Belmont Stakes

Greg · 06-07-2008, 07:59 PM

Big Brown has a shot at the Triple Crown at today's Belmont Stakes

Big Brown gets a bath before the Belmont

I think this is exciting. A horse has a shot at the Triple Crown for the first time in 30 years! If the aptly named Big Brown wins the Belmont today, he will become the 12th Triple Crown winner and will join Seattle Slew as the only undefeated Triple Crown winners.

It's also a special hope for jockey Kent Desormeaux. In 1998 he had a shot at the crown, riding Real Quiet to victories at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness only to lose the Belmont to Victory Gallop by a nose.

ABC will carry the race live today starting at 5:00 PM US Eastern time. That's just over an hour from now. I think it will be on ESPN, too; channel 140 on Dish Network.

Greg · 06-07-2008, 08:01 PM

Past Triple Crown Winners

For those who are curious, here is the list of the eleven Triple Crown winners so far:

1919 Sir Barton

1930 Gallant Fox

1935 Omaha

1937 War Admiral

1941 Whirlaway

1943 Count Fleet

1946 Assault

1948 Citation

1973 Secretariat

1977 Seattle Slew

1978 Affirmed

Greg · 06-07-2008, 08:17 PM

Here are more nifty pictures of Big Brown.

Big Brown ridden by exercise trainer Michelle Nevin
Image pilfered from horsepictures.com

May 2, 2008 with trainer Rick Dutrow
AP Photo/Ed Reinke

They say he's a bit of a ham and appreciates lots of attention from his adoring fans. That would be Big Brown, not Rick Dutrow, but Dutrow also has a reputation for being colorfully vociferous.

Are ya getting excited yet?

Greg · 06-07-2008, 10:45 PM

And... it didn't happen.

Big Brown seemed to have a mind of his own and wouldn't pay attention to his jockey. He came in last! A horse named Da Tara came in 1st with 38 to 1 odds!

Now all the sportscasters are frantically searching for notes about the horse they ignored and the folks at Hooters are wishing they hadn't invested so much in backing the wrong nag!

Hooters was poised to cash in; and lost.

Miros1 · 06-07-2008, 11:19 PM

Maybe the horse was too busy looking at the waitress? Or maybe his foot still hurt from his cracked hoof?

Greg · 06-08-2008, 05:35 AM

I haven't heard anything but speculation about why Big Brown did so poorly at Belmont, but I can add my own. I suspect it was his training.

The jockey said that early one, Big Brown wanted to run for it and he held him back. That confused the horse because he was used to pouring on the coals after a certain run so that when the jockey did tell him to run, he didn't know what to do.

There was also some speculation that it was because he didn't get his steroids. They had been training him with steroids but for the past couple of months they hadn't given them to him. I don't know why. The conversation implied that steroids were OK for horses to have but I don't know that, either.

Miros1 · 06-08-2008, 10:29 AM

According to a story I heard on NPR, you can't give steroids to a horse as a performance enhancer, but you can give them to help heal injuries. Apparently, every bump and bruise and overworked muscle in training is documented.

Greg · 06-08-2008, 01:12 PM

That would explain why they had stopped giving him steroids, then. He did have a serious injury which had healed.

06-07-2008, 07:59 PM	#1
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Belmont Stakes Big Brown has a shot at the Triple Crown at today's Belmont Stakes Big Brown gets a bath before the Belmont I think this is exciting. A horse has a shot at the Triple Crown for the first time in 30 years! If the aptly named Big Brown wins the Belmont today, he will become the 12th Triple Crown winner and will join Seattle Slew as the only undefeated Triple Crown winners. It's also a special hope for jockey Kent Desormeaux. In 1998 he had a shot at the crown, riding Real Quiet to victories at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness only to lose the Belmont to Victory Gallop by a nose. ABC will carry the race live today starting at 5:00 PM US Eastern time. That's just over an hour from now. I think it will be on ESPN, too; channel 140 on Dish Network. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know? Last edited by Greg : 06-07-2008 at 08:06 PM.

06-07-2008, 08:01 PM	#2
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Past Triple Crown Winners For those who are curious, here is the list of the eleven Triple Crown winners so far: 1919 Sir Barton 1930 Gallant Fox 1935 Omaha 1937 War Admiral 1941 Whirlaway 1943 Count Fleet 1946 Assault 1948 Citation 1973 Secretariat 1977 Seattle Slew 1978 Affirmed __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

06-07-2008, 08:17 PM	#3
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Here are more nifty pictures of Big Brown. Big Brown ridden by exercise trainer Michelle Nevin Image pilfered from horsepictures.com May 2, 2008 with trainer Rick Dutrow AP Photo/Ed Reinke They say he's a bit of a ham and appreciates lots of attention from his adoring fans. That would be Big Brown, not Rick Dutrow, but Dutrow also has a reputation for being colorfully vociferous. Are ya getting excited yet? __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

06-07-2008, 10:45 PM	#4
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	And... it didn't happen. Big Brown seemed to have a mind of his own and wouldn't pay attention to his jockey. He came in last! A horse named Da Tara came in 1st with 38 to 1 odds! Now all the sportscasters are frantically searching for notes about the horse they ignored and the folks at Hooters are wishing they hadn't invested so much in backing the wrong nag! Hooters was poised to cash in; and lost. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know? Last edited by Greg : 06-07-2008 at 10:51 PM.

06-07-2008, 11:19 PM	#5
Miros1 Goddess for Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY State Posts: 3,303	Maybe the horse was too busy looking at the waitress? Or maybe his foot still hurt from his cracked hoof? __________________ A game that horrible Odessa-person introduced me to: http://www.puzzlepirates.com/?affili...163251&lang=en I'm spreading the addiction by corrupting all my friends (and attempting to make in-game money when they try the game).

06-08-2008, 05:35 AM	#6
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I haven't heard anything but speculation about why Big Brown did so poorly at Belmont, but I can add my own. I suspect it was his training. The jockey said that early one, Big Brown wanted to run for it and he held him back. That confused the horse because he was used to pouring on the coals after a certain run so that when the jockey did tell him to run, he didn't know what to do. There was also some speculation that it was because he didn't get his steroids. They had been training him with steroids but for the past couple of months they hadn't given them to him. I don't know why. The conversation implied that steroids were OK for horses to have but I don't know that, either. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

06-08-2008, 10:29 AM	#7
Miros1 Goddess for Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY State Posts: 3,303	According to a story I heard on NPR, you can't give steroids to a horse as a performance enhancer, but you can give them to help heal injuries. Apparently, every bump and bruise and overworked muscle in training is documented. __________________ A game that horrible Odessa-person introduced me to: http://www.puzzlepirates.com/?affili...163251&lang=en I'm spreading the addiction by corrupting all my friends (and attempting to make in-game money when they try the game).

06-08-2008, 01:12 PM	#8
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	That would explain why they had stopped giving him steroids, then. He did have a serious injury which had healed. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?