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Trainer: Big Brown 'Right On Target'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

NEW YORK - Big Brown was a handful the day after his final workout leading to the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

"He was very rough this morning around the barn," trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said Wednesday. "I've never seen him like this. I see it as a very positive sign, following a breeze. I just could not be any happier with this horse."

On Tuesday, Big Brown went five furlongs in 1:00.03. He stayed in the barn Wednesday, keeping dry while a groom hand-walked him in circles on a rainy morning.
Dutrow remained confident Big Brown will be the first horse in 30 years to complete the Triple Crown sweep.

"You got today, you got tomorrow and Friday and Saturday," he said. "As long as he gets there the way he is right now, he will win, without a doubt."

Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay stopped by to check on the crack in Big Brown's left front foot that will get an acrylic patch Friday.

"He looked at it. He loved it," Dutrow said. "It's great, 100 percent. We are right on target."

HIS TURN: David Carroll twice has stood in the winner's circle following the Belmont Stakes. This time, Carroll hopes to have his name engraved on the trophy.

Carroll was the exercise rider for Easy Goer, the 1989 Belmont winner who stopped Sunday Silence's Triple Crown bid. One year later, he joined his brother, Raymond, an assistant to trainer Dermot Weld, for the celebration following Go and Go's victory.

Carroll, 48, a native of Ireland, will saddle Denis of Cork, a late-running colt who came from 20th to get third in the Kentucky Derby.

This a homecoming for Carroll, who spent six years at Belmont working for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey during the Easy Goer era.

"This was one of my favorite tracks and I'm looking forward to seeing my friends," Carroll said. "We are here to try and win this race."

RIDERS UP: There was considerable jockeying for riding assignments for the Belmont. As usual, Kent Desormeaux will be aboard Big Brown. Desormeaux also rode Casino Drive, the unbeaten colt from Japan, to victory in Belmont's Peter Pan Stakes last month.

With Desormeaux committed to Big Brown, Edgar Prado snagged the ride on Casino Drive. Prado is a two-time Belmont winner with Sarava (2002) and Birdstone (2004). The two Prado winners ended Triple Crown bids by War Emblem and Smarty Jones.

John Velazquez will ride Ready's Echo for trainer Todd Pletcher. They teamed to capture last year's Belmont with the filly Rags to Riches. To ride Ready's Echo, Velazquez obtained a release from trainer Nick Zito, freeing him from a previous commitment to Anak Nakal.

A wire report

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