Sports City Line

Big Brown delivered a standout performance in last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes and has the racing industry buzzing as it awaits the final leg of racing’s Triple Crown, the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 7.

Although many thoroughbreds in recent history have attempted the sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont, the last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978. The industry dearly needs a hero and Big Brown certainly looks capable and deserving of the attention leading up to the 140th running of the Belmont.

The striking bay colt has already arrived in New York and is settled in Bobby Frankel’s barn. He remains undefeated for trainer Richard Dutrow and has won all of his five previous races by a combined 39 lengths. The field is just beginning to take shape for the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont Stakes with Denis of Cork, Tale of Ekati and Casino Drive confirmed to participate at this point.

Denis of Cork ran third in the Kentucky Derby and passed on the Preakness, as did Tale of Ekati, who won the Wood Memorial. Casino Drive, who was bred in Japan, skipped both the Derby and Preakness, but has been all the rage since winning the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park last Saturday.

The colt is bred for Belmont’s distance. His dam, Better Than Honour, produced the last two winners of the Belmont Stakes, 2007 champion, Rags to Riches and Jazil.

Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, Casino Drive is expected to work at Belmont Park this Monday. Kent Desormeaux rode Casino Drive to victory in the Peter Pan, but is also the regular rider of Big Brown. Japanese jockey Yutaka Take piloted him in his previous start, but no rider has been named for the Belmont.

Big Brown is the big story. Racing fans who wish to immerse themselves in the achievements of the undefeated colt can check out our Belmont Stakes page, a page with comprehensive information on the Triple Crown candidate and his quest to become the 12th thoroughbred to win the coveted title.