A lot of hopes were shattered last Saturday when 2-5 favorite Big Brown finished last at the Belmont Stakes, leaving the Triple Crown unclaimed yet again. Long shot Da’ Tara (who Big Brown previously crushed in the Florida Derby by 23 lengths) won the race. Her stunning victory, however, has been overshadowed by the general disappointment that Big Brown lost the race (and the Triple Crown) – and the many questions why he not only lost the race of his life, but finished last.
So what really happened? Nobody knows for sure, but there has been a lot of finger-pointing since Saturday. After the race, the big bay colt was given a full physical my IEAH officials. Breathing problems and pulmonary bleeding has since been ruled out. Big Brown appears to be in peak physical condition.
A theory of why he performed poorly was that he hasn’t had a steroid shot since April 15. Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. has always been quite open about the horse’s steroid use every 15th of each month, and the sudden cessation of shots in May naturally fueled speculation. Big Brown, however, has been performing spectacularly since his last steroid shot. In fact, that was the reason why Dutrow decided to discontinue the shot. Experts also attest that Winstrol, the anabolic steroid used on Dutrow’s horses, merely increases appetite and aggression, so it’s discontinuation was unlikely to influence Big Brown’s performance.
Another possible cause was the crack found on the horse’s left front hoof earlier last week. Experts insist, however, that the quarter crack was not an issue at all. A fiberglass and acrylic patch was applied to the area on Friday, and said to have rendered the hoof merely an annoyance, nothing life-threatening or even career-ending – and certainly not a reason to finish last in a race.
Recent reports are now blaming jockey Kent Desormeaux for bad judgment and even worse handling. Experts argue that Desormeaux ‘turned off’ Big Brown early in the race; hence, why the horse couldn’t be ‘turned on’ at the final stretch. Desormeaux, in his defence, insists that Big Brown wasn’t quite into the race, and his decision to slow him down was based on the knowledge that winning the race was proving futile and his main concern was bringing the horse to the finish safely.
Whatever the reason for Big Brown’s stunning loss, it doesn’t change the fact that the public suffered an estimated loss of $15 million. This just proves that, in horse racing, even a sure thing can turn into nothing.
Here’s more news on 4-hoofed wonder, Big Brown. Both he and another contender, Tale of Ekati, are expected to run on the anabolic steroid Winstrol (also known as Stanozolol) this Saturday at the Belmont Stakes - the very same steroid, in fact, that got Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson stripped of of his gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Though performance-enhancing drugs have been causing a stir in human athletic competitions, it’s not at all entirely strange for horses to still be using steroids. Surprisingly, steroids are still legal in horse racing – that is, in 28 of the 38 states that host the events. Anabolic steroids serve the purpose of increasing weight and appetite in horses, as well as to promote recovery for certain injuries or illnesses, especially among castrated horses where the natural source for such steroids are taken away. The drugs are also used to encourage aggression to help the horse withstand rigorous training.
However, since the death of Eight Belle at the Kentucky Derby, there has been some serious questions about steroid use on racehorses, though trainer Larry Jones denies such a thing. Experts are increasingly blaming steroid use, as well as other factors like breeding for speed, of the dimishing standards of thoroughbreds. Last year, steroid use was only banned in Iowa, but 9 states so far have followed suit this year – and it looks like more are on the way. In fact, the state of New York’s racing board has already announced their proposal to limit steroid use by next year, possibly earlier with this fall’s Breeder’s Cup as the target. A Congress hearing this month is already in place to consider the issue of steroid use in horses, as well as other safety questions.
Indeed, it’s starting to look like this Saturday’s Belmont Stakes will be the last horse racing event to allow the use of anabolic steroids. Big Brown’s trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., however, isn’t fussed about stopping the use of steroids on Big Brown or any of his horses if they were banned. And judging from Big Brown’s final workout yesterday, he’s already a winner, steroids or no steroids.
One question remains, though. If you say somebody has the constitution of a horse, is it likely he’s on steroids?