Big Brown holds off Proudinsky in Monmouth

Big Brown refused to lose his final prep race for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner opened a big early lead and then held off a determined challenge by Proudinsky the entire length of the stretch in capturing the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes by a neck yesterday in Oceanport, N.J.

It was the 3-year-old colt's seventh victory in eight starts and it has the potential to set up a spectacular Breeders' Cup Classic: Big Brown against Curlin, last year's Horse of the Year.

"I can't wait to run against Curlin," said Big Brown co-owner Michael Iavarone. "If he's going to show up, he should show up in the Breeders' Cup [Oct. 25]. That's where we are going to be."

Big Brown covered the 11/2 miles in 1:47.41 in returning to the grass for the second time in his career. Unlike the romp in his first grass start, though, Big Brown was all-out to win in his first race against older horses.

Music Note cruised to an 8 1/2-length win over Hamsa in the $250,000 Gazelle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, one of five stakes races at Belmont Park.

Music Note paid $2.10 and $2.10 as the 1-20 favorite. Hamsa returned $2.50. There was no show wagering.

There were also a pair of 2-year-old stakes each worth $250,000: Charitable Man won the Futurity and Doremifasollatido took the Matron for fillies.

Commentator, a two-time winner of the Grade I Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, was assigned high weight of 122 pounds for Saturday's Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs. Trainer Nick Zito has indicated he will enter Commentator, winner of the Grade II Richter Scale Handicap at Gulfstream, in the MassCap.