One day after Big Brown was eased in his attempt to win the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and the Triple Crown as the 3-10 favorite, one of his co-owners said there is nothing physically wrong with the Boundary colt.
“We went over him good last night after the race, and again this morning, and there’s nothing physically that’s shown up,” IEAH Stables’ co-owner Michael Iavarone told the New York Racing Association media office. “I’m as confused as anybody. The only thing we’re resorting to right now is the track might have been too deep for him and he didn’t like it out there. He’s clean, he’s sound, he’s just angry.
"He scoped clean. His feet are ice cold--quarter crack not an issue. He had a very loose hind left shoe, but that’s not an issue. We’ll just chalk it up to a question mark at this point.
“I’m understanding they had an issue without water and they weren’t able to water the track and it got deep, I don’t know. We’re perplexed, nobody can figure this one out, the horse did not displace (his palate), he scoped fine, there’s no mucous, everything is ice cold. The horse that won, (Big Brown) had beaten him by 23 (lengths) in the Florida Derby and so, I don’t know. We just have to watch him carefully and make sure we didn’t miss anything.”
Iavarone said plans are for Big Brown, owned by IEAH and Paul Pompa, Jr., to maintain his regular training schedule with a planned start in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga.
“I love this horse,” Iavarone told the NYRA media office. “I’ve grown tremendously attached to this horse emotionally. I wanted him to know he could run dead last or first and we would still love him.”
Undefeated in five starts previous to the Belmont, Big Brown has earned $2,714,500. He will stand at stud at Three Chimneys Farm upon retirement.