Big Brown

For the delivery company nicknamed "Big Brown", see United Parcel Service.
Big Brown

Big Brown and Kent Desormeaux head into the gate for the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
Sire Boundary
Grandsire Danzig
Dam Mien
Damsire Nureyev
Sex Stallion
Foaled 2005
Country United States
Colour Bay
Breeder Monticule Farms
Owner IEAH Stables & Michael Iavarone
Trainer 1) Patrick Reynolds
2) Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. (2007–2008)
Record 8: 7-0-0
Earnings $3,614,500[1]
Major wins

Florida Derby (2008)
Haskell Invitational Handicap (2008)
Monmouth Stakes (2008)

Triple Crown race wins:
Kentucky Derby (2008)
Preakness Stakes (2008)
Awards
American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse (2008)

Big Brown (foaled April 10, 2005 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes. He suffered his only defeat in the Belmont Stakes, and was later named the champion three-year-old colt of 2008.

Background

Big Brown was bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky.[2] He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American Champion sire Danzig, a son of Northern Dancer. Big Brown's dam was Mien, also a granddaughter of Northern Dancer through her sire, Nureyev.[3][4]

Big Brown was first sold for $60,000 at the Fasig-Tipton 2006 Fall Yearling Sale. He was then sold again at the Keeneland Sales 2007 April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale to Brooklyn trucking company owner Paul Pompa, Jr. for $190,000.[1] Pompa named by the colt in honor of the United Parcel Service (UPS), popularly nicknamed Big Brown.[5] Pompa turned him over to trainer Patrick Reynolds for race conditioning.[6]

Two-year-old campaign

Ridden by Jeremy Rose, the colt made his two-year-old racing debut on September 3, 2007, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York on the turf, winning by  11 1⁄4 lengths.[7] Pompa then sold an interest in Big Brown to IEAH Stables,[8] a subsidiary of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc., whose stated purpose is to create and manage an Equity Horse Fund, which operates as a hedge fund.[9] The new partnership sent the horse to the Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center in South Florida under the care of new trainer Rick Dutrow.

Soon afterwards, quarter cracks were discovered in both of Big Brown's front feet, sidelining the colt for several months.[10]

Three-year-old campaign

Unraced for more than six months, Big Brown debuted as a three-year-old on March 5, 2008 with a  12 3⁄4 length win in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. He was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.[10]

Entered in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29, Big Brown drew the outside post position in a field of twelve. Despite the unfavorable post, he was made the 3-2 favorite. Desormeaux sent the horse to the lead with fast opening fractions and was never challenged: Big Brown won by five lengths. The final time of 1:48.16 was just 0.37 seconds off the dirt track record set by Brass Hat in 2006. Such an impressive performance by a lightly raced horse led Big Brown to be called a "freakish colt". Desormeaux said. "Riding him was like bounding through a meadow. He just galloped around. When a horse sets fractions like that and still tells me that he's got more, and that the other horses can't get to him, that's something special. He's a major talent; possibly the best horse I've ridden."[10]

134th Kentucky Derby

On May 3, 2008, in just his fourth race, Big Brown was the 2–1 favorite in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. He started from the far outside post position 20, but neither that, nor his lack of experience seemed to be a problem. At the break, Desormeaux did not push Big Brown, concentrating instead on getting good position on the first turn while settling instead behind the leaders. "He was just galloping, floppy earned, off the bridle, cruising," said Desormeaux. On the far turn, Desormeaux urged the horse and Big Brown responded with a burst of speed that swept him to the lead.[4] He won by  4 3⁄4 lengths over filly Eight Belles, who was euthanised after breaking both front fetlocks during the post-race cool-down.[11] The last horse to with the Kentucky Derby from post position 20 was Clyde Van Dusen in 1929. Big Brown became the seventh horse to win the race undefeated. The time for the 1¼ mile race was 2:01.92.[12] The official Beyer Speed Figure for the race was 109. He became the first horse since Regret in 1915 to win the race with three or fewer starts.[13]

In the days leading up to the Preakness, Dutrow admitted that he had Winstrol (stanozolol), an anabolic steroid, administered to his horses on the 15th of every month. However, Dutrow stated to ESPN that Big Brown did not receive the May 15 shot. At the time, stanozolol was banned in 10 states but not in any of the states where the Triple Crown races were held. Dutrow also talked about the administration of a "jug", which the veterinarian described as an electrolyte solution designed to rehydrate the horse.[14]

133rd Preakness Stakes

On May 17, Big Brown was the 1-5 favorite in a field of twelve for the 2008 Preakness Stakes; only one of his rivals had raced in the Kentucky Derby. Big Brown broke well and settled behind the pace on the inside around the fist turn. Down the backstretch, Desormeaux eased him to the outside and he ranged up beside the leaders. As they entered the stretch, Big Brown put in a burst of speed to rapidly distance himself from the field, winning by  5 1⁄4 lengths over Macho Again. He became the fourth horse to win both the Derby and the Preakness while remaining undefeated. The final time of the  1 3⁄16 mile race was 1:54.80. "He just keeps on getting better and keeps on getting stronger," said Dutrow. "He is special."[15]

140th Belmont Stakes

Big Brown heads toward the starting gate at Belmont Park.

On the Friday following the Preakness, a three-inch quarter crack was discovered on the horse's left front hoof, the same injury that he experienced in both of his front hooves the previous fall. [16] With Dutrow referring to the injury as "just a little hiccup"[17] and with the crack stitched together with steel wire, Big Brown resumed jogging at Belmont the following Tuesday.[18]

For the Belmont Stakes, Big Brown wore a second set of stainless steel sutures on the inside of his hoof. Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay changed the sutures a week before the race and attached an acrylic and fiberglass adhesive patch to the hoof. Although Big Brown missed three days of training prior to the race, his gait and attitude seemed unaffected.[19] After the crack was patched, Brown was exercised by rider Michelle Nevin.[20] Ian McKinlay said, prior to the Belmont, that Big Brown "does not need a patch on the quarter crack on his left front hoof until the morning of the Belmont Stakes. So Dutrow will give Big Brown his final hard workout Tuesday to breeze five furlongs without it and gallop him into the race confident the colt's tender hoof is healed."[21]

Big Brown went off as the 3-10 favorite in the Belmont. He was rank in the early stages of the race and nearly ran up on the heels of eventual winner Da' Tara. Then Desormeaux tried to swing Big Brown to the outside during the first turn and bumped into Tale of Ekati. He was urged in mid-stretch but failed to respond, stopping as he came around the final turn. Da' Tara won the race by 5¼ lengths while Big Brown was eased, becoming the first Triple Crown hopeful to fail to finish the Belmont. Kent Desormeaux pulled the horse up in the homestretch, later saying something was amiss and stating immediately after the race, "I had no horse," although no physical abnormality was ever found. Billy Turner, the trainer of Seattle Slew, later stated, "If Desormeaux had pulled up a horse like that in my day, the stewards would have run you out of the state and told you to never come back." Two weeks after the Belmont, a picture revealed a dislodged shoe on Big Brown's right hind leg that could have been the cause of his poor performance. The shoe might have come loose during the race and gotten pushed back in while he was running.

Sportswriter Steve Haskins would write:

The one agonizing aspect of the Belmont is the mystery surrounding Big Brown's performance. We've heard many theories, and that is what they will remain. No one will ever know for sure why a horse that personified perfection suddenly came apart at the seams. Was it the deep track, the stifling heat, getting rank early in the race, the traffic and bumping going into the first turn, acting up in the holding barn, missing four days of training, possibly being dehydrated, sweating between his legs and not much on his body, breaking awkwardly, possibly getting spooked by the starter in a blue jacket and white pants standing right on the racetrack,? It likely was a combination of occurrences that led to his shocking performance.[22]

2008 Haskell Invitational Handicap

Big Brown returned to racing on August 3, 2008, with a win in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park. He took the lead out of the gate and was passed by Coal Play rounding the final turn. It looked as if Coal Play was going to pull off an upset, but Big Brown passed him in the final strides to win by 1¾ lengths. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for his win.

2008 Monmouth Stakes

Big Brown won his next start in the Monmouth Stakes on September 13 in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic. It was his first start on grass since breaking his maiden in 2007 and his first start against older horses. Breaking quickly from post 4, Big Brown opened a sizable lead down the backstretch. The field began to catch up to him entering the far turn, and as Proudinsky edged up to his neck, Big Brown dug in and held on for a ½ length victory.

Injury and retirement

While working out with stablemate Kip Deville on October 13, Big Brown sustained an injury to a hind hoof and was declared out of the Breeders' Cup Classic, and retired.[23]

He was awarded the Eclipse Award as American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 2008.[1]

Race Data

Finish Race Distance Jockey Time Victory Margin (in lengths) Runner up Track Surface Date
1st Maiden  1 1⁄16 mi Jeremy Rose 1:40.33  11 1⁄4 Dr. Cal Saratoga Race Course Turf 9/3/07
1st Allowance 1 mi Kent Desormeaux 1:35.66 12 Heaven's Awesome Gulfstream Park Dirt 3/5/08
1st Florida Derby  1 1⁄8 mi Kent Desormeaux 1:48.16 5 Smooth Air Gulfstream Park Dirt 3/29/08
1st Kentucky Derby  1 1⁄4 mi Kent Desormeaux 2:01.82  4 3⁄4 Eight Belles Churchill Downs Dirt 5/3/08
1st Preakness  1 3⁄16 mi Kent Desormeaux 1:54.80  5 1⁄4 Macho Again Pimlico Race Course Dirt 5/17/08
DNF, eased Belmont Stakes  1 1⁄2 mi Kent Desormeaux N/A N/A Da' Tara (1st) Belmont Park Dirt 6/7/08
1st Haskell Invitational  1 1⁄8 mi Kent Desormeaux 1:48.31  1 3⁄4 Coal Play Monmouth Park Dirt 8/3/08
1st Monmouth Stakes  1 1⁄8 mi Kent Desormeaux 1:47.41  1⁄2 Proudinsky Monmouth Park Turf 9/13/08

Stud record

Beginning in 2009, Big Brown stood at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky. He was bred to more than 100 mares his first season, including 71 stakes mares or stakes producers. The first reported foal for Big Brown was a filly out of Impressive Attire (by Seeking the Gold) born on January 12, 2010 at Swifty Farms in Seymour, Indiana.[24]

In 2014, Andrew Cohen's Sunrise Stables and Gary Tolchin's Golden Goose Enterprises obtained a majority interest in Big Brown and announced that he would be relocated to New York for the 2015 season with a fee of $8,500.[25] Standing at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains, New York, his 2016 fee increased to $10,000.

Big Brown has proved to be a moderately successful sire. His most notable offspring is Dortmund, who won the 2015 Santa Anita Derby and finished third in the Kentucky Derby.[26]

Tabulated pedigree

Pedigree of Big Brown (USA), bay stallion, 2005[27]
Sire
Boundary

B. 1990

 Danzig

B. 1977

 Northern Dancer Nearctic
Natalma
Pas de Nom Admiral's Voyage
Petitioner
Edge

Ch. 1978

 Damascus Sword Dancer
Kerala
Ponte Vecchio Round Table
Terentia
Dam
Mien

B. 1999

 Nureyev

B. 1977

 Northern Dancer Nearctic
Natalma
Special Forli
Thong
Miasma

B. 1992

 Lear Fan Roberto
Wac
Syrian Circle Damascus
Friendly Circle (family 5-h)[28]

Big Brown is inbred 3 X 3 to Northern Dancer and 3 X 4 to Damascus.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Big Brown Profile". www.equibase.com.
  2. ↑ "Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown has Minnesota tie". Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  3. ↑ nytimes.com, Filly's Death Casts Shadow Over Big Brown's Derby Victory
  4. 1 2 Drape, Joe (4 May 2008). "Filly's Death Casts Shadow Over Big Brown's Derby Victory". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Dade, Corey (May 17, 2008). "UPS Extends Its Pact To Sponsor Big Brown". The Wall Street Journal.
  6. ↑ Kilgore, Adam. "Owner Finds Joy in Loyalty". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  7. ↑ Wesch, Hank. "With Big Brown, it's brain that reigns". www.sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Sketchy past catches up with Brown owner". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  9. ↑ Company Profile and Contact Sheet - International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc.
  10. 1 2 3 Shandler, Jason. "Big Brown Huge in Florida Derby Rout". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Runner-up Eight Belles breaks front ankles, euthanized on track". ESPN.com.
  12. ↑ Big Brown Delivers; Filly Breaks Down Blood Horse, updated May 6, 2008, retrieved on June 6, 2008
  13. ↑ "Favorite Big Brown dusts field; runner-up Eight Belles euthanized - Horse Racing - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  14. ↑ Scheinman, John (6 June 2008). "Big Brown to Run Belmont Without Steroid". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  15. ↑ Hammonds, Evan. "Big Brown Crushes Preakness Rivals". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  16. ↑ Bossert, Jerry (May 25, 2008). "Big Brown's hoof injury crimps Triple Crown plans". Daily News. New York.
  17. ↑ "Big Brown OK after hoof repair - Equestrian, Churchill Downs, Belmont Stakes - chicagotribune.com". Chicago Tribune.
  18. ↑ West, Christy. "Big Brown Quarter Crack 'Not a Setback'". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  19. ↑ Drape, Joe (7 June 2008). "One Less Obstacle in Big Brown's Path". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  20. ↑ www.courier-journal.com, Big Brown's hoof to get a checkup
  21. ↑ therail.blogs.nytimes.com, Big Brown Doesn't Need Patch Until Race
  22. ↑ "Haskin Belmont Wrap: Why Down on Brown?". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  23. ↑ Graves, Will (October 17, 2008). "Big Brown's racing career over after injury - USATODAY.com". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  24. ↑ "- Thoroughbred Times". thoroughbredtimes.com.
  25. ↑ "Big Brown to Stand 2015 Season in New York". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "Big Brown on Stallion Register Online". Stallion Register Online. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  27. ↑ "Big Brown's Pedigree". www.equineline.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  28. ↑ "Big Brown Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.

External links

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