In case you were wondering where Big Brown was getting all of confidence from you needn’t look any farther than his trainer, Rick Dutrow. According to Dutrow, it’s a “foregone conclusion” that the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner will also take the Belmont Stakes — and the Triple Crown.

“I feel that he will do it,” Dutrow said Thursday during the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s pre-Belmont conference call. “I feel like it’s actually a foregone conclusion. To me, I just see the horses he’s in with and I see our horse so I expect him to win this race.”

And when asked what happened to Smarty Jones, the last horse to attempt to win the Triple Crown (but then lost the Belmont Stakes), Dutrow said that the horse didn’t have “smart enough” connections.

“They should have played it a lot safer, a lot better,” Dutrow said. “I don’t see that everybody was after the horse in the race.”

But going back to Big Brown and the big day that awaits them, Dutrow isn’t keeping anything back.

“I know that when that day actually does come, and if our horse is in good shape, it will be the most exciting, thrilling moment of my life. So I just … I know that that’s coming, but right now I’m just staying involved with our horse and what we think is best to get him there the right way and it keeps us plenty busy.”

Big Brown is still the favorite heading down the stretch. June 7th is just around the bend. Get your Belmont Stakes wagers while the odds are still smokin’ hot!

Casino Drive is playing the spoiler role at the 2008 Belmont Stakes

In what is shaping up to be a cold exacta for horse racing bettors, the June 7th Belmont Stakes has added another element of intrigue to the mix: Edgar Prado. Jockeys from around the country were bidding for the rights to climb aboard Casino Drive, the horse believed to be this year’s Triple Crown spoiler, but in the end experience won and Prado was given the honors. (Prado who rode Barbaro to victory at the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but he’s got over 6,000 wins under his whip. For all his achievements, Prado will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, this August.)

“We decided at about noon,” racing manager Nobutaka Tada said. “We had many jockeys who wanted to ride him and that was very encouraging to us. There are so many good jockeys in America, but we decided we wanted a New York-based rider. Prado knows pace, he has the experience, having won two Belmonts, and he’s a patient rider. So, we’re very happy.”

Jockey Kent Desormeaux will be riding Belmont Stakes (and Triple Crown) favorite Big Brown, but admits this race will showcase two very capable winners. “It’s an absolute cold exacta,” Desormeaux said.

Meaning, what we’ve got here is the number one and number two horses…and according to Desormeaux, he’ll be riding the better of the two horses.

This is what a quarter crack looks like; similar to the injury to Big Brown’s front left hoof.

It’s been quite a few years since we were this close to seeing a Triple Crown winner. Big Brown is poised to be the first one since 1978, but the Belmont Stakes is the toughest race for a horse to win.

Here’s an early look at the field and the odds each horse is currently getting:

Big Brown 2/7
Casino Drive 4/1
Denis Of Cork 12/1
Tale Of Ekati 20/1
Behindatthebar 25/1
Anak Nakal 50/1
Macho Again 50/1
Readys Image 50/1
Icabad Crane 50/1
Mint Lane 50/1
Spark Candle 50/1
Tomcito 50/1

The natural pick is the favorite Big Brown to win the third jewel, but many think that late-bloomer Casino Drive has the long legs and distance pedigree to win the Belmont. Denis of Cork is another good pick at 12/1. He’s another distance-bred horse, and seems to have returned to the form that won him the Southwest Stakes in February.

One news item to watch over the next fortnight is the condition of Big Brown’s left front hoof, which reportedly has a “quarter crack” in it. His handlers are optimistic that Big Brown will be able to run in the Belmont.

Big Brown’s quest for the Triple Crown took a hit this weekend when trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. noticed a slight quartercrack to the horse’s left front hoof. Although the injury isn’t serious, it was cause enough for concern for Dutrow to call in a hoof specialist to determine whether or not it will keep Big Brown from competing in the June 7th Belmont Stakes.

“We’re all concerned with a big race coming up, but it’s better that it happened now,” Dutrow said Sunday. “It’s not going to be an issue. It’s bad that it happened, but we’re going to be able to fix him up.”

Big Brown suffered foot issues late last year and recovered nicely from those injuries, so both trainer and specialist are confident the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will be in fine form come time to run in the Belmont Stakes.

Don’t count Big Brown out just yet! Let’s hope for a speedy recovery so that he can go on to win the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown!

While everyone else is betting on Big Brown, you may find more value in Casino Drive.

Big Brown has thrilled racing fans during the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, and he seems invincible going into the Belmont Stakes. But there’s a lot of talk about a horse out of Japan named Casino Drive beating Big Brown in the final jewel.

Casino Drive has run two races, winning both by wide margins. He will be rested for four weeks going into the Belmont, and his pedigree (a half sibling to two previous Belmont winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches) points to him being stronger at longer distances.

The only thing not going Casino Drive’s way is that he’ll have a new jockey for the Belmont. Kent Desormeaux has been his jockey to date, but he’ll be riding Big Brown for a chance at history. Casino Drive has impressed enough that he is getting Belmont Stakes odds of 9/2 against Big Brown, who’s getting 2/7 at this point.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Big Brown, has arrived at Belmont Park in good time to get in a few good jogs, five or six healthy gallops, and one good breeze before the Belmont Stakes on June 7th. According to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., he’s just going to take it nice and easy with the Triple Crown contender.

“Very light training,” Dutrow said. “We’re going to keep it cut and dry. Simple. There will be no pressure in the mornings. I just want to glide him into the race. I am feeling pretty confident about things. I can see that he is sharp. Sunday, he was bouncing and yesterday the same thing. He is doing good, and that makes everything so much easier. I don’t have to worry about a lot of things.”

If anybody doubted Big Brown’s strength, speed and stamina Saturday’s relatively easy win should have put those doubts to rest. Dutrow is cautious not to sound over confident in his horse, but when asked if he believed Big Brown could win the Triple Crown — he said yes.

“As long as we can keep him well within himself, we’ll have a chance,” Dutrow said. “Everybody is very excited about him, and how can you not be? It looks like he has a chance at being one of the best ever.”

Watch Big Brown’s big arrival in Belmont. Then get your Belmont Stakes betting here.

“Maryland, my Maryland!” said jockey Kent Desormeaux immediately after he won the Preakness Stakes atop Big Brown on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

What looked like a walk in the park for Big Brown, the 2008 Preakness Stakes wrapped up as expected with Big Brown the big winner. Second place is Macho Again, followed by Icabad Crane, who placed third.

“He just set sail,” Desormeaux said, “He just kept kicking his legs up and went riding for the wire. There was not a grain of sand in face.”

Up next for Big Brown? The Belmont Stakes and a shot at the Triple Crown.

Pimlico Race Course linemaker Frank Carulli made Big Brown the big 1/2 odds on favorite to win the 2008 Preakness Stakes Wednesday after the Kentucky Derby winner drew lucky post position seven.

“Drawing post seven, if nobody wants to go with him he can bounce out of there and take the race on his own on the lead,” said Iavarone. “It gives Kent a lot more options.”

The second pick to win at 8/1 odds on winning the Preakness is Gayego, who placed 17th in the Derby but was the only horse to come back and challenge the Derby winner. But bettors looking for a little challenge and perhaps some value may want to consider Kentucky Bear, the 15/1 longshot who will race from the eighth post position.

“I love it,” he said. “It’s outside Big Brown. It couldn’t be better. He’s beatable. He beat all those horses at Churchill Downs, but he didn’t beat us.”

In order of post position, here are the names of the horses competing in the 133 running of the Preakness Stakes, along with the names of their jockeys and trainers:

1. Macho Again Leparoux/Stewart
2. Tres Borrachos T. Baze/Greely
3. Icabad Crane Rose/Motion
4. Yankee Bravo Solis/Gallagher
5. Behindatthebar Flores/Pletcher
6. Racecar Rhapsody Albarado/McPeek
7. Big Brown Desormeaux/Dutrow
8. KentuckyBear Theriot/Baker
9. Stevil Velazquez/Zito
10. Riley Tucker Prado/Mott
11. Giant Moon Dominguez/Schosberg
12. Gayego Smith/Lobo
13. Hey Byrn Lopez/Plesa

The field for the 2008 Preakness Stakes has been set at 13 (see below list), including Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, and the post positions will be drawn later this afternoon. Pimlico handicapper Frank Carulli will release the morning line after today’s post position draw.

“It will be in the 3-5 range,” Carulli said of the morning line on Big Brown.

A winner at final odds of 3-5 pays $3.20 or $3.40. It’s interesting to note that Post-time favorites have won 68 of the 133 runnings of the Preakness. Will Big Brown make it 69? If he does, can he take on a bigger and more challenging field at the Belmont Stakes? Questions like those make for great horse racing props and leave it to the oddsmakers over at Bodog Racebook to come up with these Preakness props:

• How many lengths will the winner of the Preakness Stakes win by?
• What will the winning saddlecloth number of the 133nd Preakness Stakes be?
• Will the winner of the 133rd Preakness Stakes complete the race faster than the 1:53.46 time of Curlin last year?

Here is the field for the 2008 Preakness Stakes, including jockey name/trainer name:

Big Brown Desormeaux/Dutrow
Behindatthebar Flores/Pletcher
Gayego Smith/Lobo
Giant Moon Dominguez/Schosberg
Hey Byrn Lopez/Plesa
Icabad Crane Rose/Motion
Kentucky Bear Theriot/Baker
Macho Again Leparoux/Stewart
Racecar Rhapsody Albarado/McPeek
Riley Tucker Prado/Mott
Stevil Velazquez/Zito
Tres Borrachos T. Baze/Greely
Yankee Bravo Solis/Gallagher

Get all your Preakness Stakes odds here.

The death of Eight Bells at the Kentucky Derby has lead some calls for action buy many people. One proposal that makes a lot of sense, and in all honesty I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet, is banning trainers from drugging their horses on race day.

In the New York Times Gina Rarick wrote:

If a horse needs medication, it is not fit to run. That principle governs the rules of racing in all of Europe, most of Asia and Dubai. The United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia and some South American countries allow a panoply of race-day medications from anti-inflammatory drugs, which mask pain, to lasix, the diuretic drug that some believe controls bleeding in the lungs of a racehorse.

It’s obvious that the horses’ health and safety is not the main concern in some countries. For humans it’s a standard rule that drugging is not allowed, not safe and not fair. The same should go for the horses as well. These horses are living, breathing beings with hearts and minds just like us but it’s our job to protect them because they can’t protect themselves against us.

horse drugging