Manes and Tails Organization ~ Big Brown

Big Brown ~ May 17, 2009

'Big Brown' ~ Sadly the Fastest Horse...on Drugs

Big Brown thrilled us in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and stunned us in the third leg of the Triple Crown - the Belmont Stakes. Everyone who had bet on Big Brown was aware he was not the same horse that had left the competition in the dust during the first two legs of the 2008 Triple Crown. Why did this horse 'lose his steam?'

There are few clues in Big Brown's Pedigree as he has 'Northern Dancer' as his great grandsire in both his sire and dam's pedigrees. Rick Dutrow bragged about Big Brown getting his 'daily dose' of vitamins' and swore that the horse would not need them to capture the Triple Crown in 2008. Obviously, that prove to not be the case.

As steroids are widely used in all forms of horse racing, 'Big Brown' did not stand a chance. The Belmont film of the race shows a confused horse, and his jockey slowed him as he had 'no horse.' It is tragic to see an athelete of his caliber fail, but he could not win against the other horses who had their 'vitamins.'

Alex Brown commented on Howling Ridge Radio on March 25, 2009 that the reason the American horses break down compared to the British and Irish horses is that they race on turf and not a hard track. Those horses do not get 'performance enhancing' drugs and race into their teens!