In Reply to: I think you owe Kent D. an apology... posted by jesus on July 08, 2008 at 04:16:49
First to imply that Kent D. threw the race is totally ludicrous. He is a Hall of Fame rider who makes millions of dollars a year. Winning the Triple Crown is the biggest prize in American horse racing. It was clear to me that with about three furlongs left to run in the Belmont, Kent was visibly asking Big Brown to quicken his pace but Big Brown didn't have anything. In fact, horses who were behind him were passing him quite easily. In the Haskell, no horses from behind him were passing him so Kent went with several cracks of the whip to eventually catch the pace setter and win.
So, here are my top three reasons why you can't blame Kent Desormeaux.
1. It is a well known fact that Big Brown has tender feet. He wears special shoes that cost about ten times more than the average horse shoe. Big Brown's sire is Boundary and his dam's sire is Danzig. That suggests that he would be a much better horse on turf than dirt. One major difference between turf racing and dirt racing is the ability to withstand the pain associated with running on the dirt. With a displaced horse shoe, that pain may have been too much to overcome.
2. The Belmont racing surface is nicknamed "Big Sandy". It's composition of dirt and sand is unlike any surface in the country. Some horses can handle Belmont's surface and some can not.
3. Big Brown is/was not the "Superhorse" that many believed he was. His speed figures do not compare to some of the great runners in the past. I believe it usually takes about a 115 speed figure to win the Kentucky Derby. Big Brown ran a 109 figure. It may have been that he was an early bloomer.
Remember, his trainer used legal steroids on him.
On a personal note, I am glad that the horse lost. His trainer and owner have a sleazy reputation.