By Dylan Butler
What can brown do for you? That depends on who you are.
If you’re Rick Dutrow, the outspoken trainer of Big Brown, a win in Saturday’s 140th running of the Belmont Stakes would not only mean a sizable payoff, but also put you at the top of a sport some 11 years after calling Barn 1 at the Big A home.
If you’re jockey Kent Desormeaux, it would mean redemption after losing a Triple Crown bid in a photo finish aboard Real Quiet in 1998.
And if you’re the bay colt’s owners, IEAH Stables, it would be the ultimate bragging rights for life, the opportunity to put your horse among the sport’s pantheon, next to Secretariat, Citation and War Admiral.
That’s what’s at stake for the connections of Big Brown, which will go off as a heavy favorite after routing the competition in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
In training leading up to the Belmont, Big Brown suffered a quarter-crack in his left hind leg. Dutrow called hoof specialist Ian McKinlay, who is scheduled to place an acrylic and fiberglass patch on the hoof Friday.
Under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, Big Brown had his last workout before the Stakes on Tuesday morning, working five furlongs in 1:00.03 on the main track.
“I feel as good as I can possibly feel about Big Brown,” Dutrow said. “I feel very good. I was not expecting to see anything other than what we saw, but still, you’ve got to go through it. We jumped over a big hurdle today and I feel very good.”
Big Brown’s biggest competition will come from Casino Drive, the half brother of Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches. The Japanese-bred colt blew away the field at the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park May 10.
“We are very happy with how he is training for this race,” said Nobutaka Tada, a spokesperson for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “We expect him to run a very good race.”
Dutrow, for one, isn’t worried.
“No chance at beating our horse. None,” he said. “I’ll be in the Winner’s Circle at the quarter pole.”
Drink Up
The official drink of the Belmont Stakes is the Belmont Breeze, which replaced the White Carnation in 1997.
What’s in a Belmont Breeze, you ask?
1 1/2 oz. Seagrams 7
3/4 oz. Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry
1/2 oz. Lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
1 1/2 oz. Orange juice
1 1/2 oz. Cranberry juice
1 oz. soda
1 oz. 7 UP
fresh strawberry
lemon wedge
Shake the first six ingredients with ice and top with 1 oz. each of 7 UP and soda. Garnish with fresh strawberry, a mint sprig, and a lemon wedge.
Tracking your trip
With large crowds expected, fans are urged to take mass transity to Belmont Park. Passengers can board the LIRR at Woodside ($11 round trip) or Jamaica ($8 round trip) and take the train directly to the track.
History's 11 Triple Crown winners
1978 Affirmed
1977 Seattle Slew
1973 Secretariat
1948 Citation
1946 Assault
1943 Count Fleet
1941 Whirlaway
1937 War Admiral
1935 Omaha
1930 Gallant Fox
1919 Sir Barton
Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at dbutler@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
