Instead of becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner and first in 30 years, Big Brown was the first horse going for a Triple to finish dead last, stunning 94,476 fans who braved the unseasonable 88-degree heat and oppressive humidity.
“He wasn't himself,” winning trainer Nick Zito said. “Things happen for a reason.”
Big Brown was running on a quarter crack in his left front hoof that wasn't patched until Friday, but Dutrow insisted even on the way to the starting gate that it was a “non-issue.”
Nevertheless, it cost the colt three days of training between the Preakness and the Belmont. Desormeaux said Big Brown “was in no way, shape or form lame or sore. But there's something amiss, probably just tired.”
Big Brown's defeat extended the Triple Crown drought that began after Affirmed completed the elusive sweep in 1978.
“I feel for them. It doesn't always go the way you want,” Steve Cauthen, who rode Affirmed, said by telephone from his Kentucky home. “I think someday a horse will come along and do it. One day it will happen. I really thought this was the horse.”
Clearly, so did Dutrow.
The veteran trainer didn't speak when the race ended, walking quickly through the crowd with his eyes focused straight ahead as he tried to reach the track. Later, as Big Brown was walked around the barn, Dutrow leaned on a wood railing, his head down, his blue dress shirt soaked with sweat, a look of disbelief on his face. Exercise rider Michelle Nevin stood silently next to him.
“Something has to not be right for him to be pulled up in a race, so I have to try to find out what it was,” he said. “I'm sure it's not the horse's fault, so there's nothing to be down on him.”
Da' Tara and jockey Alan Garcia sprinted to the lead out of the gate. Big Brown, eager in the early going, ran up on Da' Tara's heels heading into the first turn - the first indication it wasn't going to be his coronation day.
Then Desormeaux tried to swing Big Brown wide to the outside and bumped Tale of Ekati in the turn.
Da' Tara had the lead down the backstretch, with Tale of Ekati in second and Big Brown running third on the outside with a clear path. This was Big Brown's moment, and Desormeaux asked him to go.
“When I got outside going into the first turn, I said, `This is it, the race is over, I got it,” Desormeaux said.
Except Big Brown didn't respond.
Da' Tara opened up a clear lead turning for home, while Big Brown angled to the far outside under restraint. Big Brown still wanted to run, but Desormeaux knew it was over and focused on getting the colt home safely.
Big Brown was taken to a detention barn after the race for observation and will undergo various tests.
Dutrow said he didn't see a problem “and I'm looking for one.”
“He looked fine,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian. “All I saw was when Desormeaux started to slow him down. The first thing you expected is something is wrong. He was not lame when he stopped here in front of the stands.”
Dutrow reflected on the Triple Crown that eluded yet another horse.
“We did really good with him winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness,” he said. “This is a very disappointing race. Now, it looks like he's fine. It looks like he'll live a good life even if he never runs again.”
Da' Tara, the longest shot on the board, won by 5.25 lengths over Denis of Cork and covered the distance in 2:29.65. There was a dead heat for third between Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo. Macho Again was fifth, followed by Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal, Icabad Crane and Big Brown.
Da' Tara paid $79, $28 and $14.80. Denis of Cork returned $5.80 and $4.10. Anak Nakal paid $7.60 and Ready's Echo returned $6.20.
Zito spoiled a Triple Crown bid four years ago when he saddled Birdstone to an upset of Smarty Jones. He also trained Anak Nakal.
“If Big Brown was himself, he would've been tough to beat,” Zito said, “but he wasn't himself. That's why they play the game.”
2008 Belmont Stakes
1. Da' Tara
2. Denis of Cork
3. Anak Nakal
3. Ready's Echo
5. Macho Again
6. Tale of Ekati
7. Guadalcanal
8. Icabad Crane
9. Big Brown
Belmont Stakes Winners
2008--Da' Tara
2007--Rags to Riches
2006--Jazil
2005--Afleet Alex
2004--Birdstone
2003--Empire Maker
2002--Sarava
2001--Point Given
2000--Commendable
1999--Lemon Drop Kid
1998--Victory Gallop
1997--Touch Gold
1996--Editor's Note
1995--Thunder Gulch
1994--Tabasco Cat
1993--Colonial Affair
1992--A.P. Indy
1991--Hansel
1990--Go and Go
1989--Easy Goer
1988--Risen Star
1987--Bet Twice
1986--Danzig Connection
1985--Creme Fraiche
1984--Swale
1983--Caveat
1982--Conquistador Cielo
1981--Summing
1980--Temperance Hill
1979--Coastal
1978--Affirmed
1977--Seattle Slew
1976--Bold Forbes
1975--Avatar
1974--Little Current
1973--Secretariat
1972--Riva Ridge
1971--Pass Catcher
1970--High Echelon
1969--Arts And Letters
1968--Stage Door Johnny
1967--Damascus
1966--Amberoid
1965--Hail To All
1964--Quadrangle
1963--Chateaugay
1962--Jaipur
1961--Sherluck
1960--Celtic Ash
1959--Sword Dancer
1958--Cavan
1957--Gallant Man
1956--Needles
1955--Nashua
1954--High Gun
1953--Native Dancer
1952--One Count
1951--Counterpoint
1950--Middleground
1949--Capot
1948--Citation
1947--Phalanx
1946--Assault
1945--Pavot
1944--Bounding Home
1943--Count Fleet
1942--Shut Out
1941--Whirlaway
1940--Bimelech
1939--Johnstown
1938--Pasteurized
1937--War Admiral
1936--Granville
1935--Omaha
1934--Peace Chance
1933--Hurryoff
1932--Faireno
1931--Twenty Grand
1930--Gallant Fox
1929--Blue Larkspur
1928--Vito
1927--Chance Shot
1926--Crusader
1925--American Flag
1924--Mad Play
1923--Zev
1922--Pillory
1921--Grey Lag
1920--Man o' War
1919--Sir Barton
1918--Johren
1917--Hourless
1916--Friar Rock
1915--The Finn
1914--Luke McLuke
1913--Prince Eugene
1912--Not held.
1911--Not held.
1910--Sweep
1909--Joe Madden
1908--Colin
1907--Peter Pan
1906--Burgomaster
1905--Tanya
1904--Delhi
1903--Africander
1902--Masterman
1901--Commando
1900--Ildrum
1899--Jean Bereaud
1898--Bowling Brook
1897--Scottish Chieftain
1896--Hastings
1895--Belmar
1894--Henry of Navarre
1893--Comanche
1892--Patron
1891--Foxford
1890--Burlington
1889--Eric
1888--Sir Dixon
1887--Hanover
1886--Inspector B.
1885--Tyrant
1884--Panique
1883--George Kinney
1882--Forester
1881--Saunterer
1880--Grenada
1879--Spendthrift
1878--Duke of Magenta
1877--Cloverbrook
1876--Algerine
1875--Calvin
1874--Saxon
1873--Springbok
1872--Joe Daniels
1871--Harry Bassett
1870--Kingfisher
1869--Fenian
1868--General Duke
1867--Ruthless
Big Brown was running on a quarter crack in his left front hoof that wasn't patched until Friday, but Dutrow insisted even on the way to the starting gate that it was a “non-issue.”
Nevertheless, it cost the colt three days of training between the Preakness and the Belmont. Desormeaux said Big Brown “was in no way, shape or form lame or sore. But there's something amiss, probably just tired.”
Big Brown's defeat extended the Triple Crown drought that began after Affirmed completed the elusive sweep in 1978.
“I feel for them. It doesn't always go the way you want,” Steve Cauthen, who rode Affirmed, said by telephone from his Kentucky home. “I think someday a horse will come along and do it. One day it will happen. I really thought this was the horse.”
Clearly, so did Dutrow.
The veteran trainer didn't speak when the race ended, walking quickly through the crowd with his eyes focused straight ahead as he tried to reach the track. Later, as Big Brown was walked around the barn, Dutrow leaned on a wood railing, his head down, his blue dress shirt soaked with sweat, a look of disbelief on his face. Exercise rider Michelle Nevin stood silently next to him.
“Something has to not be right for him to be pulled up in a race, so I have to try to find out what it was,” he said. “I'm sure it's not the horse's fault, so there's nothing to be down on him.”
Da' Tara and jockey Alan Garcia sprinted to the lead out of the gate. Big Brown, eager in the early going, ran up on Da' Tara's heels heading into the first turn - the first indication it wasn't going to be his coronation day.
Then Desormeaux tried to swing Big Brown wide to the outside and bumped Tale of Ekati in the turn.
Da' Tara had the lead down the backstretch, with Tale of Ekati in second and Big Brown running third on the outside with a clear path. This was Big Brown's moment, and Desormeaux asked him to go.
“When I got outside going into the first turn, I said, `This is it, the race is over, I got it,” Desormeaux said.
Except Big Brown didn't respond.
Da' Tara opened up a clear lead turning for home, while Big Brown angled to the far outside under restraint. Big Brown still wanted to run, but Desormeaux knew it was over and focused on getting the colt home safely.
Big Brown was taken to a detention barn after the race for observation and will undergo various tests.
Dutrow said he didn't see a problem “and I'm looking for one.”
“He looked fine,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian. “All I saw was when Desormeaux started to slow him down. The first thing you expected is something is wrong. He was not lame when he stopped here in front of the stands.”
Dutrow reflected on the Triple Crown that eluded yet another horse.
“We did really good with him winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness,” he said. “This is a very disappointing race. Now, it looks like he's fine. It looks like he'll live a good life even if he never runs again.”
Da' Tara, the longest shot on the board, won by 5.25 lengths over Denis of Cork and covered the distance in 2:29.65. There was a dead heat for third between Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo. Macho Again was fifth, followed by Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal, Icabad Crane and Big Brown.
Da' Tara paid $79, $28 and $14.80. Denis of Cork returned $5.80 and $4.10. Anak Nakal paid $7.60 and Ready's Echo returned $6.20.
Zito spoiled a Triple Crown bid four years ago when he saddled Birdstone to an upset of Smarty Jones. He also trained Anak Nakal.
“If Big Brown was himself, he would've been tough to beat,” Zito said, “but he wasn't himself. That's why they play the game.”
2008 Belmont Stakes
1. Da' Tara
2. Denis of Cork
3. Anak Nakal
3. Ready's Echo
5. Macho Again
6. Tale of Ekati
7. Guadalcanal
8. Icabad Crane
9. Big Brown
Belmont Stakes Winners
2008--Da' Tara
2007--Rags to Riches
2006--Jazil
2005--Afleet Alex
2004--Birdstone
2003--Empire Maker
2002--Sarava
2001--Point Given
2000--Commendable
1999--Lemon Drop Kid
1998--Victory Gallop
1997--Touch Gold
1996--Editor's Note
1995--Thunder Gulch
1994--Tabasco Cat
1993--Colonial Affair
1992--A.P. Indy
1991--Hansel
1990--Go and Go
1989--Easy Goer
1988--Risen Star
1987--Bet Twice
1986--Danzig Connection
1985--Creme Fraiche
1984--Swale
1983--Caveat
1982--Conquistador Cielo
1981--Summing
1980--Temperance Hill
1979--Coastal
1978--Affirmed
1977--Seattle Slew
1976--Bold Forbes
1975--Avatar
1974--Little Current
1973--Secretariat
1972--Riva Ridge
1971--Pass Catcher
1970--High Echelon
1969--Arts And Letters
1968--Stage Door Johnny
1967--Damascus
1966--Amberoid
1965--Hail To All
1964--Quadrangle
1963--Chateaugay
1962--Jaipur
1961--Sherluck
1960--Celtic Ash
1959--Sword Dancer
1958--Cavan
1957--Gallant Man
1956--Needles
1955--Nashua
1954--High Gun
1953--Native Dancer
1952--One Count
1951--Counterpoint
1950--Middleground
1949--Capot
1948--Citation
1947--Phalanx
1946--Assault
1945--Pavot
1944--Bounding Home
1943--Count Fleet
1942--Shut Out
1941--Whirlaway
1940--Bimelech
1939--Johnstown
1938--Pasteurized
1937--War Admiral
1936--Granville
1935--Omaha
1934--Peace Chance
1933--Hurryoff
1932--Faireno
1931--Twenty Grand
1930--Gallant Fox
1929--Blue Larkspur
1928--Vito
1927--Chance Shot
1926--Crusader
1925--American Flag
1924--Mad Play
1923--Zev
1922--Pillory
1921--Grey Lag
1920--Man o' War
1919--Sir Barton
1918--Johren
1917--Hourless
1916--Friar Rock
1915--The Finn
1914--Luke McLuke
1913--Prince Eugene
1912--Not held.
1911--Not held.
1910--Sweep
1909--Joe Madden
1908--Colin
1907--Peter Pan
1906--Burgomaster
1905--Tanya
1904--Delhi
1903--Africander
1902--Masterman
1901--Commando
1900--Ildrum
1899--Jean Bereaud
1898--Bowling Brook
1897--Scottish Chieftain
1896--Hastings
1895--Belmar
1894--Henry of Navarre
1893--Comanche
1892--Patron
1891--Foxford
1890--Burlington
1889--Eric
1888--Sir Dixon
1887--Hanover
1886--Inspector B.
1885--Tyrant
1884--Panique
1883--George Kinney
1882--Forester
1881--Saunterer
1880--Grenada
1879--Spendthrift
1878--Duke of Magenta
1877--Cloverbrook
1876--Algerine
1875--Calvin
1874--Saxon
1873--Springbok
1872--Joe Daniels
1871--Harry Bassett
1870--Kingfisher
1869--Fenian
1868--General Duke
1867--Ruthless
