by: Elizabeth Rancani

What seemed a foregone conclusion, turned out to be anything but once again in the Belmont Stakes. For the eleventh time in thirty years, a horse looked poised to take racing’s greatest honor, but there is a reason the Belmont is the Test of a Champion. It is a mile and a half and a lot can go wrong. It is a puzzlement what went wrong on Saturday.

Big BrownBig Brown looked miles better on paper, but as stated often, the Belmont Stakes is not run on paper. He lunged out of the gate ready to go. He was so keyed up early in the race, that he almost ran right into Da’Tara. He ran third most of the way, until he was asked for some speed, and then nothing.

Kent Desormeaux knows his horse, and knew he had nothing more to give. Big Brown was eased and became the first Triple Crown hopeful to finish dead last, a wise decision since he was riding a fifty million dollar animal. To push him into a breakdown, would not do anyone any good, least of all the racing industry, still reeling from the death of Eight Belles.

Was it the quarter crack? Maybe, but Big Brown’s connections were not sending a lame horse into the Belmont. It would make little financial sense, and that is after all, what IEAH is all about.

Was it the steroid that for once in his career Big Brown was racing without? Maybe Winstrol made Big Brown lengths better than his opponents. It certainly works that way in humans.

Hopefully it is nothing more serious, and we will either see Big Brown come back to contest the Travers, or we will see him shipped off to the barn. Either way, his moment in the sun is over.

Big Brown’s loss is more proof that there are indeed, racing gods. A horse that may run six times in his whole career hardly bares mentioning in the same breathe as Affirmed. And, like Bud Delp before him, Dutrow should realize that there are no foregone conclusions in racing. Any horse can get beat on any given day. Thoroughbred racing also should not get a free pass on the death of Eight Belles. If Big Brown were to win the crown, the shock of her death would surely be replaced by jubilation. Thoroughbred racing does not deserve that, and without the hero it so desperately needs, it will have to make some changes to rectify the sport. One change is going to be the banning of all steroids, a ban that is long overdue, and is, in fact, on the way.

The humble Zito is a feel good story in itself, and it is nice to see him net a Classic win after his early Derby favorite, War Pass went out this year with an injury. Nick Zito deserves credit for even entering Da’ Tara. Zito obviously knows what he is doing, and spoils yet another Triple Crown, although today the feeling was quite different than when he spoiled media darling Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown.

Zito also deserves credit for choosing Julien Leparoux to ride Anak Nakal and for believing that Anak was a horse on the improve. Leparoux was bumped from Macho Again after finishing second in the Preakness in favor of Garret Gomez. Macho Again ran fifth, and Anak Nakal finished third. A little good kharma, indeed.

Denis of Cork ran another good race, and should have a very good year ahead of him. It will be interesting to see him hook up with Da’ Tara again, and maybe even Big Brown. Of course, Big Brown’s days of racing may be over, and if that is the case, later babe. It was fun while it lasted.