Big Brown and Curlin, the two likely favs in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic, both had morning activity.
Big Brown worked six furlongs over a good Aqueduct turf course in 1:14.64 on Oc. 7th. The move was in company with stablemate Salute the Count, a possible entrant in the newly formed Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
The dogs were up, about 12 feet out, and the Richard Dutrow runner completed his final two furlongs in :23.85 while galloping out seven panels in 1:29.26. The 2008 Kentucky Derby hero is expected to have two more works before heading to Santa Anita on Oct. …read more

Friday night’s Grade 2 Meadowlands Cup Handicap is a $350k race for three-year-olds and up traveling nine furlongs on the main track, and it serves as one of the final prep races for the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 8-horse field is lead by Past the Point.
Past the Point (Indian Charlie-AP Indy) is a vastly improved Darley Stable 4yo, and his trainer Eoin Harty is already loaded for bear in the BC Classic with Goodwood winner Well Armed and Travers hero Colonel John, both owned by WinStar Farm.
Past the Point showed promise as a three-year-old with a solid show finish …read more

Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown ran his record to seven wins in eight starts with a gritty wire job over older graded foes Proudinsky and Shakis in Saturday’s grassy $500k Monmouth Stakes.
As I stated in my preview blog, I thought that Big Brown would sit the first run stalking trip behind one or two other speedsters, but he was carving out legit fractions and had enough energy to hold off the the aforementioned Grade 2 winners.
Proudinsky loomed a serious threat turning for home and looked as if he would go by Big Brown in midstretch, but the classy …read more

Big Brown is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the $500k Monmouth Stakes (race 9), a nine furlong grass event for three-year-olds and up to be run on Saturday (9-13-08).
Big Brown is 6-7 lifetime, with his Belmont Stakes disaster his notable blemish. He began his career with a romping turf route wire job last September, then returned in March and rolled in an originally scheduled for the turf flat mile entry level race at the Gulf.
He proceeded to take the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness before his ill-fated Triple Crown attempt at Big Sandy. …read more

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown had his final work for the September 13th Monmouth Stakes, breezing five furlongs in 1:05.35 over the Aqueduct turf course on September 9th. He galloped out six panels in 1:22.58.
Big Brown has been working steadily for his return to grass racing. He kicked off his career with a romping turf victory at the Spa.
Following his failed Triple Crown bid in the infamous Belmont Stakes debacle, he came back to wear down a stubborn Coal Play in a less than stellar renewal of the Haskell (G1).
Saturday’s turf race will be his …read more

Here is a recap of stakes races that were run around the country over the weekend (July 12-13). Note that I already covered the Swaps, Man O’ War and Prince of Wales in previous articles…
Arlington Park
Stream Cat easily ran down loose on the lead 2-time defending Arlington Hcp (G2) champ Cosmonaut on Saturday. The runner-up had no excuses setting a tepid pace in the compact local prep for the Arlington Million (G1).
Long winded type Communique had too much stamina for her rivals in the grassy 9.5f Modesty Hcp (G3) for fillies and mares. Leading rider Rene Douglas was up …read more

The Grade 2 First Flight Handicap (race 7) on July 4th at Belmont Park has drawn a field of seven, with the Richard Dutrow entry of Ice Cool Kitty and Looky Yonder favored at 2-1.
NY-bred Ice Cool Kitty is a 9-16 pro with a trio of local wins and a pair of extended sprint tallies. She has not been out since November ‘07 and it likely using this race as a springboard to state bred stakes races down the road. Her mate Looky Yonder has won her last three conventional dirt starts and is 2-2 at Big Sandy. She’s …read more

Big Brown’s trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. showed no class throughout the Triple Crown series. Mr. Dutrow guaranteed victory in the Belmont Stakes, and he was hardly shy in his pre-race statements, but shortly after his prized colt ran last in the Test of Champions, the outspoken conditioner was nowhere to be seen.

A battery of tests did not produce a reason for his poor effort, and now Mr. Dutrow has decided to blame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
Mr. Dutrow is wondering why Kent D essentially pulled Big Brown up turning for home, and the trainer is also questioning his antics around …read more