Rick Dutrow should learn to keep his big yap shut. Following Big Brown’s win on Sunday at the Haskell Invitational, the mouthy trainer went looking for a fight and he may have found one with Curlin’s owner Jesse Jackson. Seems Dutrow figures his horse to be the better horse — by a long shot — and he ain’t afraid to defend his opinion.

“Curlin couldn’t win the Derby, we could,” said Dutrow. “Curlin couldn’t win the Haskell. We could. Curlin got beat by a filly. We haven’t. Our horse is undefeated on grass. Curlin isn’t. I don’t know why people think Curlin is such a good horse. We’re way better than Curlin.”

Them’s fighting words, right? Well, Jackson had this to say about Dutrow after he caught wind of what was being said about his prized thoroughbred:

“I think it’s bad for racing to have trash talk,” Jackson said. “To run down another guy’s horse, I don’t think it’s right. It demeans the industry. I’d like to meet Big Brown, preferably on the dirt, which is each one’s best surface, but I think they’re considering retiring Big Brown before we have a chance to meet him.”

At this point it is not known what Big Brown’s next race will be, but it’s looking like Curlin will make his next start in the 1 1/8-mile grade I Woodward Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 30.