Horse set to hoof it
Big Brown has a healthy outlook
NEW YORK - When you are Superman, or in this case Superhorse, and are already being fitted with the mantle of greatness that winning the Triple Crown brings, any flaw is maximized.
Anything that might be a sign of weakness, an indication that someone other than Big Brown will win the 140th Belmont Stakes Saturday afternoon, preventing him from becoming the first horse to capture the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.
So it was two weeks ago when Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, announced that the horse who had breezed to ridiculously easy wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes had a quarter crack in his left front hoof and would miss a few days of training.
Ah, perhaps a sign of weakness.
But yesterday, as he has done for the past several days, Dutrow emphasized that Big Brown couldn't be better.
"He is ready to go," said Dutrow after watching Big Brown draw the No. 1 post in the 10-horse field as the 2-5 morning-line favorite. "He's eating everything. We've got nothing to worry about. He's ready to run.
"He's in a zone."
But he's also in somewhat unfamiliar territory. Big Brown has not broken from the inside post since his maiden race, at Saratoga, which he won by 12 3/4 lengths.
Neither Dutrow nor jockey Kent Desormeaux seemed concerned. "I can't see the post position getting him beat," said Dutrow.
Desormeaux, noting Big Brown's inclination to run early, said the race might be over after 40 yards.
But what about the hoof issue, the one weakness in Big Brown's profile? In his short career, Big Brown has had two 45-day layoffs because of his feet. Maybe the quarter crack, minor in nature, will be a factor if something flares up in the next two days.
Dutrow acted quickly when it was discovered two weeks ago, immediately going to his hoof specialist, Ian McKinlay.
"This injury is nothing remotely close to the two foot injuries he had last fall and winter," McKinlay said when the injury was revealed. "Those were wall separations and were very tender. This is just a straight quarter crack that will pretty much heal by itself. We didn't even trim him; the iodine will seep underneath the wall and start speeding up the healing. We're dealing with something that's designed to heal itself, so we kind of stay out of its way and let it travel its course a little bit.
"This is a very minor crack, and as long as you don't get aggressive, you won't get in trouble."
Thus far, everything has worked. McKinlay will put an acrylic and mesh patch on the hoof tomorrow.
Big Brown's workout Tuesday was routine. "I feel as good as I can possibly feel about Big Brown," said Dutrow afterward. "I feel very, very good. I was not expecting to see anything other than what we saw, but still, you've got to go through it."
Big Brown has gone through the workouts, he is recovering from his foot problem, he is frisky, and Dutrow says he is eager to get on with things.
"He's been galloping a little rough, wanting to do more," said Dutrow. "He senses something is up. He's ready to go."
On Saturday, Dutrow will find out just how ready.
Casino Drive, generally regarded as the horse most likely to upset Big Brown, was installed as the 7-2 second choice. Denis of Cork, at 12-1, was the third choice . . . The attention on Big Brown does not bother some of the other trainers. "I realize everyone will be focused on Big Brown," said Graham Motion, who trains Icabad Crane . . . Guadalcanal, a late entry yesterday, hasn't broken his maiden in five attempts but finished second in a 1 1/2-mile race (the Belmont distance) in his last start at 