did't participate in the race, not because another horse "beat him".
All I could think of at the end was, "At least he is all right".
It simply was not a day to race for him. I still think he has great potential....

[southafrica4obama]

Don't you feel pity for those animals? You are admiring animal cruelty.

[robertlockwoodmills]

Big Brown lost. Well, he's only human.