Home > Furman Bisher > Archives > 2008 > June > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWill Belmont be too much for Big Brown?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thirty years is a long gap between Triple Crown champions, but that is about to come to an end if Big Brown has not led us astray in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. We know he is very big, and we know he is very brown, and we know he comes equipped with overdrive. But 18 thoroughbreds before Big Brown have won the Derby and Preakness in previous years and found a mile and a half too much for them. The Belmont is a marathon to American-breds. It is that last quarter-mile that has done in some of our four-legged headliners among others, Northern Dancer, Spectacular Bid, Alysheba and Carry Back. My mission here is to weed out the five most memorable victims of this test of speed and stamina that some of equine authority call the only true measure of a horse in American racing. Thus, we set forth:
• No. 1: It’s not that the Belmont of 2002 was that much of an upset. War Emblem himself was an upsetter in the Kentucky Derby. After winning the Illinois Derby, he had been bought by one of the Arab sheiks, then won the Derby and Preakness. The quality of the upset was in the longshot that ran War Emblem into the ground at Belmont, (he finished 8th), an import from Brazil named Sarava, who returned the biggest payoff in Belmont history, $140 for a $2 win ticket. Such an astonishing charge failed to do much for his breeding status. Sarava now stands for $3,000 at a farm in Florida.
• No. 2: Majestic Prince takes us back a long way, to 1969, when he was the early rage. He was hugely impressive, and Bill Hartack in the saddle created even more of an aura about him. Impressive winner in the Derby and Preakness, there was no way he could lose the Belmont, but Hartack found a way. The irrascible jockey gave Majestic Prince a bad ride from gate to wire, wiser judges than I discerned, as well as misjudging the challenger and winner, Arts and Letters, quite well-bred himself. Hartack finished off his life just last year, serving as a race track steward.
• No. 3: Three years out of four I went against the chalk in the Belmont and won. Shame I wasn’t a big roller. When Silver Charm reached the Belmont 1997, his connections were following him like a circus. Owner Bob Lewis, the Californian beer distributor, chartered a plane to fly his guests to New York, and each morning a string of limos lined up outside the Garden City Hotel to accommodate those guests. Bob Baffert was the perfect trainer for such a situation, flamboyant, verbose and about as shy as a political candidate. Touch Gold caught Silver Charm at the wire, and Victory Gallop did the same to Real Quiet, also Baffert-trained, in the Belmont the next year.
• No. 4: Ah, one of my all-time favorites here, but also a victim. No thoroughbred had ever come from so far under such second-class conditions and achieved so much. Canonero II had won the Derby as one dropped in the betting field, reserved in those times for horses considered having no chance. Then he not only won the Preakness, but this $1,200 colt set the event record. Belmont, I’d suppose, was too much for a thoroughbred who had been trained in Venezuela like a plow horse. He finished fourth in 1971 to Pass Catcher, who wasn’t too shabby a fellow himself, but Canonero II finally ran out of gas and fought off and injury to finish fourth.
• No. 5: There was a lot off the wall about Funny Cide, a gelding, and no gelding had won the Kentucky Derby since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929. Owned and vociferously followed by a collection of friends from northern New York, who traveled to the races in a school bus. Trained by Barclay Tagg, a rather dour fellow new to bright lights. After winning the Preakness in 2003, what was to stop him? Only Empire Maker, who now stands for $100,000 a pop in Kentucky. Funny Cide? He roams somewhere in a pasture with no social appointments on his calendar. (PS: I would like to enter a word here about Charismatic, who barely squeezed into the Derby field in 1999, then won the Preakness, then broke down as he hit the wire third at Belmont. He now stands at stud in Japan.)
Comments
By Big Dawg
June 2, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
Big Brown wins !!!! Bet on it.
By Jimmy Etheridge
June 2, 2008 6:38 PM | Link to this
Should have been Smarty. Had it in his grasp, got passed on the stretch.
By gary
June 2, 2008 7:42 PM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher forgets to mention a couple facts. War Emblem was not a great horse and on handicapping didn’t figure to win the Belmont. Witness his races against quality horses later in the year. Also, he stumbled right out the gate and was pretty much done for.
Majestic Prince was “sick” (actually had some leg problems) prior to his Belmont and his trains strongly advised against running him in the race.
Real Quite was simply beat by a better horse. Victory Gallop got lost in the Derby and with a smaller field in the Belmont was able to run his race (much like Point Given and Risen Star before him; both won the Preakness and Belmont.
Funny Cide… he simply got really lucky! Look as his disappointing record after the Triple Crown, he simply was not a great horse. Sometimes decent horses get lucky in years when the crop of 3 year olds is not that great.
By Pamela
June 2, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this
Best of luck to Big Brown. My biggest concern is his health and welfare so I will just be praying that nothing happens to him in that mile and a half. Horses should not be gambling icons, period.
By Al Mullins
June 2, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
I believe Big Brown will win the last race of the triple-crown. I personally will not bet on him though.’cause I like a horse that will give me a bang for my bucks.In others words I like too bet on longshots.The last race ran,my horse of choice was the Filly.She ran second as we all know.But I was sadden because she had to be put down.Hopefully this race will be ran with no mishaps.I’m gonna find the hoss that will run 2nd,and load-up on him.My advice iz you do the same.BIG BROWN is a LOCK!
By mark
June 2, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this
Many very good horses have won two legs and failed in the 3rd for a panoply of reasons. I’ve been betting almost as long as Furman has, and I’m beginning to think that Casino Drive will be the surest bet I have ever made. He ran faster in the Peter Pan than Big Brown did in the Preakness, and figures to move way forward, while Big Brown will go backwards after 5 good starts. He will join the long list of horses who simply got beat by a better horse. Here’s a terrific article explaining why 17 horses since 1978 have lost the third leg.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/sports/May-June-08/The-Triple-Crown—The-30-Year-Drought.html
By BA
June 3, 2008 6:00 AM | Link to this
Check this out
By Robbie
June 3, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
FunnyCide is not “roaming somewhere in a pasture with no social appointments”. He is working as a stable horse for trainer Barclay Tagg.
By Robbie
June 3, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
FunnyCide is not “roaming somewhere in a pasture with no social appointments”. He is working as a stable horse for trainer Barclay Tagg.
By breitenbach winery
June 3, 2008 3:36 PM | Link to this
I am just too excited!! Horse racing needs a hero! I haven’t missed watching a Triple Crown race in 40 years, and I have seats at the finish line this Saturday- Go Big Brown!
By Caitlyn
June 3, 2008 7:43 PM | Link to this
First of all I think that Big Brown will win by daylight. I think that Smarty Jones sould have been on the list(a huge upset). and some of the horses on this list such as Funny Cide were not in my opinion near as good as Big Brown. Plus Big Brown has no competition other than overrated Casino Drive.
By edarem
June 3, 2008 9:37 PM | Link to this
The obvious exacta is Big Brown/ Casino Drive. It should pay $4. Not bad to double your money in two minutes!
By FES
June 3, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this
Talk about disappointments! What about Bisher’s favorite Big Buzz losing all three legs of the Triple Crown in Georgia this year—football, basketball and baseball! Go Dogs!
By Mike Vick
June 4, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
Be nice to the horsey!
By THE WIZ
June 4, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
Big Brown is your perverbial lock. There has been a lot made about the quarter cracks and perspective challengers, but all for not. Kent D. previous failure will saddle him as gallops into history.
By Gene
June 4, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this
Big Brown’s trainer admits that the horse is juiced. When steroids are seriously banned from all sports, things will be equal. Right now, Big Brown has an advantage over horses voluntarily abstain.
By gary
June 4, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this
Casino Drive is “overrated”? Seems there was another undefeted 3yo this year that many people had their doubts about. Hard to knock a horse till he’s been defeated.
By STEVE B
June 4, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this
COME ON PEOPLE ,AFTER 34 YEARS PLAYING THE HORSE GAME, I UNDERSTAND THE GAME,MAYBE SOMEDAY YOU WILL. THE RIDERS DECIDE HORSE RACES,NOT THE horses,GET A GRIP,ON YOUR REINS, THE JOCKEYS WILL SURELY WILL. PACE DECIDES THE RACE, JOCKEYS DECIDE THE PACE,GO FIGURE
By Tom Trojan
June 4, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
The sad thing about the ‘Big Brown Deal’ is that he has already been syndicated for 50 million as a stallion! He has bad fronts!! He is structually unsound! I hope he can make the Belmont distance without breaking down! At 2-5, he is not worth a bet! I hope he doesn’t get hurt!
By gary
June 5, 2008 12:15 AM | Link to this
Steve, so after 34 years of studying the horses, you’ve found it’s not really the horses but the jockeys who affect the race more than the horses? Does that mean Ron Turcotte and Jean Cruguet simply outrode those other guys? I do agree a jockey can often make a difference, but from my time of playing the ponies I’ve found it’s the horse that makes the biggest difference.
By the player
June 5, 2008 7:00 AM | Link to this
Wow! THANK YOU STEVE for clearing that up for all of us that did not know any better! I know we are all happy to find out it has nothing to do with the horses, that a $10,000 claimer riden by the right jockey will beat the likes of Sectetariat!
By richbrave
June 5, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Sorry Furman, but no horse tops the ride of SECRETARIAT in the Belmont in 1973. Lets see if BIG BROWN breaks the course record. Then I’ll show up to praise BB, and forget about the absolutely amazing charge of BIG RED, all alone, punishing the track and the stop-watchers as he thundered home dozens of lengths ahead of the rest of the field.
By STEVE B
June 5, 2008 7:01 PM | Link to this
same comment as yesterday,which you took down cause you know it true,that is horses dont decide races,jockeys do, pace is name of game.jockey set the pace they want, then that decides who wins most.until jockeys can no longer BET on the horses,it will always happen that way 80 percent or even more,wake up people
By the player
June 5, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this
Steve, you comment from yesterday is still up there, just take a moment and look and you will see it. And again, thank you for pointing out that the horses have nothing to do with the outcome of the race. This is something that I’m sure not many of us realized.
By richbrave
June 6, 2008 4:58 PM | Link to this
STEVE:
Funny, I’ve completely forgotten who rode SECRETARIAT on that eventful June day in 1973. But I’m sure it was his skill that caused BIG RED to run such a sick race and practically lap the field. Of course, I don’t credit the jockey because I’m so ignorant of such things. How stupid of me. And the jockey’s comments afterward about “just holding on and letting the animal have his head” meant the rider was saavy enough to get out of the way and let a beast of a race-horse win.
By Me
June 6, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this
There are a lot of great horses that can never do what Secretariat did. He was truly special.