Big Brown Wins Prep - On Turf - For Breeders' Cup Classic

Promising 2-year-old performance in NY; a wild Futurity in Chicago

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
September 18, 2008

Kentucky Derby / Preakness winner Big Brown showed his competitive spirit while defeating older horses in the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes at nine furlongs on the turf last Saturday, September 13th. Now he'll go back to Belmont Park for six weeks of training towards his final career race that will be 3000 miles away at Santa Anita Park - the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on October 25th.

The Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the recently installed Pro-Ride synthetic track will be the most important race of Big Brown's career. Despite the fact that he won two-thirds of the Triple Crown plus the Florida Derby and the Haskell Invitational, giving him four G1 triumphs this year, he needs the Classic to wipe away the sting of his surprisingly inept performance in the Belmont Stakes. That race cost him a Triple Crown sweep and considerable luster with the racing public.

While most in the racing game also hope that Curlin will be in the Classic to defend his Horse of the Year title against Big Brown, there is still doubt that Curlin's connections will allow the 4-year-old to run on a synthetic racing surface. As a matter of fact, Curlin is next scheduled to compete in the 1 1/4-mile, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on September 27th, a G1 race on dirt that he won last year prior to his 2007 Breeders' Cup victory. While the Gold Cup is not expected to attract serious competition, Curlin is in position to push his career earnings over the $10 million mark to surpass two-time Horse of the year Cigar as the richest American-based thoroughbred in history.

Check out Matchup Odds of Big Brown vs. Curlin in the Breeders' Cup Classic!

So what do we make of Big Brown's victory at Monmouth on Saturday? My thoughts are included in the race summary below.

Monmouth Park, Saturday, September 13th

* The ungraded $500,000 Monmouth Stakes, 1 1/8 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: :23.46 :46.83 1:11.21 1:35.39 1:47.41 - A good pace at every pole, including a final three furlongs in :36.20.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 105 - A rating compatible with G2 and borderline G1 turf stakes.

With the older Proudinsky and Shakis in the field, along with multiple graded stakes winner Silver Tree, it would not be fair to describe the Monmouth Stakes as a soft spot. Yet, realistically, Big Brown had shown superior talent on grass in his career debut as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in 2007 and the grass footing at Monmouth certainly was going to be kinder to his tender hooves that had endured quarter cracks on different occasions in 2008. Thus, he came to Monmouth needing a race for conditioning purposes, and he came out of the race with a victory that left his connections rejoicing in the winner's circle looking forward to the big race at Santa Anita.

Big Brown went right to the front on cue and initially was challenged by longshot Get Serious. The latter made things easier when he bore out sharply on the first turn before angling back in to resume chasing the 3-5 betting favorite and that was all the breather Big Brown needed.

Racing kindly a few feet off the rail to the top of the stretch, Big Brown responded gamely when proven G2 stakes winner Proudinsky launched a serious challenge in the upper stretch only to be turned back under relatively mild urging from jockey Kent Desormeaux who rode a perfect race, needing only light shoulder taps to convince Big Brown to keep up the good work.

Shakis, another proven G2 turf type, also rallied to be third, beaten less than a length, while no threat to the top two.

At the bottom line, this prep race couldn't have worked out any better although Big Brown did bear out somewhat in the late going, as he does in virtually every race. So the hoof issues still might be lurking below the surface. Stay tuned.

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 13th

* The Gr. 2 $250,000 Futurity Stakes, 7 furlongs for 2-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: :22.87 :46.97 1:11.59 1:24.30

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 93 - Slightly above par for the class, distance and age of these young horses at this time of year.

Charitable Man, a runaway winner of his maiden debut at Saratoga, showed more dimension in this stakes victory. Instead of taking this field wire-to-wire, he settled in mid-pack for half a mile, launched a steady move on the turn to reach the leader approaching the furlong pole and drew clear. As a son of Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, Charitable Man should improve with distance and maturity and is a legit prospect for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile and perhaps next year's Triple Crown events.

Flying Pegasus tried hard from between horses and made a spirited bid for the lead in mid-stretch only to be second-best in a good effort. Friesan Fire rallied well enough for third after dealing with a wall of horses in the upper stretch to suggest he also may have a future.

Girolamo, an uncoupled stablemate to the winner and himself an impressive maiden grad at Saratoga, raced in spots while bottled up inside and can do much better with this experience. Both Charitable Man and Girolamo are trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, who has done exceptional work with all kinds of horses in recent years and may be in line to compete in the Triple Crown preps next season with these two and perhaps Majestic Blue, another colt he sent out to a maiden score at Saratoga.

Gone Astray, a highly regarded youngster trained by Shug McGaughey, didn't fire at all and will deserve another chance when put into a much longer race. High Mesa set the pace in tandem with Kensel to the top of the stretch and both tired badly from their duel.

* The Gr. 2 $250,000 Matron, 7 furlongs for 2-year-old fillies.

Fractional Splits: :22.55 :46.03 1:11.81 1:24.74.

Winning Beyer speed Figure: 89 - Right at par for the class, distance, age and sex of these young horses at this time of year.

Doremifasollatido, a very good New York-bred miss, settled in mid-pack before she moved to the lead in the upper stretch to give track announcer Tom Durkin ample opportunity to sing the scale notes as this filly moved to the clear in the stretch.

Persistently, bred for much longer, got off a bit slow but rallied steadily while very wide for a clear-cut second. Obviously, this will be one to watch when she matures and the distances lengthen.

Argyle Pink and Miss Ocean City dueled for the lead and the former held on for third, while the latter tired to sixth. Even so, I thought the stoutly bred Miss Ocean City might prove a tougher rival when and if she can get a clear lead going longer down the road.

Arlington Park, Saturday, September 13th

* The Gr. 3 $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity, one mile around one turn on the heavily drenched Polytrack for 2-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: :22.79 :46.25 1:10.39 1:22.68 1:35.68 - A slightly above par pace with a slightly below par final furlong.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 82 for the disqualified first-place finisher, 79 for the eventual official winner - Both ratings slightly below par for the level in a roughly run contest on a wet-fast synthetic track.

A controversial steward's decision that took 15 minutes to unravel as they took down the top two finishers and moved up the third-finishing horse after the each offender committed separate fouls that seemed correct, but still did not invite unanimous support.

Terrain, closing well from mid-pack, was first bothered by Capt. Candyman Can, who was himself pushed over onto Terrain by second-place finisher Advice. The latter had the race won after moving from between horses at the top of the stretch to take the lead, only to bear in then out while appearing to loaf on the lead.

Meanwhile, Jose Adan was rallying outside to get to the front, but did cross over to impede Terrain. With that aggressive move, 'Jose' was a serious candidate for disqualification even before the horses pulled up.

In my judgment, Advice was the principal culprit, but the interference by Jose Adan occurred several strides after Advice bore out into Capt. Candyman Can and Terrain, which gave the stewards cause to disqualify Advice and Jose Adan, even though the blinking lights flashed for 10 minutes on just the first- and third-place finishers prior to their deeper review into the race.

Zion, who finished a respectable fourth, also suffered interference in this race and seventh-place finisher His Greatness never had a chance to show his best while racing in the Arlington parking lot.

Added notes:

Wild Gams, a troubled tenth in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park, won the ungraded $400,000 Presque Masters Stakes on the Tapeta synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs on Saturday, September 13th. She earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure while setting a new track record (1:07.95) and defeating Miss Macy Sue, who finished third in the Filly & Mare Sprint last year. With this good performance, Wild Gams moves forward towards this year's Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on October 24th, a race that will be on a synthetic track at 7 furlongs, a more favorable surface and distance than she had to deal with last year.

The 3-year-old filly Music Note broke through the starting gate briefly but had virtually no competition in the Gr. 1 $250,000 Gazelle for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park on Saturday. The race was practically reduced to a casual workout when probable second choice Country Star had to be scratched at the starting gate for her own antics. Music Note, a very close second in the 9-furlong, Gr. 1 Alabama at Saratoga on August 16th, earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the Gazelle without being asked for her best run. No doubt she will be one of the contenders in the loaded $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic on October 24th, a race that is scheduled to attract undefeated Zenyatta; 2007 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Ginger Punch; and Alabama winner Proud Spell.

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Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.