The end of the line
Jun. 9th, 2008 12:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spirithorse21From The International Herald Tribune:
"Dutrow was criticized after acknowledging he used an anabolic steroid on Big Brown, then said last week that the horse hadn't had a dose of Winstrol since April. The drug is legal in the three states where the Triple Crown races are run.
"By this time next year, steroids will be banned from horse racing competition," Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said Sunday. "The Big Brown campaign only underscores the need to act to ensure the safety of the horses and to remove any suspicion concerning steroid involvement with our stars."
On the advice of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, Dutrow had said he was going to reduce Big Brown's dose of electrolytes, which are salts such as sodium, chloride and potassium that help prevent dehydration. It wasn't clear whether he followed through on that plan before the Belmont.
Big Brown was taking Lasix, a legal anti-bleeding medication that can cause a horse to become dehydrated. Highs were in the 90s and there was oppressive humidity Saturday. Several horses throughout the day were sweating excessively and needed to be cooled off with buckets of water and sprayed with hoses after they ran."
I didn't watch the Belmont, I had more exciting things to do. But I did hear the outcome and I can tell you, I was dancing in the streets (Literally. I was at a casino and the walkway was a "street"). I was sad to learn that Casino Drive was scratched, but happy they did right by the colt. In watching the Belmont on You Tube later, I was also pleased with jockey Kent Desormeaux for doing right by Big Brown.
In my opinion, there were four factors that ultimately led to BBs dead last finish:
1. His pedigree. He was bred for sprinting. Neither the Belmont nor the Triple Crown is for sprinters. A horse must have endurance to complete this marathon.
2. The Steroids. I honestly don't think BB was that great of a horse. Big and beautiful, with lots of muscle, but nothing outstanding. Had this been a race of all the TC winners, BB would have been dead last there too. Instead, he came in dead last racing against a bunch of so-so horses (not to diminish Da-Tera. Wow! Very impressive that he ran wire to wire!). I think we finally saw the real BB and his real abilities without the steroids.
3. The Heat. It was hot out there folks! My mom watched the race and she said later that she found it odd that the other contenders were sweating profusely before the race, but that BB was dry. Was he ok with the heat? Or was he dehydrated? Or worse, was he not sweating due to some sort of metabolic problem? All of that aside, it was hot! That's tough for any athlete, and BB is a BIG horse with A LOT of muscle.
4. The Campaign. Three big races in five weeks. That is a very grueling schedule for a race horse, especially a three year old. BB was not fresh coming into the Belmont and I think that played a big role in this. Add to that a pedigree for sprinting, the heat, and his lack of steroids...well, he came in dead last.
I don't really think he would have come in dead last had Desormeaux let him keep racing. Probably 5th, I think. But since the jockey realized his horse had nothing left to give and they weren't going to win, place, or show, he eased the colt up and cantered him home. I think that was a sage decision, very healthy for the horse at any rate.
Now that I've dissected the race, let's move onto that section I pulled from the news story.
"By this time next year, steroids will be banned from horse racing competition," Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said Sunday. "The Big Brown campaign only underscores the need to act to ensure the safety of the horses and to remove any suspicion concerning steroid involvement with our stars."
Wow! I hope he means it. I think that would be great. I really thought it would take another (read: Big Brown) dead horse before any regulation changes were handed down, but it seems that a lot of people were repulsed by Dutrow, his bragging, and his training techniques. Karma's a bitch and I think Dutrow got what's coming to him. But I'm also glad to see this statement and I hope they mean it. That would be one good step forward. Let's see if they can keep pacing down the right road.
ETA: Here's another good article, also from The New York Times. Love the last line.
"Dutrow was criticized after acknowledging he used an anabolic steroid on Big Brown, then said last week that the horse hadn't had a dose of Winstrol since April. The drug is legal in the three states where the Triple Crown races are run.
"By this time next year, steroids will be banned from horse racing competition," Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said Sunday. "The Big Brown campaign only underscores the need to act to ensure the safety of the horses and to remove any suspicion concerning steroid involvement with our stars."
On the advice of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, Dutrow had said he was going to reduce Big Brown's dose of electrolytes, which are salts such as sodium, chloride and potassium that help prevent dehydration. It wasn't clear whether he followed through on that plan before the Belmont.
Big Brown was taking Lasix, a legal anti-bleeding medication that can cause a horse to become dehydrated. Highs were in the 90s and there was oppressive humidity Saturday. Several horses throughout the day were sweating excessively and needed to be cooled off with buckets of water and sprayed with hoses after they ran."
I didn't watch the Belmont, I had more exciting things to do. But I did hear the outcome and I can tell you, I was dancing in the streets (Literally. I was at a casino and the walkway was a "street"). I was sad to learn that Casino Drive was scratched, but happy they did right by the colt. In watching the Belmont on You Tube later, I was also pleased with jockey Kent Desormeaux for doing right by Big Brown.
In my opinion, there were four factors that ultimately led to BBs dead last finish:
1. His pedigree. He was bred for sprinting. Neither the Belmont nor the Triple Crown is for sprinters. A horse must have endurance to complete this marathon.
2. The Steroids. I honestly don't think BB was that great of a horse. Big and beautiful, with lots of muscle, but nothing outstanding. Had this been a race of all the TC winners, BB would have been dead last there too. Instead, he came in dead last racing against a bunch of so-so horses (not to diminish Da-Tera. Wow! Very impressive that he ran wire to wire!). I think we finally saw the real BB and his real abilities without the steroids.
3. The Heat. It was hot out there folks! My mom watched the race and she said later that she found it odd that the other contenders were sweating profusely before the race, but that BB was dry. Was he ok with the heat? Or was he dehydrated? Or worse, was he not sweating due to some sort of metabolic problem? All of that aside, it was hot! That's tough for any athlete, and BB is a BIG horse with A LOT of muscle.
4. The Campaign. Three big races in five weeks. That is a very grueling schedule for a race horse, especially a three year old. BB was not fresh coming into the Belmont and I think that played a big role in this. Add to that a pedigree for sprinting, the heat, and his lack of steroids...well, he came in dead last.
I don't really think he would have come in dead last had Desormeaux let him keep racing. Probably 5th, I think. But since the jockey realized his horse had nothing left to give and they weren't going to win, place, or show, he eased the colt up and cantered him home. I think that was a sage decision, very healthy for the horse at any rate.
Now that I've dissected the race, let's move onto that section I pulled from the news story.
"By this time next year, steroids will be banned from horse racing competition," Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said Sunday. "The Big Brown campaign only underscores the need to act to ensure the safety of the horses and to remove any suspicion concerning steroid involvement with our stars."
Wow! I hope he means it. I think that would be great. I really thought it would take another (read: Big Brown) dead horse before any regulation changes were handed down, but it seems that a lot of people were repulsed by Dutrow, his bragging, and his training techniques. Karma's a bitch and I think Dutrow got what's coming to him. But I'm also glad to see this statement and I hope they mean it. That would be one good step forward. Let's see if they can keep pacing down the right road.
ETA: Here's another good article, also from The New York Times. Love the last line.
