Big Brown

Highland Beach Beachfront Condos

2010-08-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, the past 6 months has been amazing. I love this place. The weather is pretty hot down here in florida. Most of you know that I have only been in Florida for about 6 months. So far it’s been pretty good. So far, there have been no hurricanes as of yet. The thing that amazes me the most when it comes to Florida is the property and the beaches.
Some of the homes around the ocean are enormous and some of these homes I can see are only winter homes. Some of these homes have shutters on them to protect them from storms.
While driving along A1A from Boynton to Boca, I came across Highland Beach.

Highland Beach Beachfront Condos

Big Brown in Austraila

2010-08-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

Yet, surrounded by the fashionable trifecta of former Miss Australia Rachael Finch, daughter of racing royalty Kate Waterhouse and model Alexandra Agoston O'Connor, champion racehorse Big Brown was in vogue as he paraded in Sydney yesterday.

The horse that captured the imagination of the American public, winning his first five races by a total of 39 lengths and conquering the best three-year-olds of his year in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes -- legs of the US triple crown -- is in Australia to stand at stud this spring.

A harem of well-performed mares with magnificent pedigrees is being assembled at Vinery Stud where they will be covered by the $US60 million ($67m) stallion at a cost to their owners of $44,000. The offspring have the potential to command millions in the sales ring.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage

* Hey Big spenders Daily Telegraph, 10 days ago
* Moody duo primed to chase Faint Perfume The Australian, 15 Apr 2010
* Where punters are royalty for a day Daily Telegraph, 3 Apr 2010
* Fillies have numbers in juvenile showpiece The Australian, 2 Apr 2010
* Huge plunge on More Strawberries Daily Telegraph, 1 Apr 2010

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

John Singleton, a partner in Vinery Stud, said Big Brown managed to capture the hearts of America and was about to do the same in Australia.

"Big Brown is no ordinary horse. He's one of the greatest champions of our time," Singleton said.

"His career demonstrated considerable versatility and he's destined to be one of the most talented stallions to stand at stud in Australia."

Managing director of Vinery Stud, Peter Orton, said yesterday: "He had a special ability at his peak and achieved so much".

What a shame.

2010-01-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

I still miss this horse and really wish he would have one the preakness. Big Brown is retired now and out to stud.

Palm Beach Investment Property

Twitter Contests Tweet and Win

2009-10-21T22:05:00.001-07:00

http://tweetandwin.net
Tweet and win is a pretty fun site if you like twitter contests. It's also pretty cool if you are a business trying to promote your product, services or websites. The prizes are furnished by a sponsor and contestants tweet about them.

Each tweet is like a raffle. At the end of the contest a winner is randomly selected based on the amount of tweets or links clicked in the tweets.

I emailed the owner of the site and he's an extremely nice guy. He started the site because he likes contests and he has won a lot of stuff using Twitter in the past.

in reference to: http://tweetandwin.net/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

Big Brown or Curlin?

2008-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

There is only one true superstar on the Thoroughbred racing planet right now, and it isn't that worn-out 3-year-old who dissolved into a Big Brown meltdown in the Long Island heat during last Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
Curlin is king of the Sport of Kings, as the reigning Horse of the Year proved again Saturday, carrying 128 pounds in comfortable fashion, assuming control at the head of the stretch and cruising to a 4¼-length win in the Grade I Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Remember that pre-Belmont chatter of a possible matchup, if not match race, between Big Brown and Curlin somewhere down the line?
Judging by the events of the past two Saturdays, it would be no match.
“This horse is just a dream of a lifetime,” said Steve Asmussen, the victorious trainer, who on Father's Day eve was surrounded by his three young sons, all wearing the same-design suit as the one worn by their father.
“I'm so thankful to Mr. (Jess) Jackson and Midnight Cry and the whole ownership group for bringing him back as a 4-year-old and letting us enjoy him,” Asmussen said.
It was Curlin's first race since he won in Dubai on March 29. It was his first race on U.S. soil since winning the Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park last October. He was spotting his foes between 10-15 pounds, a handicap Asmussen groused about during the week. He was breaking from the No. 1 post.
“You're very nervous until you saw his head peek through the daylight at the head of the stretch,” Asmussen said. “When (jockey) Robby (Albarado) moved forward on him, the horse just lengthened stride and looked tremendous.”
Curlin is tremendous. He was a bit too green to win last year's Kentucky Derby, finishing third. He rebounded to nip Street Sense at the wire to win the Preakness. He lost the Belmont by a head to Rags to Riches. After a disappointing third in the Haskell, Curlin has ripped off five straight wins: the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Jaguar Trophy Handicap in Dubai, the World Cup in Dubai, and now the Stephen Foster.
His earnings have grown to $9.38 million, placing him behind Cigar's $9.99 million and Skip Away's $9.62.
Better still, the sport has prospered. To be sure, considering the legal problems of the minority Midnight Cry ownership, there are extenuating reasons Curlin is still racing. But the horse is a sterling example of what can happen when the sport keeps its stars on the track instead of shipping them so early to the breeding shed. A crowd estimated between 12,000 to 15,000 turned out at Churchill on Saturday.
“I don't know how many people have thanked us,” Jackson said, “and we've thanked them.”
“I can't tell you what a fan I am of his,” said Asmussen.
Racing fans were hoping for, down the road, a Big Brown-Curlin battle. Best 3-year-old vs. best 4-year-old. Asmussen, who can be a bit prickly but who keeps things low-key, vs. the brash, confident Dutrow, who had said that a race between the two would be good for the sport, good for Big Brown and bad for Curlin.
That was before the Belmont.
“Last year spoiled us,” Asmussen said. “For Hard Spun, Street Sense and Curlin to show up that many times and run that many excellent races, that's so rare. And now everybody's expecting that to show up, and they're talking match race and down the road. Down the road? It's the sooner the better because you're not always going to be in this position.
“You have to know how rare this is. And you have to savor it.”

Big Brown's loss mob controlled?

2008-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, unless they find something seriously wrong physically with Big Brown, I’m totally convinced that the New York Mob had something to do with Big Brown’s loss.

How does a long shot finish first over a horse like Big Brown? Why did the jockey pull up on the horse and apply brakes during the pace. This is unreal!

I hope that there is nothing wrong with Big Brown. I love that horse, but there is no reason why that horse should have finished dead last.

Big Brown - Losing Ticket On Ebay.

2008-06-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Big Brown Losing Ticket.

BIG BROWN - TODAY IS THE DAY!!

2008-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Big Brown

2008-06-05T10:28:00.001-07:00

Not since Whirlaway in 1941 has Thoroughbred racing witnessed such a domination of the opening two legs of its Triple Crown. The Big Brown express, which has rolled through Louisville and Baltimore in commanding style, now chugs along just one destination away from immortality: New York.

The historical barometers for Big Brown's Belmont Stakes are mixed. Much of that won't matter once the gates spring open. Many say a horserace is a horserace and stands alone on today's evaluation of talent, not yesterday's results. But this is, after all, a game not only rooted in opinions, but one-hundred percent fueled by them at the betting windows.

Big Brown BlowoutsIn winning the Kentucky Derby by 4-1/4 lengths and the Preakness by 5-3/4, Big Brown became just the fifth horse in history to win those races by a combined margin of 10 lengths or more, joining Smarty Jones (14-1/4 combined lengths), Whirlaway (13-1/2), Funny Cide (11-1/2) and Count Fleet (11). But only Big Brown and Whirlaway were able to win both races each by 4-1/4 lengths or more. Whirlaway romped by 8 lengths in the '41 Derby and 5-1/2 in the Preakness.

Of the nine most dominant winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness (by cumulative margin), six went on to annex the Triple Crown. Spectacular Bid, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones failed to finish the deal after commanding starts to the series. But the six dominant winners to sweep were all before 1949. So, if you want to spin things more modern, horses to win the Derby and Preakness by 7 or more combined lengths since 1948 are 0-for-3 in the Belmont.
And, In This Corner ...The number that might matter most on Belmont Stakes Day could very well be the total number of entrants. Note that none of the 11 horses to sweep the Triple Crown have ever bested more than 7 rivals at the Belmont Stakes. And, none of those 11 ever toppled more than 32 total rivals in the entire Triple Crown series.

Affirmed beat a grand total of 20 competitors in his 1978 Triple Crown coronation. By contrast, Big Brown already has shrugged away 30 challengers in the Derby (19) and Preakness (11).
Since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown, 10 aspirants to the throne (11 including Big Brown) have come calling at the Belmont. During that time, the average number of Belmont challengers has been 8.5. The 11 Triple Crown winners faced just 48 challengers combined or 4.7 per race.
Of the 29 all-time Triple Crown-bid-Belmonts, 22 have seen 9 or less horses in the starting gate.
Early in the recruitment stage, the potential Belmont field looks something like this: Big Brown, Casino Drive, Tale of Ekati, Anak Nakal, Denis of Cork, Macho Again, Icabad Crane and Tomcito.
Over/Under OddsIt's quite plausible Big Brown's Belmont Stakes odds will actually increase after going off at 20 cents on the dollar in the Preakness, due to the presence of unbeaten Japanese X-factor Casino Drive. The only Triple Crown winners to go to post at 20 cents on the dollar or less were Count Fleet (.20), Secretariat (.10) and Count Fleet (.05).
Depending on the field size, Big Brown should close in odds in the Smarty Jones (.35) and Spectacular Bid (.30) neighborhood. Rest assured, he won't be even-money or greater as were recent Triple Crown aspirants Funny Cide (1.00), War Emblem (1.25) and Charismatic (1.60).
Of the 29 horses all-time to reach the Belmont with a chance at history, 23 have been bet down to even-money or less.

Light SeasoningMuch was made about Big Brown becoming the first Kentucky Derby winner since Regret in 1915 with only three prior career starts. He comes to Belmont with five races under his belt, which is even light by modern standards of Triple Crown hopefuls. Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones all had eight races under their belts the least amount of any Triple Crown hopefuls since Affirmed's sweep.

But note that likely Belmont opponents Casino Drive (two) and Denis of Cork (four) are even more lightly raced, and they very likely could go off second and third choices in the wagering. You're only as lightly raced as your competition; that's the modern day battle cry.
Where Art Thou Spoiler?Ten times since Affirmed the Triple Crown has been spoiled at Belmont. And, the role of the spoiler has been worn by horses of many different hats.
Three Belmont spoilers were complete newcomers to the Triple Crown trail: Coastal over Spectacular Bid, Summing over Pleasant Colony and Sarava over War Emblem.

Three Belmont spoilers were beaten in both the Derby and Preakness and found the third time to be the charm: Victory Gallop over Real Quiet; Easy Goer over Sunday Silence; and Bet Twice over Alysheba.

Two Belmont spoilers were horses who ran in the Derby, but skipped the Preakness and awaited the final leg of the series: Birdstone over Smarty Jones and Empire Maker over Funny Cide.
One Belmont spoiler was beaten in the Derby, came back to prep in-between elsewhere than the Preakness, and returned to the series victorious: Lemon Drop Kid over Charismatic.
One Belmont spoiler jumped into the Triple Crown fray in the Preakness (skipping the Derby): Touch Gold over Silver Charm.

Contenders for the 2008 Belmont Stakes

2008-06-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

Before you jump on the Big Brown bandwagon, there are some contenders in the Belmont Stakes field that would love to spoil the Big Brown party.

Let's take a look at the 2008 Belmont Stakes contenders which we’ve listed below in no particular order…

Anak Nakal
Trainer: Nick ZitoFinishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby and sitting out for the Preakness Stakes, Anak Nakal is trying once more in case third time really is the charm. Since his win at the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in November, he hasn’t managed to place in the top five of any of the races he’s run. His sire, Victory Gallop, won the Belmont 10 years ago. Maybe Anak Nakal will celebrate the anniversary by winning.

Behindatthebar
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Behindatthebar missed the Kentucky Derby in order to prepare for Preakness, but then had to skip Preakness due to a bruised foot. This could mean two things for Behindatthebar. Either he’ll be slow after taking it easy to heal his injury, or he’ll get a rush from weeks of pent-up energy after not being able to race.

Big Brown
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Big Brown isn’t just making history as the juggernaut of the horse racing world; if he wins Belmont, he’ll also be the first Triple Crown champ to have done so in 30 years. His agility left many speechless after the Preakness and now the only thing left to ask is whether or not he’ll be able to keep up the momentum he’s been running with.

Casino Drive
Trainer: Kazuo Fujisawa
It’s being argued that if anyone were to take Big Brown down, it’ll be Casino Drive. He doesn’t have many races under his harness but the experience he’s had is worth mentioning. He won his first race in Japan by 11 ½ lengths. He won the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont by 5 ¾ lengths. And if genes count for something, then you should take note that he’s the brother of the last two Belmont Stakes winners.

Denis of Cork
Trainer: David Carroll
Denis of Cork was a little rusty going into the Kentucky Derby but nonetheless came out in third place. He had won three races beforehand and placed fifth at the Illinois Derby. At the Kentucky Derby, he managed to get from last place to third. It seems as though he knows how to maintain a winning streak and get back up if he falters. Looks like he might prove to be another one of Big Brown’s competitors.

El Gato Malo
Trainer: Craig Dollase
Started off as an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby but then came up short on graded earnings after placing second in the Sham Stakes and fifth in the Santa Anita Derby. El Gato Malo thus missed the Kentucky and the Preakness and is debuting in the third leg of the 2008 Triple Crown.

Icabad Crane
Trainer: Graham Motion
At the Preakness Stakes, this colt was bringing up the back before racing hard to finish in third. He is continuously improving with the help of a great trainer and jockey, but when dethroning Big Brown is at stake, he’s going to need all that and then some. Hopefully June 7 might be the day he chooses to be a chip off the old block. His father, Jump Start, won the Belmont Stakes in 1992.

Macho Again
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Placing second at the Preakness Stakes might be the closest Macho Again will ever get to beating Big Brown. Macho Again will need to focus on speed and agility to keep up with Big Brown.
Tale of Ekati Trainer: Barclay TaggRacing in spurts during the Kentucky Derby, Tale of Ekati managed to finish fourth. He’s swift and doesn’t give up, two key traits needed during the “Test of the Champion.”

Tomcito
Trainer: Dante Zanelli
To Tomcito’s advantage, he’s already won a 1.5 mile distance this year. To his disadvantage, he’s currently recuperating from minor throat surgery. Tomcito and his trainers are taking it day by day to see if he’ll be able to race at Belmont. Like El Gato Malo, short earnings after placing third in the Florida Derby and seventh at the Peter Pan Stakes kept Tomcito from qualifying at the Kentucky Derby.

Big Brown Merchandise - hats, tickets, programs

2008-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

At the bottom and the side of this page are items or merchandise for Big Brown. I have had trouble finding them so I posted links, and ebay feeds for his merchandise. Scroll down to the bottom.

Big Brown Sponsors Big Brown

2008-05-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

United Parcel Service (UPS) reaped millions of dollars worth of publicity by sponsoring Big Brown in his quest for horse racing’s first Triple Crown in 30 years. The association between the horse and the delivery firm nicknamed Big Brown started with a grateful UPS contractor and is built around a small logo that Jockey Kent Desormeaux wears on his riding pants.

Racing fans get a quick view of that UPS patch every time Desormeaux guides Big Brown across the finish line. He also dons a UPS cap when he poses for photographers in racing’s most prestigious winner’s circles.

Vice President Eric Wright of Joyce Julius & Associates (JJ&A) told Ad Age Magazine that UPS received at least $4 million in network, newspaper, magazine and online publicity when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. JJ&A, which specializes in measuring the value of sponsorships, estimated the value of the publicity would at least double if Big Brown wins the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown in New York.

Big Brown - Competition (I always bet on a gray horse)

2008-05-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

ockey Garrett Gomez will replace Julien Leparoux as the rider for Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Macho Again in the $1-million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7.

Leparoux has ridden Macho Again in four of the Macho Uno colt’s five starts this year, including a runner-up finish to Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Big Brown in the Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Big Brown will attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont, a 1 1/2-mile race for three-year-olds that is also expected to include unbeaten Peter Pan Stakes (G2) winner Casino Drive.

Leparoux rode West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again to a win in the Derby Trial Stakes on April 26 at Churchill Downs prior to finishing second in the Preakness. Trainer Dallas Stewart said the decision by West Point to switch jockeys should not reflect negatively on Leparoux, who is currently based at Churchill Downs.

Gomez moved his tack to New York after beginning the year riding in California.

“Julien has done a good job with him,” Stewart said. “But after talking with [West Point President] Terry Finley and the owners, it was a decision based more on a home-court advantage for the rider. Gomez is a New York rider, and he knows that mile-and-a-half track. That’s not taking anything away from Julien or anything, but Gomez rides there every day and he’s going to ride a bunch on the card.

“We’re going up there trying to win it, not that we think we couldn’t win it with Julien. Terry just felt that it would give us a little bit of an edge to have someone that rides there every day.”

Gomez did not have a mount for the Preakness. He leads all North American riders with $7,426,776 in purse earnings through Friday.

Big Brown Belmont Stakes 2008

2008-05-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Even should he win the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, Big Brown will remain an enigma. He might be one of the greatest horses ever or he might be just a good horse who has been beating up on a terrible crop of 3-year-olds. With his limited body of work, no one can really answer that question. At least for now, though, I'm leaning toward the latter description.

I won't bestow greatness on Big Brown until he runs fast. How can you?

Big Brown's performances have been nothing short of brilliant. In the highest-level races, he toys with his opponents. But as visually impressive as his wins have been, they are not particularly fast races. Based on his Beyer figures, the sport's most widely accepted measurement of speed and ability, Big Brown is far from exceptional when compared to recent winners of Triple Crown races.

He ran a 109 in the Kentucky Derby, precisely the average winning number since 1992 and well below the numbers turned in by the likes of War Emblem (114), Monarchos (116) and Silver Charm (115). His Preakness number was a 100, the slowest winning Beyer number in that race since Prairie Bayou ran a 98 in 1993.

The Daily Racing Form's Steve Crist researched the Beyer numbers of the last six horses to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown and found that the combined Derby-Preakness Beyer numbers for all six are better than Big Brown's.

Coming into the Belmont, he doesn't even have the best last race figure. That belongs to Casino Drive, who ran a 101 when winning the Peter Pan.

And he's certainly not the fastest horse in training. That title belongs to Curlin, who ran a 119 when he won the Breeders' Cup Classic last year. Now 4, and, presumably bigger, stronger and faster than he was last year, Curlin should climb into the 125 neighborhood before this year is over. Based strictly on the numbers, Curlin would trounce Big Brown right now.

Of course, there's every chance that Big Brown could run faster, maybe even considerably faster, than he has been. His wins are so effortless that he gives the impression that he's not running near full speed and would have an extra gear or two should anyone ever challenge him. Maybe Casino Drive will push him in the Belmont, something no one else among the potential starters seems capable of doing.

Then again, maybe the Belmont will be more of the same for Big Brown, another facile win in which he runs a mediocre time. If that turns out to be the case, even with a Triple Crown sweep under his belt, he will have a big hole on his resume. To retire him at that point is to risk having Big Brown go down in history as the Triple Crown winner who left the game with something to prove. That's never happened before.

The hope is that IEAH Stables and Rick Dutrow will be true to their word and run Big Brown after the Belmont. That may not make the most economic sense, but it could be their only chance to prove just how great their horse is. Let him win the Travers in a fast time and beat Curlin in the Breeders' Cup. Then, Big Brown can go down in history as one of the best ever.

Big Brown Triple Crown

2008-05-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

Big Brown demolished 11 rivals Saturday afternoon at Pimlico in the 133rd Preakness and now will return to New York in hopes of becoming Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner when he goes to post in the 140th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y.

Owned by IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr., the Boundary colt will hope to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 when he goes in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes, the “Test of the Champion” that is the oldest and longest leg of the Triple Crown.”
Not only is this the 30th anniversary of Affirmed’s Triple Crown, but the 60th of Citation’s Triple Crown in 1948.

Although Big Brown easily won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the Belmont Stakes looms ahead and it has thwarted 18 others who sought the Triple Crown. Those were:

1944 – Pensive
1958 – Tim Tam
1961 – Carry Back
1964 – Northern Dancer
1966 – Kauai King
1968 – Forward Pass
1969 – Majestic Prince
1971 – Canonero II
1979 – Spectacular Bid
1981 – Pleasant Colony
1987 – Alysheba
1989 – Sunday Silence
1997 – Silver Charm
1998 – Real Quiet
1999 – Charismatic
2002 – War Emblem
2003 – Funny Cide
2004 – Smarty Jones

RACING’S TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS:
Sir Barton, 1919
Assault, 1946
Gallant Fox, 1930
Omaha, 1935
Citation, 1948
Secretariat, 1973
War Admiral, 1937
Seattle Slew, 1977
Whirlaway, 1941
Affirmed, 1978
Count Fleet, 1943

2008 Belmont Stakes

2008-05-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Big Brown won the 2008 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, winning in great fashion at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

Big Brown defeated runner-up Macho Again by 5¼ lengths at the 133rd Preakness Stakes. His final time was 1:54.80 for 1 3/16 miles on a fast track.

Big Brown earned $600,000 for the win and increased his earnings to $2,714,500 for Iavarone and Schiavo, co-owners of IEAH Stables, and Paul Pompa Jr.

Big Brown is one step closer to becoming thoroughbred racing's 12th Triple Crown winner. The last horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes was Affirmed in 1978.

Big Brown became the first horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Smarty Jones in 2004.

Smarty Jones won the 2004 Preakness by 11½ lengths, one year after Funny Cide was a 10½-length winner. Both were overtaken by late surges of the Belmont, at 1½ miles the longest of the three Triple Crown races.

The Belmont Stakes will take place on June 7 in Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.